A Parent's Guide to Child Development

Annamarie von Firley
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Semiweekly

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.

  1. Sep 24 ·  Bonus

    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 cortisol spike is what triggers the reflex behind their very first breath. 🧠 About Annamarie von Firley:After 20 years running her fashion house, reVamp, Annamarie returned to her toy design roots and founded Adventuretown Toy Emporium in 2016. In 2022, she launched Fledglings' Flight as an extension of that work. She now hosts A Parent's Guide to Child Development, bringing parents conversations with experts in child development and psychology.About Fledglings' Flight:Fledglings' Flight is an app and customized subscription box for parents of children 0-3 years old to help them optimize their child's development with play-based exercises, milestone tracking, resource library, and monthly "Toolbox" with skills-based toys tailored to each child's unique developmental needs whether they are delayed, on-track, advanced, or asynchronous.Follow us: FledglingsFlight.com app.FledglingsFlight.com Instagram & Facebook: @fledglingsflight TikTok: @fledglings.flightLinkedIn: fledglings-flight

  2. Sep 18

    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: https://open.spotify.com/episode/157Uj6YKfSvZNlSidF4a8L?si=5WIA5RZ3Rgml5pHnKfgomgFollow us: FledglingsFlight.com app.FledglingsFlight.comInstagram & Facebook: @fledglingsflight TikTok: @fledglings.flight LinkedIn: fledglings-flight#postpartumdepression #maternalmentalhealth #warningsigns

  3. Sep 11

    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 their nervous system feels in the world. In this episode, Emily Roper — who has personally attended over 600 births — walks through with Annamarie von Firley exactly what's happening in that window, & why it matters far beyond the delivery room. Time Stamps: 00:00 Why the immediate window around birth matters so much for development 05:40 Why birth complications are the highest risk factor for child development delays? 08:27 How labor & delivery optimizes baby’s brain and body functions after birth 10:50 Why babies born via C-sections need more developmental support? 13:50 How birth trauma & maternal support shapes mom’s mental health 16:03 Link between baby’s & parent’s mental health 18:05 The biggest misconception parents have about birth 20:00 What's happening in a baby's nervous system during labor & delivery 21:10 How babies actively participate in their birth 22:36 Why labor & delivery cause reflex retention 24:02 How vaginal birth prepares a baby differently than a C-section 29:43 What families can do after a C-section to support baby’s gut health 33:06 How inductions, epidurals, vacuum, & forceps affect the baby 39:53 How the birth environment itself affects the baby 42:35 How a long or difficult labor affects a baby differently than a fast one 44:30 What happens physiologically in the first hour after birth? 47:46 What happens when the golden hour is interrupted 50:56 How delayed vs. immediate cord clamping affects newborn 54:30 What is the ideal length of time to delay cord clamping? 57:36 What's happening hormonally for mom & baby in first hours after birth 58:58 Why establishing feeding matters beyond nutrition 1:00:57 How difficulty breastfeeding affects baby’s nervous system regulation 1:04:17 How a mother's nervous system & stress affect the baby 1:06:18 What happens when a baby is separated from mom early on 1:07:36 How to minimize the impact if mom-baby separation is medically necessary 1:09:06 What matters after the first 24 hours postpartum 1:10:06 How mother's postpartum recovery affects baby 1:10:42 What is the role of family, partners, & doulas in protecting the golden hour 1:12:15 Signs a baby didn't get what they needed postpartum 1:13:20 What to know if your birth didn't go the way you hoped 1:14:10 Why the choice your OBGYN or birth provider has the biggest impact on mom & baby About Emily Roper: Neuro-Developmental Delay Therapist, certified Midwife's Assistant, and founder of Early Roots. Emily has attended over 600 births and has backgrounds in psychology, midwifery, and neurodevelopmental delay, spending over a decade supporting children with ADHD, autism, anxiety, dyslexia, sensory challenges, and other developmental difficulties. instagram.com/earlyroots facebook.com/earlyroots About Annamarie von Firley: After 20 years running her fashion house, reVamp, Annamarie returned to her toy design roots & founded Adventuretown Toy Emporium in 2016. About Fledglings' Flight: Play-based exercises for children birth to age 3, supporting cognitive, motor, & social-emotional development, with a monthly exercise library & milestone tracking in our app. Follow us: FledglingsFlight.com app.FledglingsFlight.com Instagram/Facebook: @fledglingsflight TikTok: @fledglings.flight LinkedIn: fledglings-flight Music: Purple Planet Music

