BEING ME (AND LOVING IT)
My first book, The Parent’s Toolkit, was all about tools and strategies for parents to help their children navigate life and help them with any problems that they had.
My second – co-written with Julia Hague – is something not too dissimilar and I would go as far as saying it complementing the first. Being Me (And Loving it) is a collection of 29 real life and relatable stories that can be used as part of the PSHE programme in schools or used by parents with their children at home.
It is a unique and unusual book that has been written to help build self-esteem, body confidence and resilience in children aged 5-11. It also helps children with friendship issues, social media understanding, peer pressure, puberty and body image.
Story Telling with purpose and hidden lessons to learn from
Each story focuses on one prevalent issue that children face and has a host of activities (over 100) and discussion points that parents can use with their child. When used by educators, youth workers, school counsellors, pastoral care teams and those delivering PSHE lessons there is guidance on how to introduce each topic and story, learning outcomes as well as pre and post-lesson exercises. It can be used with one child or the whole class.
‘A treasure trove of stories for opening up discussions with 5 to 11 year olds about a wide range of issues which may be troubling them. These accessibly short stories about kids “just like me” are a great resource for teachers and parents alike and are enhanced by guidance notes and questions for exploration for supporting adults. I’ll be keeping my copy close to hand and sharing it widely.’
– Endorsement by Dr Pooky Knightsmith, Child & Adolescent Mental health Specialist and Advisor to the PSHE Association
Where can I get ‘Being Me (And Loving It)’?
Media Coverage of the book
- Netmums
- N14Kids.com
‘being me and loving it’ Reviews
“This book is brilliant, plain and simple! If you have children, you will NOT regret the purchase of this book. I have found so many helpful stories/activities, that I have marked when I was reading it for the first time. There have been a couple stories that are incredibly helpful for my 11y old daughter, and even one or two for my 16y son who is ADHD/mildly autistic. This book is beautifully written and the activities are engaging & fun.”
Tina, via Amazon.
“Being Me (And Loving It) is one of those books we all wish we had access to before you become a parent or a teacher. It is well thought out and written, tackling those awkward questions and dreaded scenarios you stumble across when bringing up or working with children. Definitely a worthwhile resource for parents and primary school teachers alike to support children’s development of critical thinking and building self-esteem.”
Lorna Jackson MA., BA (Hons), CPOD, AASW, CQSW Professional Advisor Safeguarding in Education.
“I feel that this is an excellent book – a wonderful tool for teaching staff, which could also be used in Brownies/Cubs groups and by other competent adults working with children. I do not see is so much as a book for parents, but can see it as useful to them. Each of the stories is carefully devised to cover a key topic and the writers have made it clear what ages it can best be used with.. As a PSHE tool for schools, each story is presented as a standalone lesson plan, with an introduction, learning objective, guidance pre- and post-story activities.
I thoroughly recommend the book.”
Tanya, Goodreads
