PODCAST · kids
A Parent's Guide to Child Development
by Annamarie von Firley
Let's face it—nobody ever went to college to learn how to raise a baby. Everyone is just making it up as they go along. "A Parent's Guide to Child Development" is your lifeline to expert wisdom. Learn about the most important information that you didn't know existed.Hosted by Annamarie von Firley from Fledglings' Flight, this podcast gathers insights from experts in child development such as pediatric OTs, speech language pathologists, child psychologists, lactation consultants, & more, delivering practical tips & actionable advice to help optimize your child's development.
Episodes
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The Addiction Your Toddler Doesn’t Know They Have
Screens are addictive — and it’s by design. In this clip, pediatric occupational therapist Melanie Batista pulls back the curtain on what’s actually happening in your toddler’s brain when you take the screen away and the meltdown starts. It’s not random, and it’s not “bad behavior.” It’s a…
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The Addiction Your Toddler Doesn’t Know They Have
Screens are addictive — and it’s by design.In this clip, pediatric occupational therapist Melanie Batista pulls back the curtain on what’s actually happening in your toddler’s brain when you take the screen away and the meltdown starts. It’s not random, and it’s not “bad behavior.” It’s a learned...
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Can Too Little Touch Cause Anxiety Later?
Can a baby’s early experience of being touched, held, and moved affect whether the Moro and Fear Paralysis Reflexes integrate? Annamarie von Firley shares a personal story about her husband, who had an allergic reaction to a shot as a baby that left his skin too raw to be handled. Moro…
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Is Mouth Breathing Causing Your Child's Tantrums? - Guest: Dr. Hana Khan
Is your child prone to tantrums? Do they wet the bed, struggle to focus, or get frequent ear infections? These may not be a random collection of problems. They can share a root cause: how your child breathes, especially while they sleep. Host Annamarie von Firley sits down with airway-centered...
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How Your Infant Processes Language
Have you ever wondered how infants begin to understand language before they can even speak? In this video, we explore how babies process sounds, recognize patterns, and begin developing the foundations of language from an early age. Lois Kam Heymann, M.A. CCC-SLP, is a Speech and Language...
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What Montessori Gets Right That Schools Don't | A Parent's Guide to Child Development Podcast Short
In this video, Marsha Familaro Enright discusses the Montessori approach to education and how it can shape the way children learn and develop. She explores the ideas behind Montessori schooling, child-centered learning, independence, and the educational environment that makes the Montessori…
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The 'Stress Hormone' Your Newborn Needs | A Parent's Guide to Child Development podcast short
Cortisol has a bad reputation — but your newborn actually needs a spike of it right at birth. Emily Roper, Neuro-Developmental Delay Therapist and founder of Early Roots, explains why: your baby goes from having everything done for them in the womb to suddenly running their own body, and that...
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Does Your Partner Have Postpartum Depression? Look for This | A Parent's Guide to Child Development short
"I'm fine" is the answer everyone gives — even when they're not. Perinatal mental health expert Lynn Ingram McFarland explains the real question to ask a new parent, and the everyday signs (sleep, eating, routines) that say more than words do.🎧 Listen to full episode:...
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How Birth Shapes Your Baby's Nervous System for Life - Guest: Emily Roper | A Parent's Guide To Child Development
Most parents spend months preparing for labor & almost no time preparing for what happens the moment it's over. But the hours right after birth are doing more developmental work than nearly any other stretch of your baby's 1st year — quietly shaping everything from feeding to sleep to how safe...
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1 in 3 Kids Will Get Constipated - Here's Why | A Parent's Guide to Child Development Podcast Short
Constipation in kids is way more common than most parents realize — and it's often tangled up with potty training itself. In this clip, Potty Training Specialist, Tabitha Poole, breaks down why so many kids end up here, and what parents can watch for early.🎧 Full episode: "Master No-Tears Potty...
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Are You Your Kid's 'Homework Secretary'? | A Parent's Guide to Child Development Podcast Short
Doing your kid's executive function for them feels like love. Diana Pellicano, GrowNowADHD, explains why it's actually setting them up to flounder the moment they hit college — and what to do instead.🎧 Full episode: "Why Some Toddlers Become Disorganized Teens"
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Why Some Toddlers Become Disorganized Teens - Guest: Diana Pellicano | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
A toddler's tantrum & a teen's missing homework look like different problems. They're not. Host Annamarie von Firley talks with Executive Function Specialist Diana Pellicano about tracing one line from the high chair to high school — & what parents can do now to change where it ends up. You'll...
