Teething is something all mums and dads have to go through....Although saying that, I recently found out my grandmother never ever grew any bottom teeth! So when my son Finn hadn't cut any teeth by the time he was 20 months old, I started getting a little worried that it might be genetic! Thankfully, by the time he was two he started cutting a tooth and within that 6 months, they were popping out left right and centre. He was so cranky! It was a long 6 months...my cruisy little boy had become a whinging monster!

It must be so hard for our babies and toddlers not knowing how to deal with the pain and irritability they experience when teeth start coming through. As a parent it is so exciting, but then the reality of how it affects the child sets in. So what can we do to help?

#1 Wash your hands and give your babies gums a gentle massage. The pressure will help to relieve some of the discomfort your baby is feeling.

#2 Try to keep your baby or toddlers face as dry as you can....there is alway soooo much dribble! Keeping them as dry as you can will help to avoid any skin irritation.

#3 Cold! Cold is key when is comes to teething. You can wet a clean face cloth, wring it out and put it in the fridge to give to your teething baby (Put a few in the fridge so that you can have them on rotation. Depending on age, offer frozen puree popsicles or place a teething toy in the fridge or a bowl of ice. 

#4 If your teething baby or toddler gets sick of his or her teether, have a few on rotation and don't be afraid to rub some of your babies favourite food on it to get them interested again. Pure silicone baby teething toys are perfect for this as you can pop them in the dishwasher to be cleaned afterwards.

#5 Give your baby lots of extra cuddles and try to accept that it will be this way for a little while. Even though you have a million things to do, let yourself off the hook from some of those chores and comfort your baby as much as you can.