Talking Toddlers

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 W...

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 comp...

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 w...

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, atte...

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 pa...

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...

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 thr...

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 w...

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 o...

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...

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...

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 actua...

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 giv...

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...

If Christmas feels overwhelming - for you or your toddler - you’re not imagining it. And you’re not doing anything wrong. For babies and toddlers, the holiday season brings more noise, more stimulation, more people, more stuff, and disrupted routines - often all at once. Little nervous systems aren’t built to manage that kind of overload, even when everything looks joyful from the outside. In this...

Christmas can feel heavy for moms of babies and toddlers - full of pressure, expectations, and the fear of getting it wrong. In this episode of Talking Toddlers, we talk about why a simpler, calmer Christmas is often exactly what young children need - and how choosing less can create more connection, regulation, and meaning for your family. You don’t need more information - you need clarity, suppo...

If you want your child to talk well — not just say more words — this episode will change the way you think about early communication. Because here’s the truth: Talking doesn’t just “show up” one day. It grows from the daily experiences underneath it — connection, play, movement, interaction, modeling, as well as sleep, nutrition, and healthy routines. Whether your baby is 6 months old and you want...

If you want your baby or toddler to talk well — not just say more words — this episode is your starting point. Because IMITATION is the skill that comes before gestures, babbling, understanding, and eventually… real talking. Most parents overlook imitation. Many professionals gloss over it. But after 35 years helping babies and toddlers communicate, I can tell you this with absolute certainty: Tod...

The Hidden Step Before First Words (Every Parent Misses This One) If your toddler isn’t using many words yet, this episode will change the way you see early communication.  Most parents—and honestly, many professionals—focus on the number of words. But talking doesn’t begin with words. It begins with the body, with connection, and with one crucial developmental step that predicts everything that c...

Are you tired of feeling embarrassed when your toddler won’t share? In this episode of Talking Toddlers , Erin Hyer, speech-language pathologist and early development specialist, breaks down what’s really happening inside your child’s brain when they say “mine!” You’ll learn why true sharing isn’t developmentally possible before age 4, how playdates often set toddlers up for stress (and shame), an...

If your toddler is constantly climbing, dumping, crawling, pulling things out of cabinets, or wandering from one “project” to another… this episode will make everything click. Between 12 and 18 months, the brain is wiring the foundations for attention, curiosity, emotional regulation, and — yes — first words. And it all happens through play. Not apps. Not fancy toys. Not early lessons. Movement. R...

You already know the #1 habit that helps toddlers learn to talk — pulling them into your world and engaging them, out loud, through the rhythm of your day. But staying present isn’t always easy. In this episode, Erin Hyer, speech-language pathologist and toddler specialist, gets personal about what gets in the way — the five barriers that quietly pull parents off course — and how to find your way...

What if the best way to help your toddler talk isn’t about doing more — but noticing more? If you’ve ever wondered how to build your child’s language without feeling like you’re teaching a class, this episode will give you the clarity and calm you’ve been craving. You’ll discover:  • Why connection—not correction—drives true communication  • How everyday routines (yes, even laundry and grocery run...

Everyone talks about “speech milestones,” but few realize that clear talking starts long before the first word. It begins with sucking, swallowing, mouthing, and chewing real food. In this episode, Erin Hyer — pediatric speech-language pathologist and host of Talking Toddlers — unpacks how modern feeding habits are quietly undermining children’s oral-motor development and what parents can do to co...

You’re in the grocery store. Your toddler is whining, tugging, then screaming, and finally — full-body flop in the aisle. People are watching. Your chest tightens. You start explaining, reasoning, pleading… and it just gets worse. Why? In this episode, Erin Hyer breaks down what’s actually happening inside your toddler’s brain during a meltdown — and why talking doesn’t work when their emotional s...