Welcome to Thrive Little!
About Us
Thrive Little is run by Marielle Marquez, a pediatric occupational therapist based in Los Angeles. Marielle specializes in feeding and swallowing as well as developmental treatment for infants and young children. Check out the resources on our site to learn how you can best support your child!
How can we help your little one thrive?

From the blog

Why Floor Play is Important for Babies
If you are like most modern parents, you probably have several devices to put your baby in. From car seats and strollers to swings and bouncers, babies can end up spending quite a bit of time in containers (devices that “contain” them). This modern …

How to Teach Kids to Use Scissors
Believe it or not, children are able to learn to use scissors right around age 2. By about 24 months of age a child should be able to make snips with scissors. Of course this is only true if they have been practicing. Many …

How to Cope with Parental Burnout
Caring for kids can be exhausting and stressful. It’s easy to succumb to parental burnout. Whether you are a working parent or stay home with your kids, it is hard to juggle everything we have to do in a day. You are not failing …

Long-Term Effects of Tongue Tie
Whether or not you decide to have your child’s tongue tie released, there can be long-term effects. Releasing a tie reduces the restriction. It provides the opportunity for the tongue to have improved range of motion ability. But just because the tongue can now …

The Benefits of Teethers Beyond Teething
Most parents know about the benefits of using teethers when your baby has sore gums. Biting on these toys can be soothing for teething babies and many parents use them for this purpose. You may not know that these tools can (and should!) be …

What is Baby-Led Weaning and How to Start
Baby-led weaning has become more and more popular recently. As the name suggests, baby-led weaning encourages babies to be in charge of their feeding experience. In its pure form, purees and baby food are skipped and babies are given true solids from the start. …

The Best Suction Plate and Bowl for Babies and Toddlers
It is so frustrating to search and search for a great suction bowl or plate for your baby or toddler only to find out that it doesn’t work for your little one. So many of these products are advertised as having great suction, but …
The Best Suction Plate and Bowl for Babies and Toddlers Read More »

Preventing Flat Head Syndrome
Flat head syndrome became a much bigger issue after the Back to Sleep campaign began in 1994. Before that, babies often sleep on their tummies or on their sides. As pediatricians became advocates of Back to Sleep, parents were told to only place their …

The Power of Feeding a Toy During Meals
Eating should be fun. For adults, trying out a new restaurant in town with friends is a fun way to enjoy food. For a toddler, being silly and playing with their food is their definition of fun. I’m not saying that every child should …
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