Your 15 month old

This month your toddler will probably start using a handful of words. Brace yourself: one of them may be "no" - a word that she's likely to repeat often (and loudly). Your child's adamant "no" is her way of asserting her recently acquired sense of self. You might be able to prevent it from becoming her favourite word if you keep your own use of no to a minimum. For instance, instead of saying, "No, don't touch that," try offering her an alternative activity or saying, "I'd like you to play over here."