By Emily Kowal
Toddlers at a north shore childcare centre had their mouths taped shut by educators as part of a “breathing exercise”, prompting an investigation by the state’s regulatory authority.
Heritage House in Wahroonga has vowed the activity will never be repeated after it faced compliance action in January last year when disturbing photos emerged of toddlers with tape covering their mouths.
The incident came to light after a parent considering enrolling their child was given access to the centre’s app, which allows parents to view photo updates of their children throughout the day.
Heritage House, Wahroonga, was reported in January last year for running “yoga” sessions which involved children’s mouths being taped shut as part of a breathwork exercise.
She was horrified when she found a series of posts depicting toddlers with their mouths covered in masking tape, as part of a “baby yoga session”.
“My toddlers started with 30 seconds tape mouth, look at them now. It is amazing, amazing”, an educator posted in the centre’s app, alongside photos of children.
In another post, an educator described the activity as a “unique lesson”.
The centre was reported and had a compliance action taken against it.
“The children gathered for a unique lesson combining breathwork, gentle yoga, and the tape-mouth technique. Guided to focus on nasal breathing, they playfully mimicked animals in yoga poses, learning to breathe deeply and calmly through their noses, fostering early mindfulness.”
The parent, who works in the child protection sector and spoke to the Herald on the condition of anonymity to protect her employment, said she immediately submitted a complaint to the centre, withdrawing her child before he could start at the north shore service.
In recent years, “mouth taping” has become a popular social media trend, users taping their mouths shut to promote nose breathing to improve face structure.
However, an evaluation of 10 previously published studies suggests the fad of taping one’s mouth may have little benefit and could pose serious asphyxiation risks.
The childcare centre taped the toddler’s mouths shut as part of a breathwork exercise.
A NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority spokesperson condemned the centre’s actions.
“While no children were harmed in this incident, it was an inappropriate activity that should not have taken place in an early learning centre.
“Following a report from a parent, a thorough investigation was immediately conducted and a compliance action issued to the approved provider, which remains on their record.”
In a statement, Heritage House described the event as a “well-intentioned activity” led by an educator who is also a yoga instructor.
“It is well known that yoga is a popular and well-supported activity in early childhood education, and our educator is a much-loved member by many past and present children and their families.”
The centre said the activity was shared with parents on their internal portal and “received positive feedback”.
“But as soon as we became aware of one parent’s concern, we chose to self-report the matter for consideration by the Department of Education. We accept that the department issued a warning, and as a result we took steps to ensure that the activity was not repeated.
“We take our duty of care seriously and are proud of the care, trust and reputation we’ve built over many years with our families and communities.”
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