The Simply Kids Wellness Podcast

Meditation and mindfulness are tools for calming and regulating emotions that help support our children’s mental health and wellbeing. We are becoming increasingly aware that teaching our children preventative proactive health skills can help prepare them for life’s stresses and challenges, and build a more resilient future.Kasey Hughes is the founder of Mayhem to Mindfulness, and she supports children as a mindfulness facilitator and certified health and wellness coach. Kasey is a mother to 3 boys and they have inspired her to help other kids. She is extremely passionate about the emotional and mental wellbeing of our children and parents and offers child-specific wellness programs to teach kids how to use mindfulness and meditation skills to improve their emotional intelligence.Children are taught how to fill their cups and give them lifelong skills in managing worries and concerns and how they can tap into sensations of feelings in their bodies to become aware of what they are experiencing. They learn how to accept all different feelings, even the big and uncomfortable emotions to bring stress levels down to be able to think well, manage the effects of emotions, bounce back from setbacks, sleep better and build overall resilience. Emotional intelligence and resilience are superpowers for kids that give them the best chance of having positive mental health outcomes as they grow.Kasey believes that it’s more important than ever to take steps to improve your children’s mental health. Simple tools like mindful belly breathing through 3 deep breaths can be used at any time to help calm worries or anxiety. Meditation and Mindfulness can calm the brain and build up the prefrontal cortex in children’s brains to become resilient in many different situations. Research shows that this can reduce their potential for anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.Find out more at www.mayhemtomindful.com.auhttps://www.instagram.com/mayhemtomindful/https://www.facebook.com/mayhemtomindful

Do you want to shout less and connect more with your teens and tweens? Do you want to hear how you can have a healthy and harmonious relationship with your teens and tweens whilst parenting from a place aligned with your values? Then listen to this episode with Wendy Bennett who is a mentor for teens, tweens, and their parents and offers online support, courses, and resources to navigate these often challenging years.Wendy originally created the online Amaze In Mind App to help teenagers. It offers content that can teach them skills to grow, express themselves and feel connected during their tween and teen years. It allows them to get to know themselves better and develop a secure sense of self. Wendy believes that also teaching parents the skills and understanding of the milestones in teenage years can create awareness and empathy for parents to bond and deepen their relationships. Wendy has developed an online course called the Chaos to Calm Parenting course as well as an online community of support, to share her expertise and experiences as a counsellor and mother. The course can help parents relate to their kids and become aware of what’s driving their interactions and why things might not be going as they wish. Wendy has developed 6 parenting principles that she uses when working with parents and the 4-week program is an introduction to these principles as well as helping parents achieve some quick wins in shouting less and connecting more with their kids. Find out more at https://mailchi.mp/ddb8a44376c8/chaos-to-calm-parenting-course  Website - http://amazeinmind.org.au/parent-support/ Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/425903905289783

Inspired Yoga and Calm Fairies empowers kids to feel safe and calm by teaching them the calming tools of Yoga, particularly in Children's hospital wards. Stacey Louise is the founder and lead trainer at Inspired Kids Yoga and Calm Fairies and has a creative flair and natural gift for working with children. Stacey loves sharing her knowledge and tools in playful and easy-to-understand ways, with kids and adults.Stacey draws on her diverse career experiences in working with children to help kids from two years of age to teenage years reduce anxiety and experience relaxation. She adapts her style and toolkit to help all age brackets and different ailments.Stacey started practicing yoga in 2000 to help befriend anxiety and cope with a myriad of medical conditions. This experience has turned into Stacey's legacy, with the creation of Calm Fairies- where she visits kids in hospital, dressed as a fairy, and teaches them the calm tools of yoga. Calm Fairies offers online courses for parents and anyone working with children empowers them to teach kids how to self-regulate their emotions through many tools such as breathing exercises, adapting to different environments, and learning how to release tension in a holistic way - physically, mentally, and emotionally. Stacey has a mission to work towards getting a Calm Fairy trained up for every children’s hospital ward in Australia.Find out more at www.inspiredkidsyoga.com.auhttps://www.calmfairies.com.auhttps://www.facebook.com/inspiredkidsyogahttps://www.instagram.com/inspired.kids.yogahttps://www.facebook.com/calmfairieshttps://www.instagram.com/calm.fairies

