Talking Toddlers

Episoder

• 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”...
• 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...
• 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...
• 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...
• 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...
• 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...
• Your Toddler’s Brain Is Built at Night (Most Parents Miss This) Ep 149 31.03.2026 1t 5min

  What if the most powerful thing you could do for your toddler's development happened while they were asleep? In this episode, licensed pediatric speech-language pathologist Erin Hyer breaks down the neuroscience of sleep in early childhood — and why it is the most underestimated factor in your child's brain development, language acquisition, and emotional health. Drawing on Dr. Matthew Walker's landmark research and nearly 40 years of clinical practice, Erin explains what is actually happenin...
• 5 Well-Meaning Habits That Delay Speech - And the Simple Fix (Part 2) Ep 148 24.03.2026 45min

  Last week I introduced the first two habits quietly getting in the way of your toddler's speech. This week we go deeper. In Part 2 I'm sharing Habits 3, 4, and 5 - and these are the ones that tend to stop parents cold. Not because they're complicated. But because nobody told them these things mattered. We start with the neuroscience - and I mean real neuroscience, the kind that completely changes how you see your child's developing brain. Your baby arrived in this world already wired fo...
• 5 Well-Meaning Habits That Delay Speech - And the Simple Fix (Part 1) Ep 147 17.03.2026 29min

  If you've ever watched your toddler at a playground - wanting to join in, but not quite knowing how - this episode is for you. After nearly 40 years as a speech-language pathologist, I've worked with hundreds of families whose children were bright, loved, and well cared for - and still not talking the way they should be. In most cases, it wasn't a diagnosis that was getting in the way. It was a handful of everyday habits. Common ones. Well-meaning ones. The kind that develop naturally in busy...
• What Our Kids Lose When We Stop Eating Together - And How to Get It Back Ep 146 10.03.2026 45min

  What if one of the most powerful things you can do for your child's brain, language, and emotional development isn't a program, a therapy, or a curriculum — it's dinner? In this foundational episode, speech-language pathologist and child development expert Erin Hyer, unpacks the science behind what we lose when family mealtime disappears — and what our children's behavior, attention, and language are quietly telling us about it. After 40 years working with young children, Erin connects dots t...
• The Most Overlooked Disruptor in Your Child’s Development (It’s in Almost Every Home) Ep 145 03.03.2026 1t 8min

  There's something running in the background of most homes with young children right now. Not something dramatic. Not something you'd even think to question. The TV. Just on. Nobody watching. Life happening around it. And after nearly four decades of clinical work with children and families — I can tell you that this one thing is quietly doing more damage to early development than most parents have ever been told. In this episode I walk you through five things the research tells us about backg...
• Are We Making Toddlerhood Too Complicated? Ep 144 24.02.2026 25min

  Parents have never had more information about early childhood than they do today. We track sleep, research milestones, optimize toys, and fill our days with activities meant to help our toddlers thrive. And yet - many parents quietly wonder why their child still feels overwhelmed, dysregulated, or unsettled. In this episode, I explore a difficult but hopeful question: Have we made toddlerhood too complicated? Drawing from nearly four decades of clinical experience, I unpack how environm...
• Why Some Kids Cooperate - And Others Struggle Ep 143 17.02.2026 40min

  Are calm, cooperative kids just born that way? Recently, there’s been growing conversation around Japanese parenting - how children there seem more respectful, more self-disciplined, and more socially aware. But is it cultural magic? Or is it development? In this episode of Talking Toddlers, we walk through seven parenting principles often associated with Japanese culture - and translate them through the lens of brain development, attachment research, language growth, and nervous system regul...
• When Your Gut Keeps Whispering “Pay Attention” Ep 142 10.02.2026 54min

  Sometimes it’s not a loud concern. It’s not panic. It’s just a quiet feeling you can’t shake. A whisper that says: pay attention. If your baby or toddler isn’t talking the way you expected — and you’ve been told not to worry, to relax, or that they’ll “catch up” — this episode is for you. Not to scare you. Not to rush you. And not to tell you that something is “wrong.” But to help you understand why that inner nudge matters — and how early communication actually develops in the first three ye...
• Why Your Toddler Isn’t Listening Yet (And What Actually Builds It) Ep 141 03.02.2026 57min

  If you’ve ever wondered “Why won’t my toddler listen?” — this episode is for you. Many parents assume listening is a behavior problem. But developmentally, listening is a brain skill — one that takes time, guidance, and the right conditions to grow. In this episode, Erin Hyer — a speech-language pathologist with over 35 years of early intervention and real-life experience — explains why toddlers often can’t listen yet, even when they seem capable in other ways. And why yelling, repeating, or ...
• Why Some Toddlers Struggle to Talk (And What Actually Helps) Ep 140 27.01.2026 56min

  If your toddler isn’t talking much yet, you may feel pressure to do more - talk more, label more, teach more. But after 35 years in early intervention, I’ve learned something important: speech doesn’t grow from more words. It grows from slow moments, shared attention, movement, and being included in everyday life. In this episode, I walk you through 5 common patterns I see over and over again when language is slow to emerge - not to create fear or blame, but to help you see what’s been hiding...
• You’re Not Behind (Yet) — This Matters More Than Words Ep 139 20.01.2026 26min

  If your toddler isn’t talking much yet, this episode is for you. Many parents worry about words — how many, how clear, how often. But long before speech shows up reliably, something else is being built underneath. In this episode, Erin Hyer — speech-language pathologist with over 35 years of experience — explains what actually matters before words take off, and why so many well-intentioned parents miss it in today’s busy, overstimulating world. You’ll learn: Why talking and understanding deve...
• Why Asking “What’s This?” Often Backfires With Late Talkers Ep 138 13.01.2026 38min

  If your toddler isn’t talking much yet, you may have found yourself asking, “What’s this?” — hoping to hear a word. But for many late talkers, that well-intentioned question quietly shuts things down. In this episode, Erin Hyer — speech-language pathologist with over 35 years of clinical and real-life experience — explains why asking for words too early can work against development, and what actually helps toddlers feel ready to communicate. You’ll learn: Why silence doesn’t mean your child w...
• Why Parenting Feels Harder Than You Thought (And What Actually Helps) Ep 137 06.01.2026 25min

  Many parents enter early parenthood expecting exhaustion — but not the constant feeling of being on edge, unsure, or reactive, even when they’re trying their best. In this episode of Talking Toddlers, we take a step back from tips and tactics and look at what often gets missed in conversations about parenting young children: where we place our effort matters just as much as how much effort we give. Through real-life stories and a prevention-first lens, Erin explores how everyday rhythms — inc...
• What Actually Matters in the First 3 Years (35 Years of Perspective) Ep 136 30.12.2025 1t

  After more than 35 years of sitting on floors with babies and toddlers - and walking alongside thousands of mothers - I’ve learned something that still surprises people. The children who thrive in the first three years aren’t raised by parents who do everything “right.” They’re raised by adults who stay in sync — who notice, respond, and adjust in real time. In this final episode of the year, I’m not offering a checklist or another set of milestones to track. I’m sharing three anchors ...