A new television programme aims to help take the tantrums out of bringing up toddlers.

Women's Editor Christen Pears talks to presenter and mother-of-two Fiona Philips.

SHE'S the cool blonde on the GMTV sofa, unfazed by any situation, but when it comes to bringing up her two young children, Fiona Phillips admits she gets just as stressed as any other mum.

"Being a mum is a wonderful experience but there are times when one's life is a rollercoaster ride of emotions, especially when the children misbehave or when they go through a difficult period," she says. "I've read all the books and then I ended up throwing them away because in the end you have to do what comes to you instinctively."

Mother of three-year-old Nathaniel and baby Mackenzie, Fiona has just finished filming Taming Toddlers, a new programme on the Discovery Health Channel. A guide to a calm and happy life with youngsters, it covers everything from your child's first day at school to recipe ideas to tempt even the pickiest of eaters.

Fiona says: "This was something I was really interested in and I was delighted when I was asked to do it. I did the days out for children and I found it surprising how many places you can take toddlers, like museums and art galleries, places I'd never thought of."

But although the days out went brilliantly while she was filming, Fiona admits she had problems when she took her own children to the Natural History Museum one weekend.

"Nat absolutely loves dinosaurs and we thought it would be a good idea to take him having been there to shoot the programme. But he suddenly became really scared of them and we had to take him home after ten minutes.

"Not one of the days out we'd filmed had been a disaster. The children had all been really well behaved. I went home thinking 'Where am I going wrong with mine?'."

Of course, Fiona isn't alone. Whether it's plasticine stuck to your new carpet or a lovingly prepared meal thrown across a newly cleaned kitchen floor, nothing can prepare you for looking after a toddler, and it's easy to underestimate just how much chaos they can cause and how much guidance they need.

Experts say the first five years of any child's life shape them forever. Their language and social skills, childhood development and entertainment are all down to the parents. Forget the pressures of making a presentation to a boardroom filled with shareholders or balancing the household books - raising toddlers is the biggest challenge any parent will face, but one that will be the most rewarding.

TV family and relationships counsellor Jenni Trent Hughes joins Fiona on the programme to offer expert advice, whether you're simply borrowing a niece or nephew for the weekend or are a full-time parent.

The magazine style show features real-life mums and their offspring, and includes four regular strands. In Toddler Diaries, parents and carers of pre-school kids keep a video diary as they tackle a problem stage in their child's development, such as sleep difficulties, a new sibling, tantrums or anti-social behaviour.

To avoid disaster, small people need constant entertaining, and the Everyone Happy? section investigates a range of indoor and outdoor activities. Fiona provides tips on the fun - and education - to be had, as well as advice on how to plan, what to avoid and safety issues. Among the many activities Fiona explores are visits to zoo and wildlife parks, farms, beaches, birthday parties, rainy days, music and noise, and museums and galleries.

Food can make or break a day spent with toddlers; hungry tummies make for grumpy toddlers, too much chocolate can cause problems and a fussy eater or food thrower can cause significant disruption. The full gambit of 'edible' issues is covered in Foods, from the more serious concerns about diet to the lighter end of the scale with biscuit baking and cake making.

Growing Up is all about memorable 'firsts'. Teeth, words, days at school, beach holidays - these memories of children are obsessively recorded in baby books and on film. First Times replicates these memories by following children and their parents as they set about these firsts. Fiona and Jenny give advice on how to prepare and deal with toddlers' new experiences, while parents and children talk about their firsts.

Fiona believes all parents will find the programme helpful in some way as she knows from personal experience just how difficult looking after small children can be.

She says she has found it slightly easier second time around, although Mackenzie suffers from severe eczema, which has brought a lot of new problems and challenges. Up at 4.30am every morning, she often finds it difficult to balance her career with spending time with the boys.

"I try and cut my days short as much as I can and I've made a New Year's resolution to say no to work unless it's something I really want to do. Having said that, the more time you spend with them, the more they take you for granted and the more cheeky they become. There's no easy way."

* Taming Toddlers will be shown on Discovery Health Channel (Sky Digital number 196 and digital cable) from February 3 (Monday to Friday) at 12.30pm and 8pm.