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1 in 5 Moms Get Postpartum Depression? Try 1 in 2. | A Parent's Guide to Child Development podcast short
The number you've probably heard for postpartum depression — 1 in 5 — might be a serious undercount. Lynn Ingram McFarland, a certified perinatal mental health professional and three-time survivor herself, explains why the real number may be closer to 1 in 2, and why "common" and "normal" are not...
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Kids Held Back a Year Get Fewer ADHD Diagnoses | A Parent's Guide to Child Development Podcast Shorts
Something most parents don't think about when it comes to the kindergarten cutoff: age isn't the same as readiness. Emily Roper — Neuro-Developmental Delay Therapist and founder of Early Roots — explains why kids, especially boys born right at the start of the age cutoff, may be significantly…
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Why Your Kid Can't Focus, Sit Still, or Calm Down - Guest: Emily Roper | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Emily Roper returns to unpack the primitive reflexes most closely tied to attention & self-regulation, & why so much of what gets labeled ADHD, defiance, or a "difficult" temperament may actually be a nervous system that never finished developing the way it was supposed to. Host...
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5 Words at 18 Months? Here's What That Actually Means — Sarah Schmidt | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
A pediatric speech-language pathologist breaks down the exact word-count milestones that trigger a referral to speech therapy — and what's actually normal vs. worth a conversation with your pediatrician. From the full episode with Sarah Schmidt on building your child's vocabulary through reading…
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Why Your Kid Comes Home from School Exhausted | Emily Roper | A Parent's Guide to Child Development Short
Ever wonder why your kid comes home from school completely wiped out — even on days they "didn't do anything"? In this clip from our episode on ATNR and learning challenges, Emily Roper, Neuro-Developmental Delay Therapist and founder of Early Roots, explains why a nervous system that's…
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Why Your Kid Struggles to Read, Write, or Focus in School | Emily Roper
Struggling to read isn't always about intelligence — and messy handwriting isn't always about carelessness. For a surprising number of kids, the real culprit is a reflex that should have disappeared before their first haircut. In this episode, Emily Roper returns to unpack the Asymmetric Tonic…
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Why your baby’s startle reflex never went away | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
A retained Moro Reflex isn’t a glitch. It’s your baby’s brain doing exactly what it’s built to do. Emily Roper explains why things like C-sections, four-step delivery, or being separated from mom can convince the brain it still needs that stress response, even years later. Full episode on the…
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What Derails Development Before Your Baby Is Even Born - Guest: Emily Roper | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
Why do some kids sail through development while others struggle with anxiety, sensory overwhelm, ADHD, or learning challenges? Often, the answer traces back to something almost nobody talks about: primitive reflexes that never fully integrated — and the risk factors that get in their way. Host...
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Learn how the sensitive period shapes early learning in Montessori education | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Marsha Familaro Enright discusses Montessori's sensitive periods and the importance of early learning from birth through age 6 for language, movement, and sensory development. Understand how early experiences shape development and why the right environment supports learning…
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What Parents Need to Know About Early Speech Development | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Lois Heymann explains why everyday conversation with your kids matters for early language development and debunks the common misconception that children can develop strong language skills through screen time alone. Heymann also discusses the importance of building foundational...
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How Fear Paralysis & Moro Reflex Shape Your Child's Cognitive Functions | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Emily Roper explains the roles and development of the fear paralysis reflexes and Moro reflexes as well as its implications. Roper discusses how pregnancy, birth, and early infancy influence the stress response, sensory processing, attention, and emotional regulation. Emily also...
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Did your OB give you a mental health check when you were pregnant? | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Lynn Ingram McFarland discusses how early screening helps identify mental health concerns, encourages honest conversations with providers, and how it can support parents throughout their pregnancy and postpartum journey. Time Stamps 00:50 Why is screening so important throughout...
