While it may be difficult sometimes to fathom your toddler’s love of repetition, it is actually a vital part of her mental development and should be strongly encouraged.During these crucial first few years the connections between the brain cells

1. Know the signs Motion sickness is caused by repetitive small movements sending the brain mixed messages. Cold sweats, a queasy stomach and feeling dizzy are often the first signs.2. Hold your head up Encourage activities where your child has

?”, for example), but you will need to pay close attention to understand.3. Ask her to repeat herselfIf you can’t catch the meaning of a word, ask her to say it again. She will be delighted by this, as toddlers love repetition.4. Get her to demonstrate Ask your

of the greatest children's books of the 20th Century.* The cartoony monsters are a tad more Sesame Street than super-scary - especially for today's young readers. And do we sense echoes of the Wild Things in The Gruffalo, with its "terrible" repetition? Let's call

for Literature, even The Gruffalo might become too much of a good thing when you’ve read it 35 times in a row. But not for your toddler. You could read the book 350 times in a row, and they’d still say “more!” “Toddlers love repetition because that’s the way

to perfection at the beauty parlour? Once you have the bare bones of your story, fleshing it out with voices, body language, repetition and rhythm is the key to engaging your audience and holding their attention. “One of the reasons repetition is important

. Glug in the wine and let it bubble until it is all but evaporated. Meanwhile, heat the stock in a pan and keep warm. Sprinkle the saffron and a pinch of salt into the rice and stir through. Now it’s just a repetitive process, adding about a wine glass

that words have meanings.Read the same books over and over again. “Children learn from – and love – repetition and by reading the same book over and over again, they grow to recognise words,” says Rebecca Green from the National Literacy Trust. And whilst

cheeping, to a more insistent trill when he wanted his food bowl filling up, to a loud and repetitive squawk (my mother used to put a tea towel over his cage at this point to shut him up). We got another budgie called Camilla as a friend for Percy and

or lounge – anywhere, as long as it’s OK to make a mess. Children love elaborate pretend games and repetition, but if they always have to tidy up, it can be hard to pick up the same game they discarded the previous day. Make a miniature theatre Scaled