Jordanna Spaulding

When you’re in the thick of new parenthood, it’s easy to focus on the big milestones—rolling over, sitting up, standing, walking. Crawling often gets treated like a brief, optional phase.  Crawling is one of the most exciting (and important) milestones in the first year of life. It’s often a baby’s first experience of independent movement — and while not all babies crawl in exactly the same way, how and whether a baby crawls can influence later motor, sensory and cognitive development ....

Parents often share their concern about their baby’s dependence on the pacifier and how long it’s okay to use one. If your baby’s pacifier feels like the secret to peace in your home, you’re not alone. That tiny piece of silicone can work wonders, instantly calming your little one, helping them drift to sleep, and giving you a much-needed moment of quiet. But behind that magic, there’s something deeper happening — something tied to your baby’s sensory and oral development. What’s Really Going...

When we think about helping children learn to speak, we often picture story time, songs, and first conversations — but one of the most powerful tools for speech development actually starts at the table. The muscles your child uses to chew, swallow, and explore new foods are the same muscles  they’ll later rely on to form words, control breath, and articulate sounds clearly. Oral Development: The Foundation for Speech Before a child can pronounce “banana,” they first need to chew  one! The...