The Link Between Oral Function, Sleep Quality and ADHD in Children

This week on the podcast, we’re exploring a fascinating and important connection that more families need to know about: the link between oral function, sleep quality, and ADHD-like behaviours in children.

We are joined by Tash Duffin from Whole Child Co, an occupational therapist, orofacial myofunctional therapist, and practitioner working in infant and early childhood sleep quality, feeding, and reflux. Tash also brings her own lived experience as a mum, which makes this conversation feel both deeply informed and incredibly practical.

Together, they unpack how poor sleep quality, mouth breathing, and airway dysfunction can influence focus, impulsivity, emotional regulation, behaviour, and overall development. This episode is especially valuable for parents of children with an ADHD diagnosis, ADHD-like symptoms, restless sleep, mouth breathing, or ongoing feeding challenges.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How poor sleep quality can mimic or worsen ADHD-like behaviours, including the impact of fragmented sleep on focus, impulsivity, emotional regulation, and hyperactivity.
• Why airway health and oral function matter so much, and how mouth breathing, sleep-disordered breathing, and poor oral rest posture can affect a child’s development, behaviour, and nervous system regulation.
• The signs that may point to underlying sleep and airway issues, including open-mouth sleeping, restless sleep, unusual sleeping positions, bedwetting, grinding, dry lips, bad breath, selective eating, and daytime fatigue.
• Where parents can start if they’re concerned, from observing their child’s sleep more closely to seeking the right support and understanding why addressing root causes matters more than relying on quick fixes alone.

🎧 Tune in to learn more about the connection between oral function, sleep quality, and ADHD, and why looking more closely at how your child breathes and sleeps may offer an important missing piece in their overall health and behaviour picture.

Resources & Links Mentioned

Website: Whole Child Co
Instagram: @wholechildco.au

 Tash offers online and in-person support for families through:

• Orofacial myofunctional therapy
• Sleep quality assessments
• Support for persistent sleep challenges
• Feeding and oral function therapy

Previous Natural Super Kids Podcast Episode with Tash Duffin
 Tash has also been on the podcast before to talk about sleep,reflux and feeding, so if that’s relevant for your family, make sure to check out that earlier episode as well.

This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.

 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].

How Sensory Integration in Children Supports Neurological Development

This week on the podcast, we’re diving into an important conversation about neurological development, sensory integration, and how children learn, regulate, and engage with the world around them.

We are joined by Dino Mennillo, founder and National Director of Occupational Therapy for Children, mental health-endorsed occupational therapist, and sensory integration specialist with nearly 30 years of experience supporting children with developmental, sensory, and neurodivergent challenges.

Together, they unpack what sensory integration actually is, how it affects daily life for children and families, and why play, movement, and the right kind of support can make such a meaningful difference. This is a rich, thoughtful conversation that brings together clinical insight, practical examples, and a shared passion for helping children thrive.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What sensory integration is and why it matters for neurological development, including how children process information through their senses, movement, and body awareness to support learning, regulation, coordination, and everyday functioning.
• The early signs of sensory processing challenges, from strong reactions to clothing, bath time, movement, and food textures to difficulties with emotional regulation, body awareness, and motor planning.
• How parents can gently support sensory needs at home, including why forcing food, movement, or uncomfortable experiences often backfires and how small, respectful, incremental changes can be far more effective.
• Why play, physical activity, and time outdoors are so important for development, and how reducing screen time and making space for more movement, creativity, and connection can support children’s sensory regulation and emotional wellbeing.

🎧 Tune in to learn more about supporting neurological development and sensory integration, what a neuro-affirming and play-based OT approach can look like, and how parents can take simple, realistic steps to better support their child’s regulation, development, and confidence.

Resources & Links Mentioned

Occupational Therapy for Children

Clinic Locations

• South Australia
• Melbourne
• Gold Coast
• Riverland

This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.

