Talking Toddlers

Jaksot

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  Your Toddler Understands You. So Why Won’t He Listen? Ep 169 15.09.2026 28min

  “I know he understands me. So why isn’t he listening?” If you’ve ever thought that about your toddler, this episode will help you look at the moment a little differently. Understanding your words and being able to follow through are not the same developmental skill. Before your toddler can respond, he may need to register your voice, shift his attention away from what he is doing, process what you said, organize what comes next, and tolerate the interruption or transition. And sometimes, he u...
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  When Should You Help Your Toddler - and When Should You Wait? Ep 168 08.09.2026 39min

  When your toddler is struggling - with a zipper, a shoe, climbing onto something - how do you know if you should step in or wait? In this episode, early child development specialist and speech-language pathologist Erin Hyer (nearly 40 years working with toddlers and the families raising them) breaks down the difference between productive struggle and genuine overwhelm - and gives you a simple question to ask in the moment: is my child still available for learning? You'll learn: Why your toddl...
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  Want Your Toddler to Talk More? Don't Practice Words Ep 167 01.09.2026 31min

  What if the most important part of your child learning to talk happens before he ever says a single word? Most moms don't start thinking seriously about speech until they're counting words: 18 months, 20 months, two years old. But talking is not the beginning of language development. Words arrive after months of listening, watching, babbling, gesturing, imitating, taking turns, experimenting with sounds, and learning that communication gets another human being to respond. In this episod...
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  Are You Accidentally Teaching Your Toddler to Whine? Ep 166 25.08.2026 42min

  Whining is one of the most common - and frustrating - phases of toddlerhood. But often, it doesn’t become a pattern because a child is “bad” or manipulative. It becomes a pattern because it works. In this episode, Erin Hyer, speech-language pathologist and early child development specialist, explains why toddlers whine, why “use your words” is often too vague for very young children, and how parents can begin replacing whining with clearer, more effective communication. This conversation is n...
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  7 Everyday Habits That Interfere With How Your Toddler Learns Ep 165 18.08.2026 57min

  Do you jump in the second your baby struggles? Wipe her face after every bite? Keep the TV or a podcast running because the house feels too quiet? These are ordinary, loving habits — but sometimes our instinct to help, clean, entertain, or keep things moving can quietly take away the very experiences our babies and toddlers need to grow. In this episode, Erin Hyer, speech-language pathologist and early child development specialist, walks through 7 loving habits that can slow your child’s deve...
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  Why Your Toddler Won’t Pay Attention — And What Gets in the Way Ep 164 11.08.2026 1t 12min

  What is stealing your toddler’s attention? If your child seems constantly distracted, overly active, emotionally reactive, or unable to stay with one activity for very long, the answer may be more complicated than simply “they need to learn to focus.” In this episode of Talking Toddlers, Erin looks at four powerful influences shaping a young child’s developing attention: predictable daily rhythms, restorative sleep, screens and overstimulation, and meaningful play and participation. You’ll le...
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  Stop Telling Your Toddler to Share - Teach This Instead. Ep 163 28.07.2026 32min

  Your toddler snatches a toy. The daycare flags it. Another mom clocks it at a playdate. And somewhere in the back of your mind, a question starts to form: is something wrong with him? Nothing is. He's just being asked to do something he isn't built for - yet. In this episode, I break down the real difference between turn-taking and sharing — two skills that get talked about like they're the same thing, but develop on completely different timelines. You'll learn: Why turn-taking can star...
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  You Already Do the Most Important Thing — You Just Don't Know Why Ep 162 21.07.2026 31min

  You've been narrating everything. Labeling. Reading. Filling the room with language. And nothing seems to be sticking. That's because your words only land when your child's attention and yours are on the same thing, in the same moment. It's called shared attention — and you're already doing it without knowing how much it matters. In this episode I unpack what shared attention actually looks like between 12 and 24 months, the difference between a request and a shared moment, the co...
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  Why Your Toddler Hits and Bites — It’s Not a Discipline Problem Ep 161 14.07.2026 38min

  Why does your toddler hit, bite, or throw things—even when you are trying to parent calmly and consistently? Toddler hitting and biting may look like a discipline problem, but for many young children, it begins as a communication gap. Your toddler is not necessarily choosing to be “bad.” He may be using his body because the language, regulation, and impulse-control skills that should replace the hitting have not developed yet. In this episode of Talking Toddlers, Erin Hyer, licensed speech-la...
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  Stop Chasing Words. Here's What Comes First. Ep 160 07.07.2026 29min

  Your toddler isn't talking yet — or at least not as much as you think he should be. And every piece of advice you've found tells you to do more or wait it out. Neither one is the answer. There's a sequence to how talking develops. It doesn't start with words — it ends with them. And if nobody's handed you that sequence, you're either frozen or doing everything at once with no idea what's actually moving the needle. In this episode, Erin walks you through the staircase that leads to talk...
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  He'll Talk When He's Ready — Why Waiting Isn't a Plan Ep 159 30.06.2026 41min

