I have officially fallen out with Dora the Explorer. Harsh words indeed as Dora has given me some treasured 20-minute windows of peace over the past few months.

Every new parent knows how impossible it is to keep your little one in the same spot for more than a few minutes. Once they learn to crawl, toddle, walk and run, it’s our job to develop rapid-response reflexes and eyes in the back of our heads.

Thank God then for Baby Einstein, Dora, or whatever else transfixing-yet-educational DVDs we can find. A good episode grants me enough time to unpack the groceries, unload the dishwasher and make Chloe dinner. Alternatively, it also allows me to collapse in an exhausted stupor on the sofa with a cup of herbal tea and a snack that’s so healthy Chloe won’t want to steal it.

However, having just hosted our first two-year-olds’ birthday party, I am also aware of exactly how many thoughtfully-given yet INCREDIBLY ANNOYING Dora gifts there are out there.

We now have a Dora iPod, cell phone and musical book, all of which are being played with simultaneously — and at high volume. Whilst our nursery rhyme CDs make me want to drive into the harbour on a good day, by the time we had negotiated East Broadway this morning with Dora’s “We Did It!” on repeat, I was positively suicidal. Come back Old McDonald, all is forgiven! (Not Ronald McDonald obviously. No self-respecting nutritionist could ever forgive him.)

Nevertheless, by the time I arrived at work, I’d come to terms with my Dora-related trauma. Happy toddlers are worth their weight in gold and if Dora singing “We Did It!” at a pitch more appropriate for dolphins makes Chloe happy, then so be it. I was also given some perspective by the toddler tantrum e-mail waiting in my inbox for me courtesy of KidsHealth.

So far, Chloe’s tantrums have been few and far between. As my brother apparently used to have such bad tantrums he would foam at the mouth, the lovely husband and I have been approaching the terrible twos with some trepidation. According to Murphy’s Law, the moment this goes to print, Chloe will undoubtedly have an endless string of hour-long screaming fits, mainly in Lindo’s. At which point, I will be straight back online to KidsHealth.

Continuing with this month’s theme of exploring the internet’s most reputable health and nutrition-related websites, let me tell you more about KidsHealth (www.kidshealth.org). This is a fantastic three-in-one website with separate sections for parents, teens and kids.

KidsHealth is a US go-to site for reliable information about health, behaviour and development of children from before birth and through the teenage years.

It’s part of The Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media, the aim of which is to provide families with advice, perspective and comfort about a wide range of physical, emotional and behavioural issues.

The greatest advantage of this website is that the language is pitched perfectly. The information is easy to understand, yet avoids being patronising — an especially clever feat when writing for kids. Most importantly, whilst many online sites have dubious “facts” and information, rest assured that the KidsHealth content regularly undergoes meticulous medical review by pediatricians, registered dieticians and other medical experts.

However, whilst the teen and parent sections provide endless amounts of educational and reassuring information, I’d like to go into most detail about the kids’ section. If as a parent you police which sites your kids are able to access, then I suggest you add this to the list of approved content. The kids categories include: healthy cooking & recipes, feelings, staying healthy, injuries and illness, how the body works, growing body & mind, kids’ talk, staying safe, movies & games, health problems, kids’ dictionary of medical words and, the health problems of grown ups.

It would take forever for you and your kids to wade through all the information step by step, so let me save you some time and direct you to the best bits!

The recipe section is good — and in the regular category, try out the “disappearing zucchini muffins” which are fabulous. Your child might enjoy printing off the recipe and hiding some veggies from siblings, mum or dad, but if you think the zucchini will put them off, try this one out solo until you earn their trust. Other recipe categories include recipes for kids with Cystic Fibrosis (who need high-calorie meals) and diabetes, recipes for vegetarians and ideas for those with lactose intolerance. There is a section of recipes for those with Celiac disease but this is a weak link in my opinion. If you’d like some great gluten-free recipes, I suggest searching for them on the previously recommended Delicious Living magazine website instead.

The “how the body works” section has some excellent kid-friendly videos that explain how each body system works with funny graphics and good humour. Each video is bite-sized so they won’t lose concentration and they target everything you can imagine — from the stomach, glands and tongue to the brain. If your biology lessons seem a far off distant memory, these are actually quite good for refreshing adult memories too.

Under “growing body & mind” kids can find reassuring, sensible and tactfully written answers to life’s most embarrassing questions. If you would rather poke yourself in the eye than explain periods or pubic hair, you may want to take advantage of some of the information here. Under “girl stuff” KidsHealth mentions “My little red book” written by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff. This is a collection of stories from 92 women (many of whom are famous) detailing the circumstances of their first period. Rachel herself got hers whilst waterskiing in a yellow bathing suit with her grandfather. It might just be the ice-breaker you need with your own daughter. I haven’t as yet explored the “boys stuff” section all that thoroughly. Needless to say there is lots of information about happenings and injuries “down there.” If you ever need to deal with a zipper accident, now you know where to go without acquiring a dubious Internet search history.

One of my favourite sections for kids — and great for those with a toilet-based sense of humour — is the “Icky Q&A” section under “kids talk”. Topics are wide ranging but include the hilarious “What’s a fart?” However, despite the amusing topic, KidsHealth does impart some incredibly sensible pearls of wisdom regarding farting etiquette, summing up by saying: “The bathroom is also a good place to go if you’re feeling particularly gassy because it’s not polite to fart in social settings, like in class or at the dinner table (yuck!). But don’t worry if this happens accidentally. Just remember to say ‘excuse me’!”

Finally, whilst the health problem and dictionary sections are great, they are also pretty self-explanatory. Do check out the “movies and games” category though as they have some fun, education videos — especially good for kids who are unlikely to sit and read a screen full of text. The “mission nutrition” game is also good for small kids — you’ll be relieved to know I passed it with flying colours (I should hope so!) but test out your own knowledge and see if you can keep up with your kids!

Before I go, remember that as always, although this website does offer great medical advice, nothing can replace the individual care of your own physician. If you or your child have a health concern, ensure that you continue to consult your doctor at all times.

l The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. She can be contacted at nourishbda@gmail.com