Building What Didn’t Exist: A Mother’s Vision

This week on Busy Mom Talk, Kianna sits down with Julia Reid, co-owner of Play On Paediatrics Therapy in Ottawa. Julia shares how her background as an athletic therapist and her lived experience as a mom to a neurodivergent childled her to build something that didn’t exist when she needed it most. What began as a personal gap in care became a clinic rooted in empathy, access, and true family-centred support.

Motherhood in Real Time: Lived Experience Matters

As a mom of four, Julia brings a deeply human perspective to parenting. She speaks openly about always putting her children first, navigating different needs, personalities, and challenges, and how becoming a parent reshaped both her career and her purpose. This conversation highlights the power of lived experience — how parenting through real moments, not textbooks, informs how we show up for our kids and for other families.

A One-Stop Space for Every Child

Play On Paediatrics Therapy was built to be the place every parent wishes existed: a one-stop shop where children and families can access physiotherapy, psychology, speech therapy, and a wide range of supports under one roof. Julia explains why integrated care matters, how it reduces stress for families, and why children thrive when services communicate and collaborate instead of operating in silos.

Connection Over Perfection

One of the most powerful themes in this episode is connection. Julia shares how maintaining strong relationships with her kids has always been her anchor — especially through chaos, exhaustion, and uncertainty. She and Kianna talk about how children are all different, how there is no single “right” way to parent, and why tuning into who your child is matters more than any strategy or trend.

Building Through COVID and Choosing Courage

Julia reflects on starting her clinic 3.5 years ago, during the uncertainty of COVID, while parenting young children and navigating neurodivergence at home. She talks about fear, resilience, and choosing to move forward even when the future felt unclear. Today, Play On remains a place her own children still attend — a full-circle moment that reinforces the intention behind everything she built.

For Parents in the Thick of It — and Those Finding Their Rhythm

This episode is for parents who are overwhelmed, exhausted, learning, adapting, or finally finding their footing. Julia’s honesty, warmth, and wisdom remind listeners that support looks different for every family — and that parenting isn’t about doing it perfectly, but about doing it together.

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