It’s Clancy, Yo! Is a natural skincare range that was created for tweens and teens that advocates the benefits of starting their skincare journey sooner rather than later, as well as spread positive messaging of empowerment and security. The products were created for both boys and girls during their tween and teen years that could support their delicate and sensitive skin changes and needs.It’s Clancy, Yo! makes skincare fun with its bright packaging, fun designs, and eco-friendly themes. Given the ages of their customers and the condition of their skin, they have made a stand to avoid nasty ingredients such as parabens⁠, artificial and synthetic ingredients, and hormone disruptors⁠! All of the ingredients included in their products are derived from nature to support and not strip young and delicate skin types!⁠It’s Clancy, Yo! is 100% Aussie made and owned. They have trialled and tested the range extensively on a range of Aussie kids (including their own!). It’s encouraging kids to use natural products and become aware of the importance of choosing healthy choices for their skin.⁠ It’s Nature for the win!Find out more at https://itsclancyyo.com.au/https://www.facebook.com/itsclancyyohttps://www.instagram.com/its_clancy_yo/

Kids are inspiring, resilient, accepting, determined, funny human beings and their personalities and uniqueness should be celebrated! Gorgeous Grubs does this in a fun way with tie-dyed clothing! Meegan Conwell is the creator and owner of Gorgeous Grubs, a clothing label designed to celebrate our kids and their stories. Meegan is a mum to three gorgeous kids, Jimmy, and twins Bianca and Zoey and they all inspired her to take up tie-dyeing as a way of capturing their crazy personalities.Meegan is also a primary school teacher and celebrates all kids and their amazing stories through her bright colourful shirts to raise awareness and learn from their resilience, determination, and playful attitudes. From twinhood to the TSC journey, to CHD awareness, to rainbow families empowerment. There are an infinite number of stories to be shared and Gorgeous Grubs celebrates this through each piece of colourful clothing that has been hand-made with love. Find out more at https://www.gorgeousgrubs.com.au/https://www.facebook.com/GorgeousGrubshttps://www.instagram.com/gorgeous_grubs/

In this episode, we chat with Osteopath and Lactation consultant Dr Emily Jones, who offers osteopathic care and lactation support to assist families with growth, development, breast, and bottle feeding issues. The combination of Osteopathy and Lactation Consultations addresses movement, symmetry, and feeding patterns which are all interrelated in the wellbeing of babies and young children. Emily was inspired to dedicate her support to babies and children through stages of growth and development after her own experiences as a mother with birth and breastfeeding challenges. She has a passion for working with kids from birth and their families to ensure they get a good start to life with optimum feed, play, and sleep functions so they can reach their optimal health.Emily discusses the importance of supporting infant and childhood growth and development for future healthy adults with Osteopathy and optimal lactation support. Find out more at https://www.alignandnurture.com.au/https://www.instagram.com/alignandnurture/https://www.facebook.com/alignandnurture

This is an empowering episode for both parents and tween/teen girls to hear about strategies that support our daughters into womanhood. All girls go through physical, emotional, and personal change and it can be embraced and nurtured with the right awareness and tribe.We chat with Emma the founder of Pippin Girl about her inspiration to mentor and nurture girls' needs from the moment they start to notice changes in their minds, bodies, and emotions. Emma shares her story during her formative years, how tough it was and how she discovered she was not alone in feeling confused in the biology of puberty.Pippin Girl offers information drawn from their experts which include a teacher, doctor, psychologist, and nutritionist to offer girls holistic support. Their books encourage co-reading between mamas and girls to deepen their bonds and normalise the conversation about their changes to accept this season of change and instill self-confidence in their journeys. Pippin Girl helps celebrate girls, empower them with knowledge, and treasure our girls for who they are.Find out more at https://www.pippingirl.com.au/https://www.instagram.com/pippin.girl/https://www.facebook.com/pippingirl