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Why understanding your child’s behavior supports their emotional growth| A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Gabreile Nicolet explains” intermittent reinforcement in children and how inconsistency encourages persistence. Nicolet also emphasizes that understanding the emotional needs behind a child's actions can improve communication and self-regulation. Time Stamps 00:02 Why children…
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The Benefits of Montessori Education for Early Childhood Development | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Marsha Familaro Enright discusses a science-based study on how Montessori classrooms foster growth and the philosophy behind them, including the impact from early childhood through young adulthood. She highlights how Montessori's focus on sensitive periods, intrinsic motivation,...
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Early Signs Parents Should Recognize About ADHD| A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, we dive into a real-life ADHD diagnosis success story. Our podcast guest, Dominique Padurano, discusses the importance of early symptom identification and the challenges in the classroom and family dynamics. Padurano uses a real-life example to emphasize how proper diagnosis,...
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Why Primitive Reflexes Matter in Early Childhood | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Emily Roper explains why primitive reflexes play a crucial role in early childhood development, their correlation with brain and body coordination skills from feeding to breathing, and how they lay the foundation for motor skills such as crawling and walking, as well as for…
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How Gestalt & Analytics Processing supports kids’ language skills | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Sholeh Shahinfar explains two concepts in children's language processing, analytic and gestalt language processing, and why they matter for language and speech development. She also explains how simple daily routines, natural conversations, and narration help children build...
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Why Auditory Processing Development Matters in Toddlers? | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Lois Kam Heymann discusses the signs of auditory processing disorder in toddlers. Heyman highlights the drawbacks of giving children screens instead of engaging in real conversations with them, outlines key developmental milestones and other warning signs parents should watch for...
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How Primitive Reflexes Shape Newborns' Coordination & Cognition Skills - Guest: Emily Roper | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Emily Roper discusses key primitive reflexes like Moro, spinal Galant, ATNR, STNR, and palmar grasp. These essential systems, beyond newborn reflexes, influence motor development, coordination, vision, feeding, and stress regulation. She highlights milestones such as crawling and...
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Why dads also struggle with postpartum depression?| A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Lynn Ingram McFarland discusses how postpartum affects men, including symptoms such as emotional isolation, irritability, mental disengagement, mood swings, and substance use, all of which can be signs of postpartum depression in fathers. McFarland emphasizes the importance of...
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The truth about healthcare & maternal mortality rate | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Susan Barrett Finnazo emphasized the importance of doulas and the challenges faced during labor and recovery, as well as the maternal health crisis in the U.S., including treatment gaps for women of color and postpartum care deficits. Time Stamps: 00:05 Why Doula support is...
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How Auditory Processing Shapes Kids’ Language Development? | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Lois Kam Heymann explains how auditory processing develops and how it affects language, learning and brain development in kids. Heymann discusses early signs of auditory processing disorder (APD), how it differs from hearing loss and ADHD, and the milestones parents should watch...
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How does screen time hinder children's play development | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Dr. Celina Moore explains that the first two years of a toddler’s life are critical for brain development. Passive screen time can hinder the development of observation, parallel, and interactive play, as well as speech, behavioral, and social development. Experts say excessive...
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Why parent's should not ignore their child's mouth breathing? | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Luba Patlakh Kaplun discussed how parents often overlook mouth breathing and mistake it for allergies, frequent colds, or genetics. Kaplun emphasized the importance of proper breathing and outlined warning signs that parents should take seriously, including persistent congestion,...
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Do you have postpartum depression? Listen to find out- A Parents Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Lynn Ingram McFarland discusses perinatal mood & anxiety disorders (PMADs), including postpartum depression, anxiety, & PTSD. Drawing on personal experience & expert insight, she explains why many parents remain silent, debunks myths about postpartum depression, explains how…
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Simple ways for new moms to survive postpartum alone | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Gabrielle Rose offers simple steps to help new moms prepare in advance when family support is not nearby. Rose emphasizes the importance of hiring a cleaning lady to keep things manageable, reduce mental pressure around cleaning, and allow focus on meal planning and prioritizing...
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What digital distractions are doing to developing brains| A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Dr. Dominique Padurano explores how digital distractions are reshaping children’s cognitive skills and attention spans as well as their impacts aren’t just affecting kids with ADHD; they’re affecting all children. The episode also highlights the dangers of overloading children’s...
