I teach people lessons we can
learn from children to improve our personal
and professional lives.
The Best Life Lessons from Toddlers
The Best Life Lessons from Toddlers
In 2024, Dr. Merali delivered an inspiring TEDx talk at the University of Toronto on how toddlers can teach us about kindness and play. This talk was selected as a TEDx Editor’s Pick and has been viewed more than 30,000 times.
Signature Speaking Topics
Dr. Merali is an energetic speaker who engages audiences through stories and easy to understand research. By helping audiences connect to their own inner child, he shows them evidence-based ways they can improve their lives. Whether it’s for a general audience or for business leadership, the unique perspective of learning from children will leave your organization with a powerful message and practical take-aways people can implement right away. All talks can be delivered in person or remotely. All talks are customized based on the audience and a pre-meeting with the host.
Topic #1
Toddler Rules for a Happier and Healthier Life
Audience Takeaways

FOR GENERAL SESSIONS/ENTIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
Topic Overview:
The lessons we can learn from children are powerful and can transform the way we think. With lively stories from his work as a pediatric ER physician, backed by the latest research in adult wellness, Dr. Merali shows audiences how we can harness the power of our inner child through laughter, reading, kindness, and play.
Audience Takeaways:
- Improve your sleep habits with the toddler bedtime routine that can work for everyone.
- Children laugh more than twice as much as adults and this simple shift can help us with stress management, improved relationships, and learning.
- Play is something we forget as we age, but there are easy techniques we can all use to reignite that playful toddler within us.
Topic #2
Business Leadership Lessons from Toddlers

FOR ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND ENTREPRENEURS.
Topic Overview:
Most business leaders and entrepreneurs don’t think of toddlers as sources of learning or inspiration, but these remarkable young people can teach them a lot. Drawing on humorous examples and fascinating research, Dr. Merali shows his audience how we can learn important leadership lessons from toddlers including clear communication, asking questions, and saying “No!”
Audience Takeaways:
- Become a clear and effective communicator with teamwork lessons from toddlers.
- Taking bold risks everyday, like toddlers do, can help us achieve our biggest business goals.
- Toddlers can ask more than 100 questions in an hour, and this is a relationship building superpower.
Topic #3
Lessons Learned in Global Child Health.

Photo By David Schmitz.
FOR GENERAL SESSIONS/ENTIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
Topic Overview:
With over twenty years of experience in global child health, Dr. Merali has inspired countless academic and general audiences by sharing his experience in global research and education. From using Google Street View to measure helmet use in Bangkok, to using a Jell-O ultrasound simulator for newborns in Pakistan, Dr. Merali highlights both the problems facing children around the world today, as well as the solutions that work.
Audience Takeaways:
- Low-cost, water-filled simulators can transform how we teach newborn care.
- Solutions to the problem of road traffic injuries, the leading cause of death in children over five.
- How we can utilize AI to improve global health.