Dealing with emotions drives kids’ book

August 2022

Big emotions are tough to deal with - and when you are a toddler they can be even tougher and very bewildering, for both the tot and the parents.

The challenge of developing a children’s book that helps explain emotions and gives parents tools to help their youngsters deal with them has been taken up by Katie Rainham, a young mum and Te Tipu Whenua o Pā Harakeke (Flaxmere teen parent unit) student.

It’s her Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) project. The Lion Foundation YES programme is a national business experience competition in which high school students set up and run a business over the school year. It includes a number of challenges: product validation, sales and marketing, a business pitch, and an annual review, which are judged to find the regional finalists, which then go on to the nationals. The aim is to provide the students with skills to help them succeed in their career and in life.

Like many good ideas, the impetus for the book is her experience as a young mum coping with the highs and lows of parenting – particularly a tired and emotional toddler. Now 19, she was very young when she had Rory, now aged two-and-a-half. “I barely had my own emotions under control and Rory was going through his own normal emotional experiences, but when I went looking for information, I couldn’t find anything that would help me help him.”

The idea for the book was born and the research began. It has been quite a journey, says Katie.

“I joined YES to learn about business but I am learning so much more than that; the things that drive emotions and how and why they can grow suddenly into something huge. I’m really focused on ways to cope with that to help parents and kids learn practical techniques that are fun and work.”

A favourite example is ‘alligator breathing’. In a nutshell, it’s opening your arms wide, like

an alligator mouth, and snapping them shut, accompanied by a breathing pattern.” Part breath control, part distraction. Having put in the hard research years, she is now racing to get her book completed and a prototype ready to show potential customers and present at YES events. From there, she will take it to print.

For Katie, it’s all part of the big plan. It’s a big challenge to take on YES while juggling school work and parenting, but it will help her attain credits that will take her on to university where she plans to study law.