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Are rewards necessary for your toddler’s potty training? | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Tabitha Poole discussed whether rewards work for potty training, explaining why candy, toys, and fun activities can be effective, and also noted that parents should avoid developing a habit of using a reward system, as it might not lead to long-term success. Poole highlighted…
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Simple Tips for Burned-Out Parents| A Parent's Guide to Child Development
Parent burnout is real, and sometimes building regulatory practices can feel impossible. In this episode, Vanessa Fox discusses how parents can take the first step without adding more stress. Fox emphasizes the importance of a support system, the power of simple sensory and movement-based...
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How to help your preemie with latching? | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Ashley Karlin highlights how skin-to-skin contact between a mother and child, as well as proper breastfeeding positioning, is important for supporting a new mother with a preemie who is having a hard time latching on to their newborn. She also emphasized that understanding your...
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Risky play supports kids' development. Here’s why? | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Sara Muršić explores the concept of risky play and explains why it is important. Muršić highlights the physical and mental benefits that enhance problem-solving skills and help children build confidence, as well as how kids develop resilience by facing and overcoming fear. She…
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Why parents need childbirth education to feel confident & prepared? | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Susan Barrett Finnazo discusses how childbirth education is often misunderstood as just learning breathing techniques and packing a hospital bag, but it goes much deeper than that. Barrett also explains what birth education includes and why it plays an important role in helping...
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Why do 1-3 years of early learning matter for teens' academic success? | A Parent's Guide #podcast
In this episode, Dr. Dominique Pedrano discusses how the first 3 years influence teens’ struggles with digital dependence, affecting focus, motivation, organization, reading, and math. She emphasizes the importance of focus, literacy, and numeracy for growth, highlighting digital distractions,...
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What parents of autistic children should know about the different ways they communicate | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Sholeh Shahinfer emphasizes why honoring a child’s authentic voice matters and recognizing all forms of their communication, even when they don’t seem typical. She discusses how kids with autism communicate and how ignoring echolalia and scripting in the past was problematic. She...
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When to seek help for your mouth breathing child? | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Luba Patlakh Kaplun talks about when parents should seek help from a myotherapist. The best age to start is after 3 years old, as children begin to remember and need regular reminders to build muscle memory, which develops after age 3. This enables them to use what they learn…
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Childbirth Education Matters. Here's why? | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, we explore misconceptions about childbirth education, the appropriate timing for family education, and why childbirth classes are essential for expecting parents. Guest Susan Barrett Finnazo emphasizes the importance of classes to understand labor duration, interventions, and to...
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How can Parents Support their Newborns' Napping Habits | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Diana Zales explains why nap durations can vary and what parents should observe when their baby wakes. She discusses the difference between fussing and crying and suggests actions for each situation. Sometimes babies simply fuss and may fall back asleep if given a few minutes.…
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Why Strength-based therapy supports connecting with kids | A Parent's Guide to Child Development
In this episode, Andrea Gingras breaks down what strength-based speech therapy is and what it focuses on. According to her explanation, pay attention to the alternative ways that your child may be trying to communicate through eye contact, gestures, and behaviors, such as handing you a toy. Then…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Let's face it—nobody ever went to college to learn how to raise a baby. Everyone is just making it up as they go along. "A Parent's Guide to Child Development" is your lifeline to expert wisdom. Learn about the most important information that you didn't know existed.Hosted by Annamarie von Firley from Fledglings' Flight, this podcast gathers insights from experts in child development such as pediatric OTs, speech language pathologists, child psychologists, lactation consultants, & more, delivering practical tips & actionable advice to help optimize your child's development.
HOSTED BY
Annamarie von Firley
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does A Parent's Guide to Child Development have?
A Parent's Guide to Child Development currently has 116 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is A Parent's Guide to Child Development about?
Let's face it—nobody ever went to college to learn how to raise a baby. Everyone is just making it up as they go along. "A Parent's Guide to Child Development" is your lifeline to expert wisdom. Learn about the most important information that you didn't know existed.Hosted by Annamarie von Firley...
How often does A Parent's Guide to Child Development release new episodes?
A Parent's Guide to Child Development publishes regularly with 116 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to A Parent's Guide to Child Development?
You can listen to A Parent's Guide to Child Development on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts A Parent's Guide to Child Development?
A Parent's Guide to Child Development is created and hosted by Annamarie von Firley.
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