Getting expert advice from a pro mom like Rachel Maroudas is what makes our Mom Talks so special. As a speech therapist and a mom of two, she’s sharing her top speech therapy tips with us, and which toddler cup gets her stamp of approval.

Give us a snapshot of your daily family routine, from morning to evening, as a mum and paediatric speech therapist.

I have always wanted to do a "day in the life" kind of reel, but our mornings are so fast-paced that I feel it wouldn’t be fair to add that component into our routine with my girls. My husband leaves early, so it's just me and the girls in the morning. I get myself ready alongside them. Luckily, my 3-year-old dresses herself (often in very interesting outfits, but as long as she's dressed appropriately for the weather, she wears what she chooses). We finish getting ready, then head downstairs for breakfast. We usually have oats, and I load them with different goodies like nut butters, chia seeds, cinnamon, and fruit. Then Precious arrives (my 1-year-old stays home with her while I’m at work), and I drop my eldest at school before rushing off to work.

I’m very intentional about not rushing my girls, so I make sure I’m well-prepared in the mornings. I pack lunchboxes the night before and get their bags ready, so the mornings allow a bit of connection time. I work at schools, seeing clients during school hours, and then do admin at night when the girls are asleep. After work, I pick up my eldest from school and make dinner as soon as we get home. Everyone is usually in great spirits, so it’s easier to get things done. Then we play. I’m a bit of a dinosaur in that I don’t like to overschedule. We have one extra-mural activity during the week, but we really prioritise play. We spend the rest of the afternoon playing before dinner (the kids eat exactly what we eat), and then we head upstairs for bath, books, and bed.

How has your professional knowledge of speech therapy influenced your parenting style?

In so many ways! Not just through the knowledge from my job, but also the understanding of how children develop and respond to the world. It has helped me figure out how I feel comfortable interacting with children and decide which boundaries I find important. These boundaries shift slightly as a parent, but having a solid understanding of adult-child relationships is incredibly helpful. I had 10 years of experience working with toddlers before having one of my own, which has definitely been beneficial. It’s also made me keenly aware of how important parenting is, which is at the forefront of my mind every day. Parenting is the single most effective way to change a child's life and, in essence, the world.

Have you faced any unique challenges as a mum that your career has helped you navigate better?

I think my career has helped me in every challenge or decision I face. I have a very strong sense of self and belief in my role as a mum, so I don’t listen to too much outside noise or advice. I’m able to make informed decisions confidently, which I think is a game-changer for new mums. People will offer a lot of advice, including nurses and paediatricians, but not all of it is suitable for you and your lifestyle. Having the confidence to discern which advice works for us has been invaluable. I don’t think I would have had that confidence without the career path I chose.

What’s a common myth about speech and language development that you’d like to debunk for other mums?

A common myth that’s been coming up a lot lately is the idea that you need specific resources, like flashcards or special toys, to "do therapy" with your children. I try not to even use the word "teach" at home. We explore—colours, categories, numbers, etc. It’s more about shifting your mindset to see every mundane moment as an opportunity for exploration. Once you adopt that mindset, you’ll naturally help your child develop so many valuable skills. Children need repetition to learn, and using everyday moments ensures they get that repetition daily, which is far more effective than a 15-minute colour-matching activity, for instance.

Are there specific activities or routines you recommend for parents to help improve their child’s speech at home?

This ties in perfectly with the previous question—repetition is key! Labelling and repetition. Provide them with information as often as you can. With babies, you work on a one-word level, and as your child progresses, you build on that. If they are babbling, you label with words. If they are saying words, you expand to two-word phrases, and if they are saying two words, you move on to three. Always work one level above where they are. For instance, if your child says "ball," you can say "big ball" or "kick ball" rather than using full sentences. Focusing on important words makes it easier for them to absorb language. It takes time to get used to this strategy, but it’s incredibly effective.

Your little ones recently tried the My Little Morphée. What did you think of it?

I love the My Little Morphée! We don’t do screen time at home, so we’re big on audiobooks, but I usually have to facilitate them for my toddler. She can’t just play an audiobook on Spotify by herself, so this has been fantastic for her to use independently. I love how the stories follow a similar structure and use recurring language. It encourages repetition, but it’s also a great way for toddlers to practise visualising stories, which is a difficult skill when you only have auditory information. The familiarity of the template helps build that skill effectively.

We've heard many speech therapists say that straw cups are better than most other cups when it comes to oral development. Do you agree?

When babies learn to drink from a straw, they develop their oral motor skills as they strengthen the muscles in and around their mouths and learn to coordinate their tongue and mouth movements. This helps with everyday mouth movements (for feeding and later speech production).

I wouldn’t say that sippy cups are necessarily bad for development as an entry level cup, but straw cups provide skills that can aid more appropriate feeding and speech development, which are encouraged by strengthening and coordinating mouth muscles. Open-cup drinking is also excellent for development.

Follow Rachel on Instagram for more pearls of wisdom on her page @smalltalkwithrach and enter our collaboration giveaway where one lucky winner can win a My Little Morphée here.