Yes, it's messy. It's smelly... there's food all over your kitchen walls, there are crayons in unmentionable places, and your ears are constantly ringing from the bouts of frustrated screaming.

But, funnily enough, spending all your time with a toddler can be cerebral too. OK, so that might be elevating it to a rather grandiose level, but you're essentially spending your day trying to decipher a different language - part English, but mostly Double Dutch - so you can have a conversation... mostly so you can stop the screaming.

My toddler's latest thing is scrunching up her face and roaring, while pointing at whatever you may have in your hand at the time (even a nappy bag) "MINE, YOURS, MINE, YOURS, MINE, YOURS, SEBUCHAPOOHDIE!!! BOKKLE!" before barreling purposefully over to the press to horse into the raisins.