In the run up to the end of my wife’s pregnancy, everyone was a mixture of soundbite advice and warnings that it’s going to get so hard, while they smirked in reminiscence that they’ve passed that stage of their life.

Of course, there’s everything to learn, sleep deprivation and endless smells and messes to clean. Once baby could sit up, it would be fine right? Maybe not. Ok, but how about when she can feed herself. Ha! no. When she can walk? You’re kidding.

I never knew that each life stage was a set of completely new challenges.

Firstly, now baby has an opinion. It used to be just milk, then things on a spoon. Now it’s running through a menu of possibilities for each meal. Every time I cook something, it’s a gamble. Will she eat it, will it be thrown on the floor with “uh oh” exclaimed behind a cheerful grin?

Should I aim to please, with the occasional healthy choice and varied balance thrown in there? Happy baby, happy life? Or should I be only providing healthy, home grown, organic, free range options and hope that eventually her palette and temperament will change?

This isn’t where my advice comes. I’m out of ideas.

Walking is a whole new thing too. Now she can take some steps by herself, she has every intention of going further than the playpen of months passed. She’s also getting into all those cupboards which used to be securely child-locked. She has somehow developed a collection of Alcatraz-busting lock-breaking abilities. I should be so proud.

Now her priorities have changed too. We can’t just take her along for our own errands, we need to provide her with stimulation and give her space to run (or crawl), pick up dirt and see how fast I can run to stop her eating it.

Do you have any advice? Been here, done that? Please, please share your tips.