I read a quote recently that said, “Sometimes, the advice you tell other people is the advice you need to follow.”

As a mom and speech-language pathologist, this immediately struck me.

Moms, we don’t always practice what we preach, right?  It’s sometimes, “Do as I say. Not as I do.”

Well, the saying is true for therapists.

I know because earlier this year my mama heart had to listen to my therapist brain.

I had put off referring my two-year-old little boy for speech therapy for a while despite the fact that I was having trouble understanding him.

At age two, a stranger should be able to understand 50 percent of words spoken by your child.

And as his mom – and a speech pathologist – I could only understand maybe 25 percent.

I’ve advised parents for years on the importance of early intervention and have seen over and over again children blossom with speech therapy. But it was so much harder with my own son.

Finally, the therapist within me won out and I made the referral. I knew he needed some help on his intelligibility, but when I received the scores back from his standardized testing they were much lower than I thought.

Enter major mom guilt. How could this happen? I am supposed to be the expert at these things.

Fast forward a few months and weekly speech therapy sessions, and he is making progress. Not giant progress, but now his family and teachers can understand his wants and needs better. He is gaining more confidence and getting frustrated less and less. The best part is, he LOVES his Mrs. Holly.

Observing his growth and their relationship has not only made me a better mom but a better therapist.

I’m grateful my son is thriving with the help of his therapist and teachers. And I am thankful for my mom who told me to swallow my pride and take my own advice.

I will also never forget that behind every child we serve is someone who loves them so fiercely and is willing to do whatever necessary to help them flourish.

As parents, it’s important to listen to our hearts. But don’t be afraid to take your own advice.

When it comes to your child you’re not just the parent – you’re the expert.