When should parents be concerned that their toddler has dyslexia? When should you be worried about speech or letter identification?

Dyslexia can be extremely hard to diagnose in toddlers as many of its symptoms are developmentally common for all toddlers. However, the more traits that are present, the more likely it is that your toddler may need some help. Dyslexia may be diagnosed where there is a combination of traits and a lack of progress over time.

A family history of dyslexia, reading and spelling difficulties, and delayed speech and language development can indicate possible dyslexia. Other early traits include:

• Difficulties with pronunciation of words
• Difficulties in learning and repeating nursery rhymes
• Problems learning the names of shapes and colors
• Problems learning letter names and letter sounds
• Slow in learning to write own name
• Problems with fine-motor skills

The best approach any parent can take is to try to teach their toddlers alpha/numeric and fine motor skills from an early age. Helpful activities include:

• Reading to your toddler daily from 6 months of age
• Point to each word as you read
• Encourage your toddler to join in pointing at pictures and words
• Introduce nursery rhymes or rhyming games from an early age
• Help to build the toddler's vocabulary by introducing new words as often as possible
• Encouraging your toddler to read and write their own first name
• Provide magnet alphabet letters or letter blocks for play
• Encourage drawing, color-in and basic writing skills
• Teach your toddler how to hold pencils and crayons

I want to softly embrace you
I want to hold you to my chest
Your cheeks are like a tender rose
Your lips are like the sweetest kiss
Your future is in your tiny hands
Your eyes they really sparkle
Yet your life has only just begun
Yet your eyes hold mystery, hope and innocence
I can but only stare at you in awe and much delight
I can but only stand by you, until you no longer need me

les scammell - 2008

I am not much of a poet - but occasionally the words just spill out

Divorces or separations can often be messy affairs with both parents fighting over the custody of the children. The courts generally try to find a balance that is in the best interest of the children. However, occasionally the opposite happens. One of the parents walks away from the marriage and wants nothing more to do with the family, the children included.

There are many reasons for this attitude and whilst the stay away parent is thought of as cold and heartless, often the reverse is the case. It can be difficult to understand the pain that one can go through as parent and partner when the whole family unit starts to break down. For many parents, the pain of seeing the children and then handing them back at the end of the day is too hard to bear.

Others see different issues including the affect that this has on the children, or the affect that squabbling parents have on the children. So, rightfully or wrongfully, they feel it is in the best interests of the children to stay away.

There is a popular misconception that it is only fathers that walk away from their children. You would be surprised at how many mothers do as well. This frequently happens when the relationship breaks down due to a third party, the mother's new partner. (This holds true for fathers as well - particularly if he has entered a relationship with a younger woman.)

Children are the victims in this scenario. It doesn't matter why the other parent wants to stay away, children have difficulty coming to terms with this issue and can enter into a long period of grieving.

Children, particularly toddlers and babies, and a sex life just don't go together. Sometimes it is a miracle having the time and energy to create number two let alone number three four.

There are many parents that don’t want to talk about this subject, however I can assure you that many have experienced the problem. While you may feel guilty saying “Not tonight dear I am too tired” it doesn’t change a thing - you are still tired.

So how do we resolve this issue? It isn't easy but it can be done - with a little help.

Sleep: sleep is part of the problem, or lack of it. Opportunity is the solution. Takes naps when ever you can and don't forget to share, mother needs naps, but so to does father.

A Little Help From Your Friends: friends and relatives can be a blessing so use them. Let them baby sit while you grab an afternoon nap. Once you start to catch up on your sleep, use them to babysit while you grab back some of that old spark - start dating again - with each other of course. Movies, dinner or just an afternoon stroll hand in hand can work wonders.

Opportunity: do I need to spell it out. You are both rested, the kids are being babysat, ah what the heck - go for it.

Can it be that simple. Of course it can. It all starts with communication and from there, anything is possible.

This has become an I told you so issue for me and I feel some what vindicated with the results of the latest research.

For many years doctors and other health professionals have warned pregnant woman and mother's of young children to avoid a whole range of foodstuffs to avoid the child developing allergies.

It now seems that by avoiding these foodstuffs, parents may be creating the allergy problem.

Allergies, in simple terms, are a bodies intolerance to any substances that enter the body. Those of us that can eat, say peanuts, do so because our bodies have developed a tolerance to that substance.

