Temper Tantrums. Moodiness. Nagging. An affinity for the word "no." Welcome to toddler-hood. In fact, the behavior often associated with this stage makes this period even harder than puberty for some! But don't worry; it's not an impossible situation. In fact, if you know what's happening inside your toddler's brain, you can turn this into a terrific time for you and your baby.

Yesterday I was talking on the phone with my sister, asking how my little nephew has been.

"We're totally in the Terrible Twos," she sighed, her voice barely audible over the high-pitch wailing in the background that sounded like the cat was stuck in the pepper grinder. "He's mad because I put him in timeout for stabbing the dog with a fork.

Getting your toddler to settle down for a night of sleep presents a challenge for many parents. While sleeping may seem like an instinctive skill that your child should develop naturally, in truth, sleep training is often required to produce a toddler who is able to sleep all night. If you are desperate to improve the length and quality of your child's nightly slumber, a few basic sleep training activities will provide her with the skills needed to sleep with success.

When your baby turns 2 or 3, you may want throw him a small birthday party, with a few close friends and family members. Activities may be easier to plan for a toddler's birthday party, since your child will be better able to focus and participate in things than he was as a 1-year-old. Don't plan too many activities, though, as children that young are likely to get tired quickly. Also, prepare to be flexible. If the birthday toddler and his guests don't seem interested in an activity, don't force it.

According to the vegetarianism fact sheet at KidsHealth.org, parents can feed their toddlers a vegetarian diet filled with all the necessary nutrients. Keep foods fresh, seasonal and diverse to formulate a well-planned and nutritious toddler vegetarian diet. If you opt for a vegan food plan, emphasize plant-based sources of protein, iron and calcium. Consult with your child's health care provider regarding any dietary concerns.

Holiday art projects capture the magic of the Christmas season for kids of all ages. Age-appropriate art and craft projects for toddlers give them a chance to show off their creativity while adding a festive touch for the holidays. Ideal toddler art projects focus on familiar Christmas symbols and use basic materials that toddlers are able to manipulate.

From parenting experts to advice from your parents and fellow mom friends, everyone shares an opinion about when and how to potty train a child. Potty training can be a challenge, even for the most seasoned parent, but with an arsenal of time-tested techniques, a few deep breaths and a heaping dose of patience, you can say "goodbye" to diapers and "hello" to a potty-trained toddler.

Halloween presents the perfect opportunity to do some themed crafts with your toddler. Little hands may not be ready for scissors yet, but parents can plan crafts that don't require cutting or can do some of the cutting prep work.

Whether you want to create a goody bag for trick-or-treating, a part of a costume, or just something scary to hang on the refrigerator, you're sure to find some easy crafts.

While some children are adept sleepers by toddlerhood, others still struggle to sleep through the night. If your toddler is still a restless sleeper, you can help him make sleeping an all-night event with some simple behavior modification techniques. By dedicating yourself to the task of making your toddler's nights restful, you can likely improve his ability to sleep and make him the skilled sleeper that you want him to be.

Once you've weaned your baby from the bottle, you want him to start drinking milk for the nutrition that it provides. Unfortunately, this isn't always as easy as it sounds, especially if he's used to drinking juice from the cup. Cow's milk has a different taste and consistency than breast milk or formula, so many children take a while to develop a liking for it. With a bit of persistence, your little one will be drinking milk like a champ.