 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Why Nature Play for Kids Matters More Than Ever

This week on the Natural Super Kids Podcast, we’re having a really important conversation about nature play, free play, and what today’s children may be missing when so much of life happens indoors or on screens.

We are joined by Nikki Farrell, co-owner of Wildlings Forest School and Little Wildlings, co-host of the Raising Wildlings Podcast, teacher, unschooling mum, and passionate advocate for children’s rights and free play. Together, they explore how children’s physical, emotional, and social development is being shaped by the steady decline in outdoor play and why getting outside matters so much more than we often realise.

This conversation begins with some confronting truths about how much children’s free play has changed over the years, but stay with it. Nikki shares practical, thoughtful ideas that make this feel possible and encouraging, even for families navigating busy schedules, screen habits, safety concerns, and children who resist going outside.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What has changed for kids over the last 10–20 years, including the decline in free play, reduced physical confidence, lower resilience, and the impact this is having on focus, emotional regulation, and social development.
• What children are missing out on when screens take over, and why the conversation needs to go beyond screen time limits to include creativity, movement, independence, problem-solving, and real-world connection.
• The wide-reaching benefits of nature play, from gross motor development and sensory integration to sleep, emotional regulation, confidence, curiosity, and a stronger connection to learning.
• Simple, realistic ways to bring more nature play into family life, including how to support outdoor play in urban areas, how to gently build children’s independence, and why community matters so much in helping kids get outside more often.

🎧 Tune in to learn more about why nature play is such a powerful support for children’s development, how parents can create more opportunities for free play without adding pressure, and what small shifts can make a big difference in everyday family life.

Resources & Links Mentioned

Wildlings Forest School

Raising Wildlings

Instagram

Wildlings Forest School
Raising Wildlings Podcast
Little Wildlings

This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.

 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Why Mental Breathing Space Is Essential for Parents in a Busy World

This week on the podcast we’re exploring something many parents rarely give themselves permission to experience: mental breathing space.

Modern life fills nearly every moment with stimulation. Whether it’s scrolling on our phones, listening to podcasts, checking messages, or constantly researching solutions for our children’s health and wellbeing, our brains are rarely given the opportunity to slow down and process.

In this episode we discuss:

• The concept of “soft fascination” and how gentle activities like walking in nature, swimming, or simply watching the clouds can help the brain rest while still staying lightly engaged.
• How technology has quietly removed many of the natural pauses from everyday life, speeding up our perception of time and contributing to constant mental stimulation.
• The heavy cognitive load many proactive parents carry, especially when navigating children’s health concerns such as allergies, food sensitivities, or behavioural challenges.
• Why allowing your brain more breathing space can strengthen intuition, emotional regulation, and resilience, helping parents make clearer decisions and support their children more calmly.

🎧Tune in to learn more about how giving your brain moments of breathing space can improve clarity, creativity, and emotional balance in family life.

We share practical reflections on reducing constant mental input, building moments of “soft fascination” into your day, and allowing yourself the space to slow down even in the busy seasons of parenting.

Resources & Links Mentioned

A Brain That Breathes by Jodi Wilson

This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.

 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].

How Busy Parents Can Create Real Rest in Everyday Family Life

This week on the Natural Super Kids Podcast, we’re talking about how to create real rest in a busy family life and why so many parents feel mentally “full” even when they finally get a moment to themselves. 

We are joined by bestselling author, health journalist, postpartum doula, and mum of four - Jodi Wilson to explore the idea of “breathing space” and the small, practical ways we can help our nervous system feel calmer, without adding more to our already-full plates.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why modern family life can leave parents depleted, and the disconnect between how our brains are designed and how we’re living
• Simple “breathing space” practices that help you feel more grounded (even in the middle of a normal day)
• The difference between self-care culture and real rest in a busy family life, and what actually supports your body and brain
• How screens and constant input can overload the nervous system, plus gentle strategies to create healthier boundaries for the whole family

🎧Tune in to learn how to create tiny pockets of calm that actually make a difference, whether you’re in the thick of little kids or navigating a new season with older children and more space than you’re used to.

