My baby has a tendency to hit/scream at me. I'm worried if she goes into childcare at 18m, she will hit and get hit by her friends. How do I overcome this? And how do I ensure my baby doesn't cry too much in school as she's very timid?

I think that u need to discuss with ur child about her emotions. Although they are still young but they di understand somewhat. They behave tha way because sometimes they are unable to express themselves - whether angry, scared, upset etc - sometimes they just lash it out by hitting. U got to acknowledge their feelings, help them recognise what is that emotion that they are feeling and go through with them how they can express themselves more properly. - so hat they know what to do next time (this requires a period of rehearsing). Another thing is that they may not behave the same way with outsiders or in a different environment, so the hitting may or may not happen. Lots of loving affirmations definitely will increase their confidence and make them less timid. After a short adjusting period and encouraging her to play with friends etc, she should not be feeling that timid about it anymore. All the best