Author's books helps children

Struggling to understand your child's angry out bursts. A new book by Yorkshire psychologist and author Andrea Chatten could help, Catherine Scot reports

Struggling to understand your child’s angry out bursts. A new book by Yorkshire psychologist and author Andrea Chatten could help.

Andrea, is currently developing a series of fiction novels featuring helpful characters called ‘The Blinks’ for children. Each book in the series is designed to help them understand how to handle different challenging emotional states.

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“As an Emotional and Behavioural Psychologist, I am keenly aware that a lot of children- and adults- don’t always have clarity on the negative emotions they are feeling, or what to do with those feelings in order to help,” says Andrea.

“These books help children and their families gain a sound understanding to name and claim feelings. In my books, The Blinks offer useful things to try so that negative emotions don’t become a problem, and children begin to manage feelings more positively.”

Andrea’s first book on worry, released in June, featured Amanda who was beginning to lose her happy childhood due to constant worrying. The book provides insight into the normality of worrying for children but The Blinks also have plenty of solutions, if children feel that worrying is having a negative effect on their happiness, too.

“The reviews on Amazon have been amazing, I feel genuinely delighted that The Blinks have been so well received,” says Andrea from from Millhouses.

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Book two on anger follows Robbie at one of the worst times of his life, and shows how the wrong choices he makes at difficult times, contribute further to his angry explosions.

The books are illustrated by Amanda’s friend, Sheffield-based artist Rachel Pesterfield.

“I cried when I finished this book. It reminded me of so many of the wonderful kids I have had the privilege of working with over the years who- just like Robbie- thought they were bad kids because they did bad things when they were angry. Not one of the children and young people I have worked with has been bad, and it is so fulfilling to help them understand that. This book aims to take the badness out of anger and help put children in charge of this very intense feeling.”

Andrea who founded her consultancy Unravel, last year with support from Hallam University’s enterprise team, aims to have the first six book series completed by the end of 2017. “Self-esteem is next, but my literary imagination has only just started so who knows.”

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Each book also comes with a reference manual for parents, carers and teachers.

“My aim is to help parents learn some of the most important parts of parenting, promoting positive psychological well-being in our kids being one of them.”

The Blinks are available from Oodlebooks.com in paperback and to download on Kindle at amazon.com.

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