How do we develop that tolerance? Very simple. We expose the body to the substance.

For pregnant women, this really means continuing to lead a normal life. If you eat peanuts, or use peanut oil or peanut paste; keep using them - don't avoid them. This goes for many foods particularly fruits and vegetables.

While breastfeeding, continue with your normal intake of these foods. There are times when a little caution is required, particularly with fruits, coffee and chocolate as some of the substances found in them could cause problems such as over stimulation and diarrhea.

As your baby develops into a toddler, don't be afraid to experiment with a range of foods. Once your child starts to eat sandwiches, trial them on foods such as peanut paste. Just a little spread very thinly to start with and if there is no reaction, slowly increase to normal amounts.

The House Of Lords in the UK has had a request before the British Government for almost 12 months now aimed at changing the current recommendations to pregnant women relating to foodstuffs. The UK government has yet to act on the issue.

Children's hospitals in the UK and Australia have all reported an almost tripling of the number of food allergy emergencies reported since these recommendations came into effect.

One would think with the advent of cell phones, pre-paid phone cards and the internet, that these lines of communication would create a virtual flood of dialog between family members.

Apart from the occasional "check-in' call, teens spend more time talking to their friends than with their family. The explosion of the internet has parents fighting to find time to even talk to their teens. It is often quicker and easier to check them out on MySpace than in person.

In the past the dinner time was the one time that the entire family could get together. That has now been replaced by the the 10 second "text message' or, if you are lucky, an email. Meaningful communication between parents and their teens has become a challenge, however there are several things a parent can do to solve the problem.

Get into the habit of asking your child what's going on in their daily lives and don't be put off by a generic response. "Nothing' is not an answer. Get them to answer in complete sentences and talk for more than a couple of minutes and you will be surprised what comes out.

Watch your child. No one knows them better than you! You have raised them since infancy, you can tell when something is bothering them and when they are hiding something. If you feel there is something wrong then do not be put off by "privacy' issues or the "you just don't get it' speech. Gently let them know that you are there to help and let them know you wont let up until you get a satisfactory answer.

LISTEN! Really listen to what they are saying and how they are saying it. Don't forget; the tone of the conversations is just as important as what is being said. Don't interrupt no matter how tempted you are to interject a comment just make a mental note to get back to the subject when the child is ready to listen to what your response. Keep your temper and alarm in check when dealing which such subjects as sex, drugs and peers.

I don't often recommend other sites however I have decided that as I come across any that are both suitable and interesting then I would at least write a short review.

This first site has a few posts that really tickled my curiosity. The top post (at the time of writing) displayed bus art and it is amazing how clever some marketing people can be.

One of the other posts that is quite topical at present has images of the various logos used by the various nations hosting the Olympic Games over the years.

This site, machinbidule, publishes post on a variety of topics and is extremely interesting to spend time just browsing. It is a bit like a bookshop where one can find solutions to almost anything - or interesting pictures on them.

The Australian Prime Minister, Mr Kevin Rudd, has today put forward a proposal that could see Australian childcare centers becoming one stop shops. The proposal seeks to place childcare services, pre-school and child health services together under one roof.

To quote Mr Rudd,

"Under the plan, all parents with children aged up to five would be able to access a one-stop early-childhood center providing maternal and child health services such as baby health checks, baby weighing, feeding advice and vaccinations and long day care, including play-based activity for children whose parents were at work or studying."

Although it will cost many millions of dollars to set up, the ongoing costs may well save money over the years. A scenario such as the one proposed may well identify health and learning problems early. Early detection leads to early solutions. These solutions to problems are often less expensive than if picked up later in life, particularly learning difficulties.

The issue now will come down to whether or not these centers should be run by private companies or by public semi autonomous government organizations (SGO). There are good arguments for both.

Private companies are profit driven and will over time blow out the costs for these types of services. Public SGO's are renown for being admin heavy and terribly inefficient. Either way, the costs are going to be high.

The concept is one that really does need to get off the ground. Can Australia afford a service such as this? I feel the question should be, can we afford not to go down this track? We have to find the funds. The longer term benefits will pay for themselves eventually.

Finally a Government with a little vision. Let's hope it goes beyond just a vision!