08/29/2026
🧠 NEW EPISODE: Why Some Toddlers Become Disorganized Teens
Lost homework. Forgotten backpacks. Meltdowns over the smallest change in plans. It's easy to write these off as "just teenager problems" — but the truth is, the roots go back to toddlerhood, long before anyone's even heard the term "executive function."
This week on A Parent's Guide To Child Development, host Annamarie von Firley sits down with Executive Function Specialist, Diana Pellicano (GrowNOW ADHD to trace the line from the high chair to high school.
In this episode:
✅ What executive function actually is (in plain English)
✅ What it looks like in toddlers and preschoolers — not just teens
✅ Why unstructured play might be your most powerful tool
✅ The one habit well-meaning parents fall into that delays independence
✅ A simple, visual routine strategy you can start this week
✅ How these delays connect to ADHD, anxiety, and autism
If you've got a little one at home, this episode is a real look at what's being built right now — years before it shows up as a messy backpack or a missed deadline.
🎧 New episode is live now — link in bio
https://youtu.be/ugsJ1L6cH_o