Parenting Collective

**Content note:**
This episode includes discussions around ADHD, anxiety, mental health, and emetophobia. Please listen with care.
This episode is deeply personal — and one of the most meaningful conversations I’ve ever recorded.
In Through My Eyes, Through Yours, I sit down with my daughter for an honest mother–daughter conversation about growing up with ADHD, anxiety, and feeling different in a world that doesn’t always understand neurodivergent kids.
We talk openly about the parts of childhood and adolescence that often go unseen:
- Being labelled “the easy child” and the pressure that comes with it
- Staying back in pre-primary and how that shaped confidence
- Growing up neurodivergent and learning to mask to fit in
- ADHD, anxiety, emetophobia, and mental health
- High school, friendships, exclusion, and identity
- Medication, self-advocacy, and removing shame
- What helped, what hurt, and what we wish we’d known sooner

⏱️ Chapter Stamps
00:00 – Why this mother–daughter conversation matters
02:05 – Growing up “the easy child” and what went unseen
05:10 – Staying back in pre-primary and early feelings of being different
08:45 – When ADHD and anxiety started to show up
12:30 – Masking, fitting in, and learning how to cope
16:40 – School, friendships, and the pain of exclusion
21:15 – Emetophobia and anxiety explained
25:50 – Mental health, medication, and removing the shame
30:40 – What helped the most during the hardest years
35:20 – What we wish we had known sooner
39:10 – A message to parents in the thick of it
42:30 – A message to kids and teens who feel different
45:00 – Final reflections: love, resilience, and hope

This isn’t a conversation about perfect parenting.
It’s about listening, learning, repairing, and loving our kids exactly as they are.

If you’re parenting a child who feels different…
If you’re navigating ADHD or anxiety with your child or teen…
Or if you’re a young person who needs to know they’re not broken —
You are not alone. And neither is your child.
💛 There is another side — and this episode speaks to it honestly.
🎙️ Subscribe to the Parenting Collective Podcast  for more conversations on conscious parenting, emotional regulation, sleep, and wellbeing.
I would appreciate it greatly if you could please LIKE and FOLLOW this podcast and if you are not following me over on instagram, head over there for all of my top tips and advice around sleep and parenting @parentingcollective.au. I also offer a free 15 minute phone chat to run through all your questions CLICK here to book your FREE 15 minute chat
Much Love 💞
Donna Moala
Parenting Collective
SLEEP & PARENTING ESSENTIALS
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What if your child’s behaviour isn’t the real problem?
In this powerful conversation, Donna Moala is joined by Dr. Shefali (@doctorshefali), clinical psychologist, New York Times bestselling author, and founder of the Conscious Parenting movement, to explain why behaviour management alone doesn’t work, and what actually creates lasting change in families.
Together, they unpack:
What conscious parenting really means (and what it doesn’t)
Why behaviour is a signal, not the issue
How parents unknowingly project their own childhood wounds
Why connection, not control, builds resilient kids
How to become your child’s outer nervous system
Why it’s never too late to repair or strengthen your relationship with your child
📌 This episode is especially powerful for parents of strong-willed children, teens, and parents who feel like traditional parenting advice just isn’t working anymore.
Dr. Shefali also shares insights from her upcoming work on raising Gen Z and Gen Alpha children in a digitally overwhelmed world, and what parents need to do differently now.
🎤 Dr. Shefali is coming to Australia (Sydney & Melbourne). Details, tickets, and resources are linked below.

Follow Dr. Shefali:
Website: https://www.drshefali.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctorshefali
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorshefali
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doctorshefali
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@doctorshefali

Check out Dr. Shefali’s books - https://www.drshefali.com/books/
Dr. Shefali Australia Tour 2026!
Get Your Tickets Here: https://events.drshefali.com/australia/

Want to be a Certified Conscious Parenting & Life Coach? Get $500 OFF! 
How? Just write "Donna" in the application, and use this code - DONNA500.
To apply, visit https://coaching.drshefali.com/
I would appreciate it greatly if you could please LIKE and FOLLOW this podcast and if you are not following me over on instagram, head over there for all of my top tips and advice around sleep and parenting @parentingcollective.au. I also offer a free 15 minute phone chat to run through all your questions CLICK here to book your FREE 15 minute chat
Much Love 💞
Donna Moala
Parenting Collective
SLEEP & PARENTING ESSENTIALS
🩷 For your daily walks, coffee's & travel
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE COZIGO
🩷 Favourite room darkening product
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE SLEEPY SUNDAYS
🩷 Favourite Goat's Milk Formula
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE LITTLE OAK FORMULA.
🩷 Favourite Rice Milk Formula
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ...