  4. Sep 4 ·  Bonus

    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 Training "

  5. Sep 2 ·  Bonus

    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"

  6. Aug 28

    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 learn: • What executive function really means • What delays look like in toddlers & preschoolers • Why unstructured play matters • A visual routine-building strategy • Whether screen time makes delays worse • How delays connect to ADHD, anxiety, & autism Time Stamps: 0:00 Why do toddler tantrums predict your child's future? 2:50 What is executive function? 4:30 Are humans the only species that can stop, pause, & think to change their behavior to achieve a certain outcome in the future? 4:48 What do good executive functioning skills look like in children? 5:34 What do good executive functioning skills look like in adults? 8:16 What is the difference between verbal & non-verbal working memory? 8:32 Is an executive function delay the same as ADHD? 8:52 How does verbal & non-verbal working memory affect executive functioning skills? 9:34 Is talking to yourself out loud help with verbal working memory? 10:59 How parents who model executive functioning skills & strategies impact children's ability to self-regulate themselves 11:50 Why is self-awareness a part of executive functioning skills? 12:30 Why is self-regulation a part of executive functioning skills? 13:14 Why is self-motivation a part of executive functioning skills? 14:00 Why is self-evaluation a part of executive functioning skills? 15:05 Why is self-language a part of executive functioning skills? 15:20 What are the 5 pillars of executive functioning? 16:14 What age do executive functioning skills start developing? 16:45 How many years behind their classmates in development are children with ADHD & executive functioning delays? 17:34 Why isn't executive function talked about like language milestones? 18:56 What do executive function delays look like in toddlers & preschoolers? 19:38 When is the best time to start teaching executive function strategies & how do you do it? 23:39 Why using real-life visuals help kids build executive functioning skills? 25:20 Why you should not give-in to a child who is throwing a tantrum? 27:22 Does pretend play build executive function skills? 30:05 What is the predictions review model & how does it help with executive functioning & emotional regulation? 31:08 How much should parents help vs. let kids struggle? 32.37 What strategies should parents whose families have a history of ADHD use with their children to help with executive functioning? 33:25 What is a "morning map" & how do you build one? 36:59 Does screen time cause executive function delays? 37:22 Are people with ADHD more prone to screen addiction? 39:29 Does household routine affect a child's self-regulation? 40:26 Do early executive function delays cause struggles in college? 41:56 Why is it important to let your child fail? 43:45 What is the #1 indicator of long-term success? 44:49 What do executive function delays look like in elementary, middle, & high school? 45:24 What is it important for kids & teens to practice social skills in the real world? 50:17 Why parents of an only-child or children who have social anxiety should sign them up for activities & clubs? 51:04 Does executive function delays overlap with ADHD, autism, anxiety, or other conditions? 52:40 Why parents should not do things for their kids that they are able to do on their own? Subscribe & share with a parent who needs this. Guest: Diana Pellicano, Executive Function Specialist & Director of GrowNOW's College Success Program. grownowadhd.com IG @grownowadhd Fledglings' Flight offers play-based exercises for kids birth to age 3. FledglingsFlight.com App.FledglingsFlight.com IG/TikTok FB @fledglingsflight LinkedIn: fledglings-flight Pinterest @fledglingsflight

  7. Aug 21

    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 the same thing. 💛 Full episode on postpartum depression and perinatal mental health — link in below https://open.spotify.com/episode/157Uj6YKfSvZNlSidF4a8L?si=5WIA5RZ3Rgml5pHnKfgomg

  8. Aug 19

    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 less likely to get an ADHD diagnosis if they start school a year later.🎧 Full episode on Attention & Regulation — link in below. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Qlem5gufu0OI2ufhMz4lG?si=bIjdaQ7CTqyr1KUnhzlFBw

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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 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.

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