Wine with Wita is Australia's leading podcast for parents navigating life with children with communication difficulties, disabilities and additional support needs.
Hosted by Rita Shamoun, speech pathologist and founder of RS Speech Pathology, each episode brings together expert advice, lived experiences and real family stories.
With warmth, honesty and connection, Wine with Wita helps families feel informed, empowered and less alone.
So SIP back, relax and enjoy the show!
Mouth Breathing in Children: The Red Flags Parents Miss
👉 Want to understand how connection drives your child's communication? Join the waitlist → https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/connection-waitlist (https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/connection-waitlist)
Mouth breathing in children is one of the most missed signs in paediatrics, and most parents have no idea what they're looking at. In this episode Rita is joined by Dan Jones, founder of GOAT (Greatest Of All Tapes), who spent 15 years breathing through his mouth after martial arts left him with a broken nose and a deviated septum.
Dan woke up every morning with a dry mouth and cracked lips. He woke two or three times a night just to drink water. He looked into surgery, found it expensive and unreliable, and assumed that was that. Then he tried a nasal strip from the chemist and slept with his mouth closed for the first time in 15 years.
As a speech pathologist and orofacial myologist, Rita hears Dan describe his childhood and recognises every symptom. Crowded teeth. An underdeveloped jaw. A high palate. A tongue tie nobody mentioned. All of it noticed by nobody, because at the time the only conversation on offer was braces.
This one is for any parent who has wondered whether their child's snoring matters, whether eight hours of sleep is actually good sleep, or why their child wakes up tired no matter what time they go to bed.
In this episode, we cover:
• What mouth breathing in children actually looks like, and why it's so easy to miss
• Snoring, bedwetting and teeth grinding as red flags, not habits
• Why eight hours in bed isn't the same as eight hours of good sleep
• What orofacial myology is and where your tongue is meant to sit
• Tongue tie, tongue exercises and what happens when a release isn't followed up
• Why soft modern food means kids' jaws aren't developing properly
• What the research says about sleep-disordered breathing and children's behaviour
• Why both Rita and Dan say never to mouth tape a child
• How to check your child's airway, and who to see first
• Why Rita trained as an orofacial myologist after a dentist told her she should already know
• Behaviour is communication, and what snoring might be telling you
• What it costs to fix airway problems as an adult, and why early intervention is cheaper
• Why "wait and see" is the wrong answer to speech delay
Connect with Dan:
Website → https://thegoatco.au/ (https://thegoatco.au/) - use code word WITA15 for 15% off your order
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/thegoatco_/ (https://www.instagram.com/thegoatco_/)
Connect with Rita:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winewithwitapodcast/ (https://www.instagram.com/winewithwitapodcast/)
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WineWithWitapodcast (https://www.youtube.com/@WineWithWitapodcast)
Website: https://www.rsspeechpathology.com.au/ (https://www.rsspeechpathology.com.au/)
Connection Creates Communication waitlist: https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/connection-waitlist (https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/connection-waitlist)
Wita's Weekly Wecap (newsletter): https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/09e84e6753 (https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/09e84e6753)
If this one landed, follow the show so you don't miss the next episode.
Wine with Wita is Australia's leading podcast for parents navigating life with children with communication difficulties, disabilities and additional support needs. Hosted by Rita Shamoun, speech pathologist and founder of RS Speech Pathology.
New episodes every Friday.
This episode is general information only and is not medical advice. Always speak to your GP, ENT or speech pathologist about your own child.
22 Oct 2026
Mum Burnout Isn't Normal | Dr Hilary Claire
Want more ways to connect with your child? Join the Connection Creates Communication waitlist → https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/connection-waitlist (https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/connection-waitlist)
Mum burnout is common, but it isn't normal. Clinical psychologist Dr Hilary Claire is a holistic parenting mentor, author, host of the Wild and Well podcast and mum of two. She thought she'd breeze through motherhood. Instead it hit her hard.
Rita and Hilary talk about what burnout really looks like, from mum rage and brain fog to feeling wired but tired. Hilary explains why so many mums end up depleted: too little sleep, low nutrients, poor gut health and living in emergency mode. She shares small, doable steps to recover from burnout, plus the simple nervous system reset she uses herself.
Then they turn to picky eaters. Hilary explains why a toddler won't eat certain foods, from zinc levels and oral motor skills to primitive reflexes and gut health. She also explains why your own calm at the table matters more than you'd think.