  Everyone keeps telling you not to worry. "He'll talk when he's ready." You smile, you nod — but somewhere underneath, your gut isn't buying it. Trust that. Because "ready" is the wrong word — and "wait and see" is not the gentle, neutral choice it pretends to be. After almost forty years with toddlers and the families raising them, Erin Hyer, speech language pathologist, takes on the second big myth worried parents are handed: that talking just shows up on its own, once a child decides ...
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  How to Help Your Late Talker — Without More Words Ep 158 16.06.2026 36min

  You talk to your toddler all day long. You narrate everything. And still — he's not talking, or not very much. So you do what everyone tells you: talk to him even more. After almost forty years with toddlers and the families raising them, here's what Erin Hyer, speech-language pathologist, can tell you: talking more isn't the fix. Language isn't built by the number of words you pour in during the day — it's built by the back-and-forth between you and your child. In this episode, E...
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  Why "No" Doesn't Work for Toddlers Under 3 — And What to Say Instead Ep 157 09.06.2026 50min

  If you've ever said "no" to your toddler and watched them do it anyway — you're not failing. You're just missing one piece of information that changes everything. The developing brain under three cannot reliably process negation. "Don't throw" registers as "throw." "No hitting" registers as "hit." And the more you escalate, the more you reinforce the exact behavior you're trying to stop. In this episode, Erin breaks down why throwing, hitting, and grabbing are not three separate problem...
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  Is My Child Really a Late Talker? Use This Checklist to Find Out Ep 156 03.06.2026 42min

  Is your child a late talker? Or is something else going on? After 40 years working with toddlers and their families, I can tell you that the term "late talker" gets thrown around so loosely — by pediatricians, educators, and early intervention teams — that most parents are left more confused than helped. In this episode I'm giving that term its definition back. We walk through a six-area CHECKLIST you can use today, in your own home, to get a clear and honest picture of where your child...
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  Is My Baby Behind? What Milestones Really Mean Ep 155 12.05.2026 27min

  Is my baby behind? Should she be crawling, walking, talking, or doing more by now? If you’ve ever found yourself Googling developmental milestones late at night, this episode will help you breathe, think clearly, and know what to watch. In this episode, Erin explains what milestones really are — not rigid deadlines, but guideposts that help parents notice progress, ask better questions, and support healthy development in everyday life. You’ll learn why progress matters more than the “perfect”...
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  The Problem Isn’t the Meltdown - It’s How You Respond Ep 154 05.05.2026 28min

  Your baby fusses in the car seat and your chest tightens. Your toddler falls apart when the block tower tumbles. Every instinct says — fix it, fast. But what if rushing in is quietly preventing the very thing you want to build? This week on Talking Toddlers, Erin pulls back the curtain on one of the most misunderstood pieces of early development: resilience. After nearly four decades in private practice, Erin has watched two patterns play out in mom after mom — the 'Rescuer' who soothes...
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  The Baby Gear Mistake Almost Every Parent Makes Ep 153 28.04.2026 39min

  Your baby didn't ask for a nursery full of gear. She asked for you. In this episode, Erin breaks down three of the most common baby products on the market — containers, weighted blankets, and white noise machines — and explains exactly why, after nearly 40 years of clinical practice, misusing them concerns her deeply. You'll learn: Why babies need movement, not containmentThe connection between floor time, gross motor development, and speech — and why it's more profound than most parents real...
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  The Hidden Skills Your Child Needs Before They Talk Ep 152 23.04.2026 29min

  If you’ve ever wondered, “Should my child be talking by now?” or "Is he talking enough?" -- this episode will give you clarity. Before children use words, they build the skills that make talking possible. In this episode, I walk you through the 7 stages of play in the first three years—and how each one helps your child learn to talk, listen, and engage. You’ll learn: What your child should be doing before words How play builds attention, understanding, and connection&nb...
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  Listening Is a Skill - Here’s How It Develops Ep 151 14.04.2026 44min

  "My toddler isn't listening." If you've said those words - or thought them - this episode is for you. In this episode of Talking Toddlers, speech-language pathologist Erin (with nearly 40 years in early intervention) unpacks one of the most misunderstood parts of toddler development: listening. Spoiler: it's not what you think. And it's probably not what your toddler is lacking. Erin breaks down why following directions is one of the most cognitively complex things we ask of young child...
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  Why Your Toddler’s Behavior Isn’t Really About Them Ep 150 07.04.2026 27min

  Have you ever reacted to your toddler… and then immediately wondered, “Why did I just do that?” In this episode, we look beneath the surface of toddler behavior and explore a truth that can feel both confronting and freeing: sometimes our reactions have less to do with our child - and more to do with our own history. I share how early patterns, survival strategies, and emotional wiring can quietly shape the way we parent. When we begin to notice the cycle - overwhelm, reaction, guilt, r...