I’ve been asked, “Why children’s books?” And, often I reply, “Why not children’s books.” This response comes not from a defensive or sarcastic stance, but from a place of concern, especially considering the content of the books I write about. If I weren’t writing children’s books I would be writing self-help books. My children’s books serves that desire to help, to offer advice and support. I write these books because they are the books I wish I had access to when I was a child. I wanted to know so much about life, myself, and especially about relationships with others. In my family healthy relating was not modeled. I wasn’t able to see myself or understand certain things like emotions or why people acted the way they did toward each other. No one shared these things with me so I had to figure them out on my own. So, my childhood was about observing the chaos around me and making conclusions about what was happening in my own young, frightened, and terrified mind.

Then I respond saying, “I write children books because I love it!” I get to teach the children as well as the adults in relationship with them. I get to start conversations around the children’s thoughts and feelings, real experiences, unmet and met needs, fears, concerns, and the areas that are going well and those that are not. My heart is happy creating my children’s books because I know the messages are important for the children and their loved ones. As a result, I’m hoping that some important skills can be learned as they grow and become adults.

As an MFT I hear stories about parent not knowing how to be parents, especially around encouragement and building confidence and self-esteem and relationships with others. Children are waiting to be taught how to do the relationship dance. I believe children should be taught early on about feelings and how to express them, and how to listen and understand the feelings of others and understand their perceptions of those feelings. Kids need positive modeling. It’s my experience that parents are too busy and some of them just don’t know how to teach their children about healthy living and relating.
My children’s books focus on the crucial things in life; relationships and how those relationships affect our emotional well-being. Also they give children and the adults in their lives new ways to look at issues and situations, and even how to deal with a relational problem. They help children feel good about themselves as they encourage confidence and build self-esteem.

Each book comes with a set of questions in the back to support learning and help kids share their experience with the story and their personal experiences with issues brought forth by the story. I’ve received wonderful feedback from parents and teachers about these questions. One parent shared that when she and her family went on vacation, they had some down time so they read one of the books and then started asking and answering the questions. They were impressed that her six year-old was so wise-that he was able to give so much information about the story and the topics asked about. It was an eye opener for her. Another parent, who is also a teacher, shared that she put a worksheet together for one of the books and it was a great learning tool, because the kids had the opportunity to write about all their talents and what they do and like to do. It was very validating for the first graders. This was my intention writing the books, so adults can engage with the children and elicit from them, allowing the children’s wisdom and sense of self shine through.

I have many more books to publish. Most of them are on my computer, waiting in line to be illustrated and then printed. My commitment is to publish all of them. Energy is now flowing toward my sixth children’s book. This is exciting! The developing process is just as beautiful and fulfilling as the final print copy. This is why I write children books.

Go and do what brings you satisfaction!

My best to you,
Dianna