I’m back – with something to show you

In another life, I think I might have been able to be a poet or a songwriter. That’s not exactly a practical career for a single parent, but what I'm good at is writing rhyming stories for children that help them make sense of this increasingly overwhelming world.

So that’s what I’m doing.

A wee bit of nostalgia first

I’m Gen X, and I’m so glad about it.

If a friend had one of the earliest computers when we were growing up, they were basically a celebrity. I got a little handheld Donkey Kong game one Christmas and thought all my dreams had come true. My sister got two-player Space Invaders. We were easily pleased, and we were happy.

Now, children are bombarded with screens from the moment they wake up. How their developing brains keep up, I really don’t know. And into the bargain, their parents are exhausted, overstretched, and distracted – which filters down to little ones, whether we mean it to or not.

When I was wee, one wage kept a modest home, two cars, and my mum was there – baking, making jam, doing ordinary things that made home feel safe and settled. I’m not saying today’s parents are doing a bad job. Anything but. However, I honestly don’t know how they’re managing either, and I think everyone could do with a bit of help navigating everything right now.

The Calm Collection

Something I’ve been quietly working on for a while now is a series of small, rhyming picture books called The Calm Collection, written for young children who are struggling with big feelings.

The first one, The Boy in the Bubble, has just been released. It’s the story of a little boy with big worries, and an imaginary journey that helps him feel a bit better. At the heart of it is something I come back to myself, again and again: getting outside, and noticing things – something we all used to do so much more of.

The ebb and flow of the waves. A sandpiper poking around on wet sand. A heron gliding low over the water. A buzzard in a tall tree, waiting to swoop. The feeling of looking up at the sky and exhaling. There’s something about the Scottish coast (where I live) that makes being outdoors magical. I’m biased, obviously, but it really is a special place.

Each book in The Calm Collection will be purposely small, designed for little hands, and set here. There are some gentle activities at the back of each one, taken from proven approaches that actually help.

My own son struggled with anxiety around the age of six or seven. At CAHMS (yes, it was a miracle he was seen), he was given a book called What to Do When You Worry Too Much, and he used the exercises in it for years. That stayed with me, and it’s inspired how I’m putting this series together.

If you’re a parent looking for something to open up a conversation, or a grandparent after a gift with a bit more to it, I hope you’ll take a look. If you’re a teacher or librarian, the book will sit naturally in wellbeing sessions and would be a lovely fit for Scottish Month, as well as an addition to topics on Scottish wildlife, coastal habitats, and ocean life. 

There’s also a mailing list — sign up, and I’ll send you a more detailed activity pack, plus a regular newsletter with tips and ideas to help your children find a bit more calm. 

A special new talent

The Boy in the Bubble has been illustrated by Callum Penman,  a friend of my son, the same son who struggled with anxiety as a small boy, which feels rather fitting. I’ve known Callum since he was four years old, and he’s now at art school.

What he’s brought to the illustrations is a real feeling for what the words are trying to do. It takes something quite special to step inside someone else’s vision and make it real — and he did it at the tender age of nineteen, which makes me really proud.

This book is set in Troon, where we both live. It's our first collaboration, and we hope you love it.

The next book in the collection will be titled The Girl Who Flew — more on that soon.

In the meantime, The Boy in the Bubble is on Amazon here. And if you’d like to find out about bringing it into school, or getting an activity set, just get in touch via my contact page or by signing up to my mailing list.

It’s good to be back.