Resources & Links Mentioned

• Jodi Wilson’s book A Brain That Breathes: Essential Habits for an Overwhelming World (available through major bookstores and independent retailers).
• Jodi Wilson on Substack (weekly newsletter on simplicity and breathing space).

This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.

 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Why Some Children React to Things Others Don’t: Understanding the Guard Dog Immune System

This week on the podcast we’re exploring a question many parents ask when their child develops eczema, allergies, or food sensitivities: Why does one child react to things that other children seem completely fine with?

You might notice that one child can eat a wide range of foods, roll around in grass, or spend time around pets without any issues, while another child develops itchy skin, congestion, digestive symptoms, or allergic reactions.

Here's what we cover:

• How children’s immune systems learn through early exposure to microbes, foods, and their environment, and why these early experiences shape how the immune system responds later in life.
• The hygiene hypothesis and rising allergy rates, including how modern lifestyles and highly sanitized environments may limit the immune system’s ability to learn what is harmless.
• Why some immune systems become overreactive, with factors such as genetics, gut microbiome health, birth method, diet, and skin barrier integrity all playing a role.
• Why removing triggers alone isn’t enough, and how supporting immune regulation can help calm an overprotective immune system rather than simply avoiding more and more foods or environmental exposures.

🎧 Tune in to learn more about the “guard dog immune system,” why some children react to things others don’t, and what parents can do to support healthier immune regulation.

This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.

 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Histamine Reactions in Children: Why Some Kids Seem to React to Everything

This week on the Natural Super Kids Podcast, we’re talking about histamine and why some kids seem to be “reacting to everything,” even when you’ve already cleaned up their diet, removed the usual suspects, and tried all the common strategies.

If your child’s symptoms feel unpredictable (or like they’re piling up across skin, digestion, and respiratory health), this episode will help you step back and understand what an overprotective immune system can look like and why the goal isn’t endless avoidance, but supporting the body so it can respond more calmly over time.

In this episode, we explore:

• What histamine is and why some children seem extra sensitive to it, even when allergy tests don’t give clear answers
• How histamine-related symptoms can show up alongside eczema, allergies, and ongoing gut symptoms and why the overlap is common
• Why restriction can sometimes become a slippery slope, and what to consider before cutting more foods “just in case”
• The bigger picture factors that influence histamine load and tolerance, including gut health, immune regulation, and the body’s “threshold” for reacting

🎧 Tune in to learn why “reacting to everything” isn’t a parenting failure - it’s often a sign the body needs deeper support and how to think about histamine in a way that feels clear, grounded, and practical.

🌿 Resources & Links Mentioned

• Monash University FODMAP app (a helpful tool for navigating FODMAP foods if your child is also dealing with digestive reactions)

If you loved this episode, We'd be so grateful if you left a review. You can also share your biggest takeaway by sending a DM on Instagram @naturalsuperkids.

This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.

 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].

 FODMAPs and Fructose in Kids: Why Healthy Foods Can Cause Gut Symptoms 

This week on the Natural Super Kids Podcast, we’re exploring a confusing but incredibly common experience for families: when “healthy” foods seem to trigger bloating, tummy pain, irregular bowels, or fatigue in kids.

If your child reacts to foods like apples, garlic, lentils, smoothies, or even large amounts of fruit and you’ve already tried removing gluten or dairy without clear answers - this episode will help you understand what might really be going on inside their gut.

We unpack how FODMAPs and fructose malabsorption can affect digestion in children, why symptoms often overlap with eczema and allergies, and why simply removing more foods isn’t the long-term solution.

