Your toddler: 28 months old

Picky eaters Remember when you could spoon food into your baby and he was eager to eat? Now he's probably a much more discerning diner. What's going on? It's a combination of factors: a slower growth rate plus a much stronger awareness of his own preferences. Not to mention a toddler is often too busy doing important stuff to bother with eating!

Chances are excellent that your toddler is getting enough to eat as long as you offer him a variety of healthy food choices. Remember that a toddler portion is small. Little bits of food will be enough to fill up his tiny stomach — and that means he needs to eat frequently. Offer him three meals a day plus a couple of nutritious snacks.

Learn more strategies for helping a picky eater.

Read more: 4 great tips for keeping your kids healthy and active>

Learning limits Your child at two-and-a-quarter can really get around — and into things! But you don't want to prevent him from exploring or punish him when he makes a big mistake. It's a matter of keeping him safe while he learns what the limits are. And he is learning — we all know a toddler like the one who points at the china cabinet and sternly tells his parents "no!" Eventually a child figures out limits and develops some inner discipline that tells him when he's going too far. But not the first time you tell him...maybe not the 48th time either.

In the meantime, here are some positive discipline strategies — and a glimpse into your toddler’s side of story — to help you both survive this trying stage.

Read more: How to raise a self-sufficient kid>

Bad hair days Imagine you are little and having lots of fun in the bath when your mom or dad comes along and insists on dumping soap on you and rubbing your head, hard. You just might not like it. Lots of toddlers hate hair washing — not to mention brushing, styling and haircuts, too. But a few simple tricks can make caring for a toddler's hair easier.

Read more: Kids who cut their own hair>

My first photo album Maybe your child would like his very own book of the people he knows? It's easy to make one with a small-sized photo album. Just slip in photos of Grandma and Grandpa, Mom and Dad, his babysitter and Murray the dog of course! Seal the openings with packing tape to make sure the photos stay put. He'll enjoy going through and naming them over and over. Don't forget to include a nice close-up of your favourite toddler.

Read more: Discover more craft and activity ideas>

Originally published on Oct. 23, 2011.