Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share #233: What Toddlers Know We’ve Forgotten with Dr. Hasan Merali
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
#233: What Toddlers Know We’ve Forgotten with Dr. Hasan Merali
We spend so much time thinking about how to guide, teach, and support young children…
But what if we paused - and asked what they’re teaching us?
In this episode, Carla sits down with Dr. Hasan Merali to explore a powerful shift in perspective: toddlers aren’t just developing humans… they might be doing a lot of things better than we are.
From risk-taking and confidence, to kindness, play, and even sleep - this conversation will challenge the way you see early childhood.
Without giving too much away, this episode will have you reflecting on:
Why toddlers take risks without hesitation (and what that means for us)
The kind of confidence we slowly lose over time
What genuine kindness actually looks like in practice
How play shows up in everything they do
And one simple routine that might completely change your evenings
This is one of those episodes that doesn’t just stay in the classroom - it follows you into your everyday life.
Dr. Hasan Merali
Hasan Merali, MD, MPH, is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University and a pediatric emergency medicine physician at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University. He has published more than twenty-five peer-reviewed journal articles, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, CNN, NBC, and CBC. In 2024, he published his first book titled Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Peas: Secrets from the Science of Toddlers for a Happier, More Successful Way of Life.
LINKS
Summit: The Everything ECE Summit
Website: https://hasanmerali.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HasanMeraliMD/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasan-merali
X: https://twitter.com/Hasan_Merali
Book: Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Peas
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE. See you next week! shape their early years.
CONNECT WITH CARLA
The ECE Latte Lounge
Email Newsletter: Click Here
Website: carlatheece.com
Instagram: @carlatheece
View all episodes
By Carla Ward
4.2
1212 ratings
We spend so much time thinking about how to guide, teach, and support young children…
But what if we paused - and asked what they’re teaching us?
In this episode, Carla sits down with Dr. Hasan Merali to explore a powerful shift in perspective: toddlers aren’t just developing humans… they might be doing a lot of things better than we are.
From risk-taking and confidence, to kindness, play, and even sleep - this conversation will challenge the way you see early childhood.
Without giving too much away, this episode will have you reflecting on:
Why toddlers take risks without hesitation (and what that means for us)
The kind of confidence we slowly lose over time
What genuine kindness actually looks like in practice
How play shows up in everything they do
And one simple routine that might completely change your evenings
This is one of those episodes that doesn’t just stay in the classroom - it follows you into your everyday life.
Dr. Hasan Merali
Hasan Merali, MD, MPH, is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University and a pediatric emergency medicine physician at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University. He has published more than twenty-five peer-reviewed journal articles, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, CNN, NBC, and CBC. In 2024, he published his first book titled Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Peas: Secrets from the Science of Toddlers for a Happier, More Successful Way of Life.
LINKS
Summit: The Everything ECE Summit
Website: https://hasanmerali.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HasanMeraliMD/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasan-merali
X: https://twitter.com/Hasan_Merali
Book: Sleep Well, Take Risks, Squish the Peas
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE. See you next week! shape their early years.
CONNECT WITH CARLA
The ECE Latte Lounge
Email Newsletter: Click Here
Website: carlatheece.com
Instagram: @carlatheece
More shows like The Everything ECE Podcast
View all
Hidden Brain
43,687 Listeners
That Early Childhood Nerd
90 Listeners
The Daily
113,121 Listeners
Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel
14,969 Listeners
For The Love With Jen Hatmaker Podcast
6,432 Listeners
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
69,626 Listeners
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
27,584 Listeners
The Bright Morning Podcast with Elena Aguilar
570 Listeners
IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson
13,093 Listeners
Toddlers Made Easy with Dr Cathryn
162 Listeners
The Mel Robbins Podcast
20,222 Listeners
Your Mama’s Kitchen
2,307 Listeners
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
10,883 Listeners
The ECE Classroom with Susie Beghin
0 Listeners
Good Hang with Amy Poehler
12,559 Listeners