If you want to find out how to build and nurture your relationships with your kids and create a culture of caring within your family, then you must read  Susy Lee's book "Raising Kids Who Care: Practical conversations for exploring stuff that matters, together". The book discusses how to create a strong culture of communication with your kids to empower them to care about themselves, others, and the world. A highly engaging presenter, Susy has taught at schools, universities, and conferences. Susy has a master's degree in Peace and Conflict Studies. Her eclectic career twirls around the twin themes of social justice and children, including state and national consultancy roles with children and families, international aid and development, and advocacy. Susy's book shows us how having deep conversations with our children can give them opportunities to care. It encourages families to engage with each other, to get parents to listen and learn from their kids, and to build their self-confidence. The book discusses practical family conversations that can create connections with our children to foster a culture of caring and contribution to the world. Susy’s on a mission to create a whole culture of caring and contribution so we can change the world, one family, at a time.Find out more at https://www.raisingkidswhocare.info/https://www.facebook.com/raisingkidswhocare.infohttps://www.instagram.com/raisingkidswhocare/

The Earthway Approach aims to support families on their unique parenting journey through conscious and connected parenting. It supports a community of like-minded families that choose to consciously parent and connect with their babies, lean away from societal norms, and lean into attachment. There are so many styles of parenting out there and sometimes you need guidance and support to connect to your children in a way that suits your family.Nikki Smith is the founder of the Earthway Approach and was inspired to support new families into their fourth trimester and toddler years after her own experience of motherhood and postnatal depression. Nikki is a mother to three children and has been a registered nurse, holds a Postgraduate in Maternal Child and Family Nursing and has been working and supporting families on the Gold Coast, Northern Rivers and now the Central Coast of NSW, Australia over the past 5 years. Nikki is currently studying counselling and is the author of her newly released book 'Honest Motherhood- Words of comfort and musings into motherhood.' Her expertise is in early infancy and toddler behaviour, she is passionate about maternal and infant mental health and wellbeing as well as providing holistic conscious parenting support with a whole family approach.Every family is unique and she helps parents become aware of their own temperament, their children’s temperaments and their parenting style. Her parent centred approach to family connections builds the foundation for love, compassion & empathy, as well as self-empowerment. Find out more at :https://www.facebook.com/TheEarthwayApproach/?ref=pages_you_manage https://www.instagram.com/the_earthway_approach/ https://www.earthwayparenting.com.au/

Do you want to discover how to nurture your children’s wellbeing through dinner conversations? Around the Table has created simple and fun ways to connect with our kids and create family rituals through dinner conversation cards.  Around the Table have Family Dinner Conversation Cards to enrich our relationships with our children through conversation at shared family mealtimes. Danielle Barrett is the founder of Around the Table, a service designed to make dinnertime easier and more enjoyable so families can enjoy the many benefits of eating dinner together. Danielle’s background is in primary school teaching and together with a child psychologist and two school counsellors, they created the questions for the conversation cards. Children enjoy choosing the cards and the questions can be lighthearted whilst simultaneously giving insight into your child’s wellbeing. Scientific research shows that sharing mealtimes and engaging in conversation with children of all ages from toddlers to teenagers can enhance their social and mental wellbeing. Danielle suggests starting small by organising regular family meals during the week, making dinner fun, and sharing our experiences with our children.During times of lockdown, families have experienced how the dinner cards can encourage regular connections over mealtimes and how they can provide comfort, support, and security to our children through simple family rituals.Find out more at https://aroundthetable.com.au/collections/activity-cardsSimply Kids Wellness followers can get a 20% discount with the code SIMPLYKIDShttps://www.facebook.com/familiesaroundthetablehttps://www.instagram.com/families_aroundthetable

If you want to hear how you can help nurture your children's spirits in nature, listen to the philosophy of the Wildlings Forest School. The Wildlings Forest School provides the time, space, and mentors for free play in the forest to allow nature immersion that fosters connection, curiosity, and play-based learning.In the Wildlings Forest School, kids get permission to be kids again, get dirt back into childhood and choose their own adventures. We chat with Nicki Farrell who co-founded the Wildlings Forest school. Nicki and her business partner, Vicci Oliver, founded Wildlings Forest School in 2017 after being unable to find a local school that fit their children's need for outdoor learning and nature connection. The Wildlings Forest School is now in its 4th year and continues to provide play-based learning experiences for children in supported yet unstructured outdoor spaces across South East Queensland, Australia. Wildlings believe that children deserve the freedom to play, explore and take reasonable risks. Wildlings aim to help children build resilience, connection, and environmental stewardship through wild adventure and nature immersion.Find out more at https://www.wildlingsforestschool.com/https://www.facebook.com/wildlingsforestschoolauhttps://www.instagram.com/wildlings_forestschool/

