Month 31 to 32

Understanding adult rules and standards

Your child now has a basic awareness of your adult standards and behaviour. So don't be surprised when he notices differences -- like when another child is allowed sweets before dinner or when he doesn't have a bath on a particular night. Try to keep most things in his life consistent, and he will be more able to cope with these sorts of changes if you explain things to him.

As your child's awareness of other people continues to develop, he'll begin to alter his speech depending on who he's talking to. He'll begin to use different words and tones of voice with peers or adults. And you may even notice that with a younger child, he uses simpler language.

Telling fibs

For pre-school children, the line between reality and fantasy is still blurred. Your child might say that he didn't scribble on the wall because he wishes he hadn't -- not because he's deliberately lying. Encourage him to tell you what happened without seeming angry or frustrated, and explain that lying is worse than anything he might have done. Make it less scary for him to tell the truth, and you'll help nip his fibbing in the bud.

Handling questions about sex

About now you might begin fielding some hard questions about how babies are made. Skip all the metaphors and euphemisms, and say it straight. The question "Where do babies come from?" might warrant a response like "Most babies are born through a mother's vagina." There's no need to go into great detail at this age. The more complicated you get, the more likely you are to confuse or frighten your child.