In this episode, we explore:

✅ What FODMAPs actually are and why some children struggle to digest these otherwise healthy foods
✅ How fructose malabsorption can cause bloating, gas, fatigue, and ongoing gut symptoms
✅ Why low FODMAP diets should only be short term and what needs to happen alongside them to support gut health
✅ How improving gut function and microbiome balance helps children tolerate more foods over time

🎧 Tune in to learn why gut symptoms often persist even after common food eliminations and how a balanced, personalised approach can support both digestion and immune health especially heading into colder months.

Resources & Links Mentioned

🌿 Monash University FODMAP App
A practical tool to help identify high, moderate, and low FODMAP foods and guide short-term dietary trials safely.

🌿 Natural Super Kids – Online Clinic & Klub
Personalised support for children with digestive symptoms, eczema, allergies, and food intolerances, with a focus on gut health and immune balance.

🌿 Share this episode
If you know a family navigating ongoing gut symptoms, food reactions, or a low FODMAP diet, this episode may help them feel less alone and more confident in their next steps.

This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.

 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Dust Mites, Eczema and Allergies: An Overlooked Trigger in Kids

This week on the Natural Super Kids Podcast, we’re diving into one of the most commonly overlooked triggers when it comes to eczema and allergies in children: dust mites.

Many families focus heavily on food triggers like dairy or gluten, and while those can absolutely play a role, environmental allergens are often quietly contributing in the background. Because dust mites are present all year round not just seasonally like pollens, they can be harder to identify as a cause of ongoing symptoms.

In this episode, we unpack how dust mites may be affecting your child’s skin, sinuses, and respiratory system and why simply changing diet may not be enough if environmental exposure hasn’t been addressed.

In this episode, we explore:

• The signs that dust mites may be contributing to eczema and allergy symptoms especially when symptoms flare overnight or in the morning
• Why dust mites can trigger skin, sinus, and respiratory issues year-round
• Practical, manageable steps you can take at home to reduce exposure
• Why dust mites aren’t the root cause (only a trigger) and how immune regulation, gut health, and skin barrier function play a bigger role in long-term improvement

🎧 Tune in to learn how dust mites may be impacting your child’s eczema and allergies and why supporting immune balance is just as important as reducing environmental triggers.

💬 If you loved this episode, I’d be so grateful if you left a review. 

💚 You can also share your biggest takeaway or any questions about dust mites, eczema and allergies by sending a DM on Instagram @naturalsuperkids - we’d love to hear from you.

This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.

 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].

Pantry Staples That Make Healthy Family Meals Easy

This week on the Natural Super Kids Podcast, we’re taking a peek inside Founder Jessica Donovan’s pantry in audio form — sharing the key foods Jessica always keeps on hand, the ones she rarely runs out of because they form the backbone of so many everyday meals, baking recipes, and quick lunches.

Having a well-stocked pantry makes it so much easier to put together nourishing meals and snacks without stress, last-minute supermarket runs, or relying on processed convenience foods. While fresh, seasonal produce will always play an important role, the right pantry staples create a strong foundation for whole food family nutrition.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why certain pantry staples can make balanced meals faster and easier even on busy days
• Simple protein-rich options that support brain health, growth, and steady energy
• How small swaps in baking and cooking can boost fiber, micronutrients, and digestibility
• The role of quality fats, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices in supporting gut health and whole food eating

🎧 Tune in to discover the seven foundational foods that make healthy family eating feel simpler, more sustainable, and far less overwhelming.

🌿Resources & Links Mentioned

If you loved this episode, I’d be so grateful if you left a review. You can also share your pantry staples with us by sending a DM on Instagram @naturalsuperkids — we’d love to hear what you always keep stocked in your kitchen.

This episode is proudly sponsored by my membership, the Natural Super Kids Klub. If you would like to become a member of the Klub to get more helpful resources to help you raise a happy and healthy family click here and pop your name on the waitlist.

 If you loved this episode, leave me a review! I would really appreciate it. Also, let me know your biggest takeaway from this episode by sending me a direct message on Instagram @naturalsuperkids or shoot me an email at [email protected].