Mindfulness in its simplest form is paying attention, being present, and focused in the moment to experience the most out of life. We chat with teacher Sarah Fuller, the founder of Mindful Kids Melbourne about supporting kids through mindfulness practices to get through challenging times and navigate all emotions.  Sarah discusses how mindfulness enables children to tune into their bodies, the emotions they are feeling, and how to calm their mind and body with simple tools like their breathing. As an educator, she believes teaching children about mindfulness and promoting positive wellbeing from a young age leads to positive outcomes and the development of resilience and problem-solving strategies that they will take with them throughout their lives.Positive-Psychology Mindfulness practices can help kids build problem-solving strategies and have a positive impact on their brain and neural pathways by teaching them to self-regulate an array of emotions by using their five senses. Mindfulness enables children to pay attention to the present moment without judgement and to be aware of the range of emotions not just happy or sad ones. Positive-Psychology mindfulness practices allow children and parents to fill their cups and experience the small moments of simple joys. Find out more at https://www.mindfulkidsmelbourne.com.au/https://www.facebook.com/Mindfulkidsmelbourne/https://www.instagram.com/mindful_kids_melbourne/

This episode discusses ways to boost immunity in our kids through nutrition, and we have the pleasure to chat with naturopath Dianna Moroney again.  In Episode 2  we chatted with Dianna about supporting children’s health with nutrition.  We hone in on key nutrients for the immune system and some specific foods, a bit about pre and probiotics and what reduces immune activity.Dianna discusses the role of the immune system and the relationship to gut health and the specific vitamins and minerals that are essential for boosting immune function in kids. Listen to the different types of immune cells and their functions in defending kids from bacteria and viruses and how we can nourish them. The importance of prebiotics and probiotics are discussed and their differences explained. It can be overwhelming trying to sift through the plethora of information out there but learn how simple foods naturally contain these good nutrients.The gut-mind-body health is a balance and we can help maintain this balance in our kids through good nutrition and Dianna discusses ways to bridge the gap when they need more.You can find her at www.diannamoroney.com with links to socials on the website. Search for her on Instagram @the.mind_body.naturopath

The Secret Ninja School shares online adventure workouts through fun, creative, and imaginative storytelling to keep kids active. We chat with Keiran Deck, the founder of the Secret Ninja School, about his passion for helping kids grow in confidence and find a sense of self-worth through exercise. We discuss the importance of regular movement and exercise for kids' physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.  Keiran (aka Ninja Kicks) together with Boronia Clark, the other Secret Ninja host, shares online workouts that last 10-15 mins in the comfort of your own home, and the exercises build fundamental movement skills. The skills taught in the Secret Ninja School workouts are movements taught by dance, gymnastics, and martial art experts. Kids of all abilities from 3-7 love it because it feels like play! Keiran discusses how regular and consistent organised exercise can help 60% of kids who start school, to sit and emotionally regulate well due to the structure and consistency of their movement habits. Being active can positively affect children’s health, development, confidence, sleep patterns, concentration, and overall wellbeing. Find out more at https://www.secretninjaschool.com/https://www.facebook.com/secretninjaschoolhttps://www.instagram.com/secretninjaschool/

Finding a place to start to help and support kids with picky eating habits can be daunting and difficult. Learn Play Eat is an online supportive community that helps parents in this situation with their Facebook online community to connect with other families in similar situations and online resources. Learn Play Eat also has an app that provides ideas for playful activities and fun games to help end picky eating. The ideas can set kids up to have fun and play with food and have positive experiences with eating. We chat with  Nicki Coates the founder of Learn Play Eat about her experiences with her son’s picky eating and how she was able to help and support him to overcome it. She started with her GP and found a fantastic Occupational Therapist that helped her teach her son how to trust the process of eating without feeling the pressure. Nicki discusses methods that have worked well for her and her son and ways to improve kids' relationships with food. Learn Play Eat offers parents with kids from 2-6 years of age, practical and simple ways to foster positive eating experiences with their kids and also ensuring that they receive the nutrition their growing bodies need.  Find out more at https://learnplayeat.comhttps://www.facebook.com/learnplayeathttps://www.instagram.com/learnplayeat