Do you feel exhausted, overwhelmed, or guilty every time you try to say “NO”?
Burnout does not happen overnight,  it is built through years of people pleasing, overgiving and ignoring our own needs.
In this powerful episode of the Parenting Collective Podcast, host Donna Moala sits down with mindset coach @annmanifis to unpack the real reason so many women struggle to set boundaries and why learning to say “NO” is essential for emotional wellbeing, leadership and sustainable success.
With over 25 years in the corporate world, Ann shares practical insights on burnout recovery, self worth  and how women can stop running on empty without feeling selfish or guilty. This conversation is for working mums, leaders and women who are ready to protect their energy and reclaim their peace.
✨ In this episode, we explore:
Why burnout is so common among women
The emotional roots of people pleasing
How to say “NO” without guilt or fear
Boundaries at work, home and in relationships
Why rest is productive, not lazy
Work-life balance vs. work-life integration
🎧 Whether you are navigating motherhood, leadership, or personal overwhelm, this episode will help you slow down, reconnect to your worth and break the burnout cycle for good.
💡 Learn more about the Leadership Reset Call with Ann Manifis: https://calendly.com/manifisann/leadership_reset_call_with_ann_manifis?month=2025-12
💬 Comment below, what’s one thing you need to say “no” to right now?
I would appreciate it greatly if you could please LIKE and FOLLOW this podcast and if you are not following me over on instagram, head over there for all of my top tips and advice around sleep and parenting @parentingcollective.au. I also offer a free 15 minute phone chat to run through all your questions CLICK here to book your FREE 15 minute chat
Much Love 💞
Donna Moala
Parenting Collective
SLEEP & PARENTING ESSENTIALS
🩷 For your daily walks, coffee's & travel
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE COZIGO
🩷 Favourite room darkening product
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE SLEEPY SUNDAYS
🩷 Favourite Goat's Milk Formula
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE LITTLE OAK FORMULA.
🩷 Favourite Rice Milk Formula
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ...

In this episode, I am thrilled to speak to Jenny Brown from the Parent Hope Project @parenthopeproject about why “fixing” our kids doesn’t work and the powerful shift that actually brings calm, connection and hope back into the home.  Working with Parents closely to change generational patterns that just are not working.  
Parenting a pre-teen / teen with anxiety, big emotions or constant overwhelm can feel frightening, confusing and incredibly lonely.
Together, they unpack:
✨ Why teens spiral into anxiety or big reactions
✨ The hidden patterns that keep families stuck
✨ How parents can support without overcontrolling or rescuing
✨ What to do when your teen shuts down or blows up
✨ The simple changes that help teens grow confidence + resilience
✨ How you can stay grounded when everything feels chaotic
This is the conversation every overwhelmed or worried parent needs. You are not alone. You are not failing. And there is a way forward.
Listen now and take the first step toward a calmer, more connected home. 🤍
You can work 1:1 with Jenny and her team with parent therapy The Family Systems Institute or purchase her books or workshops.
I would appreciate it greatly if you could please LIKE and FOLLOW this podcast and if you are not following me over on instagram, head over there for all of my top tips and advice around sleep and parenting @parentingcollective.au. I also offer a free 15 minute phone chat to run through all your questions CLICK here to book your FREE 15 minute chat
Much Love 💞
Donna Moala
Parenting Collective
SLEEP & PARENTING ESSENTIALS
🩷 For your daily walks, coffee's & travel
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE COZIGO
🩷 Favourite room darkening product
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE SLEEPY SUNDAYS
🩷 Favourite Goat's Milk Formula
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE LITTLE OAK FORMULA.
🩷 Favourite Rice Milk Formula
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ...

In this heartfelt chat, Donna sits down with learning specialist Emily Fogg from Wise Owl Education to unpack what life is really like raising and supporting our beautiful neuro-spicy kiddos.
From ADHD and dyslexia to school refusal, big emotions, and the endless battle of bedtime  we dive into why our kids struggle, how their brains work, and what actually helps them thrive.
Emily shares her experience as a former teacher who now supports children with reading difficulties, dyslexia, ADHD and more. We talk about the power of decodable books, routine, movement, emotional regulation and how sleep (yes, even for ADHD kids!) affects behaviour, learning and school success.
If you're a tired mum trying to hold it all together, this episode will make you feel seen, supported and a little less alone.
✨ What we cover:
• Neurodivergent kids & big feelings
• ADHD in children (and mums!)
• Dyslexia, reading struggles & learning confidence
• School refusal and emotional overwhelm
• Why sleep changes EVERYTHING
• Practical tools for calmer mornings & smoother bedtimes
• The truth about early learning and foundational skills
• How to support your child without burning yourself out
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:32 Emily's Journey: From Teacher to Business Owner
01:08 Understanding Learning Difficulties
01:42 The Importance of Decodable Books
02:22 Personal Experiences with ADHD
03:49 Challenges and Strategies for Neurodiverse Kids
10:28 Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling
11:45 The Critical Early Years of Education
15:46 Parenting Neurodiverse Children
22:07 Morning Routine and TV Rules
22:17 Understanding ADHD and Parenting Strategies
23:14 Reward Charts and Routine for ADHD Kids
24:33 Decodable Books for Learning
27:28 Healthy Eating and Sleep for ADHD
31:39 Tutoring and Educational Support
33:08 Summer Classes and Preventing Learning Loss
35:05 Final Thoughts and Contact Information
Learn more about Wise Owl Education and buy the Decodable Books here.

✨ Listen, learn and feel understood — you’re doing better than you think, mumma.
I would appreciate it greatly if you could please LIKE and FOLLOW this podcast and if you are not following me over on instagram, head over there for all of my top tips and advice around sleep and parenting @parentingcollective.au. I also offer a free 15 minute phone chat to run through all your questions CLICK here to book your FREE 15 minute chat
Much Love 💞
Donna Moala
Parenting Collective
SLEEP & PARENTING ESSENTIALS
🩷 For your daily walks, coffee's & travel
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE COZIGO
🩷 Favourite room darkening product
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE SLEEPY SUNDAYS
🩷 Favourite Goat's Milk Formula
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE LITTLE OAK FORMULA.
🩷 Favourite Rice Milk Formula
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ...