Monday, March 2, 2026

If you are parenting a child who bites, I want to tell you something directly.

It does not mean you are failing. It does not mean your child is aggressive. It does not mean something is wrong. Biting is often a signal. And signals are information. Toddlers and young children live in bodies that feel enormous emotions. Frustration. Overwhelm. Excitement. Possessiveness. Fatigue. Jealousy. Hunger. They experience all of it at full volume. What they do not yet have is the language to explain it. So the body speaks. Sometimes the body shouts. And sometimes the body bites. As adults, we see the action and react to the behavior. We correct. We apologize to the other parent. We feel embarrassed. We promise it will not happen again. We may even worry about what others think. But underneath the behavior is a child who does not yet know how to say, “I am overwhelmed.” Or, “I feel ignored.” Or, “I am so frustrated I do not know what to do with it.” Biting is often a fast reaction to a big internal storm. 

Continue reading “When Your Child Bites, It’s Not About Bad Behavior” →

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Sometimes, the smallest messages are the ones we need the most.   

Not the big ones. Not the loud ones. Just a quiet reminder, tucked into a moment, that we matter.I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately while working on a small card from the world of Everkind. It’s simple. A fairy, a strawberry, and a few gentle words.

But that’s the point.

In Everkind, the magic isn’t in grand gestures. It’s in the small things. A kind word. A soft moment. A reminder that even when feelings are big, we are still held in something gentle. That’s what I hope these stories, and these little notes, can do.

Offer something small that feels a little bigger when you need it. Kindness is courage whispered gently through the heart.

Thursday, February 12, 2026

When we think about helping children learn to read, we often think about phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension. Those things matter. But there is another skill developing at the same time, one that shapes how children understand themselves and others.

That skill is emotional intelligence.

That is powerful. Reading aloud creates a special kind of conversation. When a child pauses to ask why a character acted

a certain way, they are practicing empathy. When they notice kindness, they are learning to value it. When they see a problem resolved through patience or understanding, they begin to imagine those possibilities in their own lives.

Continue reading “Why Emotional Intelligence Matters in Early Readers” →

Monday, February 16, 2026

I wanted to share a quick story about my best friend’s grandson. He has become my unofficial “Junior Editor” lately, and I am honestly addicted to his opinion on stories.

For the price of ten dollars and a couple of cookies, he gives me an hour or so of his time to look over whatever I am working on. It is hilarious and eye-opening how much he sees that I completely miss. He will point out if a drawing feels a bit off, if a certain part of a story feels too repetitive, or if the flow is not quite right.

Continue reading “My Favorite “Junior Editor” is Seven Years Old (and works for cookies)” →

Friday, February 20, 2026

Somewhere along the way, childhood got very busy. Children today move from school to activities to screens to schedules with barely a pause to breathe. Even story time can feel rushed, squeezed between everything else

that demands attention. Yet the quiet moments, the ones filled with warmth, wonder, and imagination, are often the moments children remember most. Gentle stories create those moments. They do not compete with noise. They soften it. A calm, imaginative story allows a child’s nervous system to settle. Their shoulders drop. Their breathing slows. Their minds open instead of racing. In that peaceful space, something important happens. They begin to feel safe enough to wonder, to empathize, to imagine, and to connect. This is why bedtime stories have endured across generations. Not because they entertain, but because they nurture.

When a child hears a story filled with kindness, friendship, and emotional understanding, they quietly practice those feelings themselves. They learn what comfort sounds like. They learn what compassion feels like. They learn that mistakes can be repaired, fears can be soothed, and even big emotions can be held gently. Stories become rehearsal for life. In a world that often rewards speed, volume, and spectacle, there is something almost rebellious about choosing softness. Choosing warmth. Choosing imagination that does not overwhelm but invites.

Fairy tales and nature-filled stories are especially powerful because they step outside everyday pressures. A dragon who worries, a fairy who learns, a talking animal who needs a friend: these characters allow children to explore feelings at a safe distance. They can think about bravery without being afraid, kindness without being judged, and belonging without pressure. And just as importantly, these stories create a connection between the reader and the listener.

Continue reading “Why Gentle Stories Still Matter in a Loud World” →

Sunday, February 8, 2026

It’s All About Connection

There is a unique kind of stillness that happens when a child climbs into your lap or curls up beside you to read a story. The world outside slows down, the glow of screens is replaced by the turn of a page, and for a few precious moments, you are both inhabitants of the same imaginary world.

I wrote Little Renee of Sunshine and the Everkind Tales because I wanted to capture that stillness. But more than that, I wanted to create a tool that turns “storytime” into “connection time.”

Continue reading “The Heart-Centered Approach” →