Her Son Got Meningococcal. Did It Change Her Mind About Vaccines?

Send us Fan Mail No Jab, No Pay/Play, Homeschooling Choices & Kids’ Health: A Conversation with Tina's sister, Trish We start with Australia’s “No Jab, No Pay” and “No Jab, No Play” policies and what they actually meant for families who chose not to follow the childhood vaccination schedule. Tina and Trish share what it was like losing government benefits, navigating childcare and kindy rules, and making choices that weren’t always popular or understood. From there, we get into COVID, mandates and the judgement that came with questioning the mainstream narrative. Trish talks about being pregnant in 2023, why her trust in the medical system had changed, and the pressure she felt around prenatal care, testing and vaccination. Then we get into a pretty full-on experience with her son Xander, who contracted meningococcal at 18 months old. Trish shares what happened in hospital, the conversations around antibiotics and vaccination, and why the experience ultimately reinforced some of the decisions she had already made for her family. But this episode isn’t just about vaccines. We talk homeschooling, traditional schooling, nature-based learning, the whole “but what about socialisation?” argument, ADHD in the classroom, food and behaviour, processed diets, medication, and the reality that there isn’t one right way to raise a child. As always, we don’t all have to agree. It’s a conversation about asking questions, trusting yourself as a parent, respecting that other families may make completely different choices, and being able to talk about the messy stuff without tearing each other apart. 00:00 New Studio Setup 00:24 Meet the Guest Sister 00:52 No Jab No Pay Explained 02:21 Mandates and COVID Foreshadowing 03:03 Trish’s Pregnancy After COVID 05:22 How the Childhood Vaccine Schedule Has Changed 06:13 Chickenpox and Combination Vaccines 07:41 Vaccine Reactions and Feeling Judged 09:04 Xander’s Meningococcal Hospital Experience 14:11 When the Kindy Rules Don’t Make Sense 16:37 Protests and Class Action Talk 20:13 Money, Choice and Education 22:39 Homeschooling vs School 23:25 The Homeschooling Socialisation Myth 24:07 Choosing the Right School 25:58 Why Families Choose Homeschooling 28:26 Learning Through Nature 29:17 ADHD and the Classroom 31:01 Food, Behaviour and Kids 36:00 Parenting Without Judgement 41:08 A Grandparent and Family Story 44:00 Wrapping Up and What’s Next Support the show Laughing with us? Learning with us? You can support the show. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2490371/support Catch Tina in the OmMade Wellness Hub for all things natural skincare, herbal teas and natural health.  https://www.instagram.com/ommadewellnesshub/ See what Lauren is up to at Eco Play Therapy https://www.instagram.com/ecoplaytherapy/ Let Cassie Concierge your life at Soluna Concierge.  https://www.instagram.com/soluna_concierge/