Talking Toddlers
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.
Talking Toddlers
Latest Episodes
Why Your Toddler Hits and Bites — It’s Not a Discipline Problem Ep 161
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.
Stop Chasing Words. Here's What Comes First. Ep 160
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 devel...
He'll Talk When He's Ready — Why Waiting Isn't a Plan Ep 159
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 gent...
How to Help Your Late Talker — Without More Words Ep 158
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 th...
Why "No" Doesn't Work for Toddlers Under 3 — And What to Say Instead Ep 157
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 t...