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Help crowdfund Dr. Sarah Mundy’s new Parenting Through Stories children’s book and parenting guide

14 April 2020
Parenting Through Stories children’s book and parenting guide © Sarah Mundy & Rachel Millson-Hill

Dr. Sarah Mundy, needs your help to reach the crowdfunding total for her new book ‘Please Stay Here – I Want You Near’ before 21st May 2020.

‘Please Stay Here – I want You Near’ is her first lift the flap children’s book for 2 – 4 year olds and an accompanying book for parents will be published alongside it. These are the first Parenting Through Stories books in the new Bartley’s Books series which aims to help children and parents through storytelling and the attachment relationship.

Few story books reflect the reality of life for very young children. Sarah’s books, however, capture the interest of children as well as providing a helpful book for parents explaining how to share stories with children when they are navigating the common but tricky developmental challenges of toddlerhood. Her books include how to use PACE, a light, curious, spontaneous way of communicating that engages and connects with children.

DDP Connects UK (CIC) is pleased to support Sarah, UK Clinical Psychologist and Practitioner in DDP, via the crowdfunding website and appreciates her hard work in producing these books. Written primarily for parents, they are also relevant to those supporting children and parents in the early years (such as pre-schools, nurseries, parenting services and primary schools).

If Sarah succeeds in her crowdfunding project she hopes to be able to publish the rest of the series. These are hard times financially for adults and hard times emotionally for children, especially very young children. Story telling can be one of the best ways for parents and caregivers to help them make sense of uncertain times.

This project will only be funded if at least £10,000 is pledged by 21st May 2020. Sarah never thought she would reach the necessary target by the deadline but she just might. As of 14 April 2020, £8,556 had been raised.

Please support if you can through the Crowdfunder Parenting Through Stories website.

Learn more about Sarah’s work and Bartley the bear at Parenting Through Stories. You can also check Bartley the bear out on Twitter (@Bartley_Bear), on Facebook (ParentingThroughStories), and on Instagram (Parenting_Through_Stories).

Here are some extracts from the crowdfunding website:

Mum and Bartley © Sarah Mundy & Rachel Millson-Hill“The first series of stories, Bartley’s Books, focus on a bear called Bartley as he navigates the challenges of growing up. He is helped both by his parents and a squirrel called Nudge (who can be found under the flaps). The stories mirror the PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy) approach. This focuses on deepening the attachment relationship and helps children understand and manage their feelings and behaviours, with the help of important adults.

Nudge provides a curious voice, asking children both about Bartley’s experiences, but also about their own, helping them learn to reflect upon their lives and learn that big feelings are manageable, as well as gain a better understanding of what is expected of them. In addition to helping children, Bartley’s Books provide parents with tools to talk to their children about tricky feelings, something which can be difficult.”

Betty Brouwer, DDPI Chair, reviewed these books on behalf of DDPI and was happy to write an endorsement. Betty wrote:

“High praise for Dr. Sarah Mundy’s Bartley the Bear lift-the-flap children’s books and parenting guidebook. This series is sure to delight young children and parents and caregivers alike.

Dr. Sarah Mundy along with illustrator Rachel Millson-Hill provide a delightful and creative platform for parents together with their children to name, explore and organize typical developmental experiences and feelings that children encounter. While this series is written for general parenting it is very applicable to parenting those children who have experienced trauma. The accompanying parenting handbook is easy to read, full of solid resources for parents who are engaged in the most humbling, exhausting, and enriching task – parenting and guiding a child into becoming an adult.

The children books are inviting, the images colourful, the characters relatable and along with the parenting guidebook the whole package makes for a fantastic series and invaluable resource. Woven throughout the stories and handbook is Dr. Daniel Hughes’ PACE (playful, accepting, curious, and empathic) attitude. As I like to say, “PACE is good for all but essential for some!”.

On 27 March 2020 Sarah posted on the crowdfunding website:

“Half way there – an update and HUGE THANK YOU!

Bartley Bear

I wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everyone for supporting Parenting Through Stories… It has been such an unusual time – full of uncertainty, fear and change. I can’t quite believe how we have managed to get so far in this campaign given how each of us will be feeling the pressure of COVID-19. Your generous support in providing time and money to get Parenting Through Stories off the ground is so appreciated. We started crowdfunding just before some of the social distancing measures came into place, and, to be honest, I had no idea how significant the virus was and the impact it would have on everyone’s lives. We had to cancel all planned events which we had organised to promote this project and I must admit I did doubt we would reach 10% of the target, let alone 50%!”