As a parent I reveled in the wonder of my children’s early years. A time of exploration, imaginative play and learning, all happening within the secure umbrella of quality time and my unconditional love for them. They each radiated their own unique personas with a glint in their eyes and the knowledge of love in their sails. By the time they were to begin their next stage of education they were joyful, kind, curious and confident kids.
Watching them navigate through the school-yard social emotional landscape, I struggled to witness the impact the terrain had on my children. The path was at times so rocky it was impossible not to stumble and fall. I would soon discover that’s where important learning would happen! Where growth and resilience bloomed, with the right tools and support.
My youngest when still in the very early years described school as feeling ‘grey’. Sometimes I feared that our home with its safe haven of love wasn’t enough to balance out the trials they faced outside of it. Worried they couldn’t feel it enough through the emotional tides. But every graze and bump brought opportunities to keep learning about themselves, about others and about how they wanted to engage in the world. I also learnt that the knowledge of my love was a lighthouse for them through the storms.
During those primary school years I did a lot of story telling to help my girls think through the situations to attempt to fill their ever growing tool belt with love, compassion, empathy, social justice, inclusivity, courage, resilience, and strength of character.
Through the trials, learning it is okay to have bad days and that all feelings and emotions are valid. The work was in finding ways to express them in ways that were healthy. Through sharing and listening and understanding we were gaining knowledge of how to work through the emotional rollercoaster of life.
During one of these times when my eldest daughter was going through a difficult time she asked for the story of Little Grey Grub. It was a story I had made up about 2 years earlier, but the message had helped her and she wanted to hear it again. I attempted to retell it, with a few reminders of how it went from my daughter. Afterwards she told me she loved that story and that I needed to turn it into a book. Food for thought!!! The wisdom of children. Before I knew it, I was working on ‘Little Grey Grub’. Merging my love of drawing with my love of writing to address social/emotional issues, resulting in Sooz Bluz Creations and the publication of my first book.
Susie Sotiropoulos 