In this episode, we discuss:
What mum burnout looks like, from anxiety and mum rage to brain fog
Why the belief that mums can do it all keeps us depleted
How poor sleep, low nutrients and constant stress drive burnout
Why me time isn't staying up late after the kids are asleep
How to recover from burnout by starting with one doable step
Why scrolling your phone isn't a real break for your nervous system
Stress relief for mums: micro pauses and stepping outside
Gut health, bone broth and why stress stops you absorbing nutrients
A quick nervous system reset for when everything feels urgent
Self care for busy mums and asking what the vibrant version of you would choose
Why a picky eater toddler might be low in zinc or have retained reflexes
How your calm at mealtimes helps picky eaters and emotional regulation
Mentioned in this episode:
Dr Hilary's Picky Eating Guide: https://www.drhilaryclaire.com/offers/AU5Sf56A (https://www.drhilaryclaire.com/offers/AU5Sf56A)
Dr Hilary's books: https://www.drhilaryclaire.com/books (https://www.drhilaryclaire.com/books)
Wild and Well podcast: https://www.drhilaryclaire.com/podcast (https://www.drhilaryclaire.com/podcast)
Connect with Hilary:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drhilaryclaire/ (https://www.instagram.com/drhilaryclaire/)
Website: https://www.drhilaryclaire.com (https://www.drhilaryclaire.com)
Connect with Rita:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winewithwitapodcast/ (https://www.instagram.com/winewithwitapodcast/)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WineWithWitapodcast (https://www.youtube.com/@WineWithWitapodcast)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2igo4o3aDACW150Al0aLr1 (https://open.spotify.com/show/2igo4o3aDACW150Al0aLr1)
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/wine-with-wita-speech-pathology-parenting-support/id1743156009 (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/wine-with-wita-speech-pathology-parenting-support/id1743156009)
Website: https://www.rsspeechpathology.com.au/ (https://www.rsspeechpathology.com.au/)
Connection Creates Communication waitlist: https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/connection-waitlist (https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/connection-waitlist)
Wita's Weekly Wecap (newsletter): https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/09e84e6753 (https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/09e84e6753)
Wine with Wita is Australia's leading podcast for parents navigating life with children with communication difficulties, disabilities and additional support needs. Hosted by Rita Shamoun, speech pathologist and founder of RS Speech Pathology.
Follow so you never miss an episode. New episodes every Friday.
Ad details:
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/iros-young/a-perfect-day License code: HNK2Y5KYSFI2JFGE
The purpose of this podcast is to provide information. You must not rely on the information on this podcast as an alternative to speech and language therapy. You must always consult with a Speech Pathologist, GP and/or paediatrician if you have any concerns about your child's communication and/development
15 Oct 2026
I Thought He Was Swearing At Me | A Speech Pathologist on Understanding Your Child
Get Rita's free speech pathology guide for parents: https://www.rsspeechpathology.com.au/free-training
During a therapy session, a client looked up at Rita and said, “Rita, you’re an A.”
Her mind went straight to the swear word.
She kept playing. Then the dinosaurs clashed, he got frustrated, stood up and called her an F. Now she’s doing the clinician maths. Where did he learn this? Who said it to him? What else is in his vocabulary? How do I raise this with his mum?
In this solo episode Rita shares the moment that completely changed how she follows a child’s lead. Fifteen years in and her clients still teach her something new every week.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why following a child’s lead means more than using their favourite toys
What happened when a client called Rita an A and an F
Why your interpretation of a child’s words is filtered through your world
Getting curious before you correct a behaviour
Why parents hold context clinicians don’t have
How a special interest became a vocabulary building tool
Using a child’s own language back to them
Why rapport isn’t the warm-up, it is the therapy
What 15 years as a speech pathologist keeps teaching her
Why there is no script in paediatric speech therapy
Connection as the mechanism behind child development and communication skills
What this story means for understanding your child at home
Connect with Rita:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winewithwitapodcast/ (https://www.instagram.com/winewithwitapodcast/)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WineWithWitapodcast (https://www.youtube.com/@WineWithWitapodcast)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2igo4o3aDACW150Al0aLr1 (https://open.spotify.com/show/2igo4o3aDACW150Al0aLr1)
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/wine-with-wita-speech-pathology-parenting-support/id1743156009 (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/wine-with-wita-speech-pathology-parenting-support/id1743156009)
Website: https://www.rsspeechpathology.com.au/ (https://www.rsspeechpathology.com.au/)
Connection Creates Communication waitlist: https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/connection-waitlist (https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/connection-waitlist)
Wita’s Weekly Wecap (newsletter): https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/09e84e6753 (https://wine-with-wita.kit.com/09e84e6753)
Wine with Wita is Australia’s leading podcast for parents navigating life with children with communication difficulties, disabilities and additional support needs. Hosted by Rita Shamoun, speech pathologist and founder of RS Speech Pathology.
New episodes every Friday.
Ad details:
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/iros-young/a-perfect-day License code: HNK2Y5KYSFI2JFGE
The purpose of this podcast is to provide information. You must not rely on the information on this podcast as an alternative to speech and language therapy. You must always consult with a Speech Pathologist, GP and/or paediatrician if you have any concerns about your child's communication and/development
Who has been a guest on Wine with Wita
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Junior Fa
Megan Jessop
Nicola Laye
Ben
Nicky
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
8,225
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
37 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 64 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
81
Social presence
0
YouTube
68
Engagement
51
Contact Wine with Wita
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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