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Description
Calm, developmentally grounded guidance for moms of babies and toddlers.
As a mom of a baby or toddler, it can feel like everyone has an opinion - and very few answers that actually make things clearer. The noise is loud. The pressure is real. And the uncertainty can be exhausting.
Talking Toddlers is a podcast for moms who want calm, trustworthy, developmentally grounded guidance - without fear, guilt, or unrealistic expectations.
I’m Erin Hyer, a licensed speech-language pathologist with nearly 35 years of experience supporting young children and their families. I’ve spent my career on the floor with toddlers, partnering with parents, consulting with early educators, and training graduate students to understand how children truly grow, learn, and communicate - through relationships, everyday routines, and meaningful language experiences.
This podcast breaks down how the young brain learns, why certain behaviors or challenges show up, and how parents can gently support development before small concerns become bigger ones. I believe parents are in a powerful position — not to do more, but to understand more.
Each episode offers:
- Practical, real-life strategies you can use during everyday routines
- Gentle explanations of the why behind toddler behavior and development
- Supportive conversations that help you feel less alone and more confident
My goal is simple: to help moms feel empowered and toddlers feel supported - so learning, communication, and connection can grow naturally at home.
New episodes of Talking Toddlers are released weekly.
This is a space for clarity, connection, and courage - where moms come to slow down, trust themselves, and support their child’s development with confidence.
143 Episodes
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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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 episode, I explain why Christmas can feel like “too much” for young children, and how understand...
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, support, and a simple way forward. Talking Toddlers is here to help you slow down, understand what’s d...
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 to stay ahead… or your toddler is already showing signs of delay… understanding what’s happening...
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: Toddlers learn to imitate long before they learn to talk — and imitation is one of the strongest pre...
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 comes next. In today’s episode, Erin pulls back the curtain on the hidden foundations of comm...
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), and simple ways to build calm, language-rich moments of connection at home. Erin also reveals how ea...
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. Repetition. Real-life exploration. In this episode, Erin Hyer, SLP and toddler specialist for 35+ ...
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 back with small, meaningful shifts that bring more calm, confidence, and connection. If you’re re...
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 runs) become language lessons • A simple daily rhythm that builds confidence, calm, ...
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 course-correct with confidence. You’ll discover: Why mouthing and chewing are essential brain-build...
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 system is in charge. You’ll learn how the right hemisphere, limbic system, and survival responses ...
Does your toddler ignore you when you’ve asked the same thing six times? Or do you feel that sting of embarrassment when they melt down in the store or refuse to listen at the park? Here’s the truth: your child isn’t being “bad.” They’re showing you where they are developmentally — and the good news is, you can absolutely teach them how to listen, focus, and follow through. In this episode, I’ll walk you through 4 simple, science-backed keys to getting your toddler’s attention and...
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