Parenthood can be challenging at any time by especially so with twins, triplets, or multiple births. Supporting families with twins and triplets is made easier with online supportive communities like Twinfo. Naomi Dorland is a twin mum and the founder of Twinfo that celebrates, informs, and supports families of multiple birth parents. Naomi has a passion for all things multiple and is the co-host of Talking Twins and more - a multiple birth podcast. Talking Twins and More is a podcast from two twin mums, both of whom have totally different stories about the challenges that parents of multiples face. It discusses the good, bad and ugly and hosts guests that are parents of multiples to share their stories. You can follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/talkingtwinsandmore/ Twinfo is also a directory of services and products that truly meet the needs of multiple birth families and is the largest online supportive community for parents of twins and triplets. Find out more about Twinfo at www.twinfo.com.au and join them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TwinfoAustralia

If you are a parent of a child and would like to be supported and mentored to help your child communicate through speech, then this is the episode for you. Oral language forms the basis of written language and allows a child to connect with us to enhance their wellbeing.Bonny Marsh is a Speech Pathologist with 26 years of experience and has created online courses to support parents who are curious about their children's language development and guiding them to communicate.There are parents who don’t have direct access to a Speech Pathologist on speed dial and are not sure if they should be or should not be concerned. Bonny reassures parents about their children's communication development through guiding with practical and simple tools. Bonny has created the Toddler Talk Kit and the Calm Framework for parents of children in the first 5 years of life.Her mission is to empower parents to feel confident and supported in keeping their children talking on track. Feeling confident in your children’s language development is not as far away as you think. Find out more about her incredible online resources at https://www.letsgettalking.com.au/https://www.facebook.com/toddlertalkmentorhttps://www.instagram.com/lets.gettalking/ 

In this amazing and enlightening episode, we chat with Dana Kerford from URStrong about empowering the social-emotional wellbeing of children through friendship skills. Dana is the founder of URStrong and shares with us her passion for empowering children with the skills to develop healthy relationships.Dana created the URStrong framework for children, schools, and parents that teach relationship skills and strategies to navigate friendship fires and problem solve friendship issues.Friendship skills can provide the language, strategies, and support to enhance learning and children's wellbeing. Healthy relationships are the foundation of our children's wellbeing. Whole school friendship strategies can empower the school community to build good relationships in the school community.Listen to Dana's inspiration for creating the URStrong programs and how URStrong schools teach children from a young age to build friendships on the qualities of trust and respect.Find out more at www.urstrong.com https://www.facebook.com/urstronghttps://www.instagram.com/urstrong.friendship/

In this episode, we chat about supporting kids on the spectrum with The Exceptional Mum Hub.  Alyce Donovan is the founder of the Exceptional Mums Hub, an online community that supports mums raising kids on the spectrum.Alyce is a mum of 3 boys and a girl and after her own experiences of supporting 2 boys on the spectrum, she realised the challenges that mums in similar situations would face. It can be a daunting and isolating experience when reaching out for support to get a diagnosis and the appropriate supportive services to nurture kids on the spectrum. Alyce shares her stories with her own kids on the spectrum and also about her diagnosis of being on the spectrum. Mothering can be challenging at any time but heightened when you have kids on the spectrum.The Exceptional Mums Hub gives straightforward information from experts in the field and the online community helps support and empower mums to be their best with its resources.There are resources available to help educate you on all topics relating to parenting a child on the spectrum, with easy-to-understand information, strategies, and activities to try at home. The hub also provides members with a supportive community of other mums, it’s a space you can access 24/7 to ask for advice and discuss content available in the hub.It’s a community that empowers mums to raise exceptional kids!. Find out more at https://theexceptionalmumhub.com.au/

The benefits of Kinesiology are endless in helping us balance mind, body, and spirit. The benefits of Kinesiology for school kids and teenagers are profound as it can help them feel listened to, understood, and connected.Mel Ryan is back in Part II of the Kinesiology in Kids series and helps discuss how children can find balance in a natural and holistic way for their wellbeing. Kinesiology can help children understand their emotions, behaviours and feelings, and empower children to take the next step of problem-solving their challenges.Mel shares her stories and experiences of working with school-aged children and teenagers and the common themes in these stages of childhood. The feeling of belonging and being understood can be made easier when there is balance in our children's wellbeing. Find out more about Kinesiology at www.melryan100percentyou.com and on our directory at www.simplykidswellness.com