Parents who want a fresh point of view on their furniture are advised to drop down on all fours and accompany the nine or ten month old on his rounds. It is probably many years since you last studied the underside of a dining room chair. The ten month old will study this marvel with as much concentration and reverence as a tourist in the Cathedral of Chartres.

The Magic Years: Understanding and Handling the Problems of Early Childhood (ed. Simon and Schuster, 2015) - ISBN: 9781501122828