Local counsellor writes children’s book to help kids manage emotions

Shalyn Dussiaume-Good with her debut children’s book Mommy Says It’s Okay.

By Alex Hunt

As both a counsellor and a mother of two, Shalyn Dussiaume-Good of St. Marys knows how challenging it can be for children to regulate their emotions.

She hopes her new book will make that process a little easier for all.

Mommy Says It’s Ok will be available worldwide digitally on Amazon on March 1. Preorders are now available. The book is about children’s grounding techniques for stress and anxiety relief Dussiaume-Good wrote during her maternity leave last year.

“Kids don’t develop the ability to regulate their emotions on their own until they’re about nine years old,” said Dussiaume-Good. “This is a simple, child-friendly book that I hope can help parents and children work through emotional moments together.”

A mother of two boys, Dussiaume-Good is experienced using grounding techniques with her own children and helping other parents through her counselling practice apply the same strategies to help kids navigate their emotions.

“These grounding techniques originated with youths who have PTSD,” said Dussiaume-Good. “It helps to take the person away from the trigger at the moment and bring them back to the present moment.”

Dussiaume-Good said people who don’t have the finances or benefits for therapy can apply strategies from the book to help their child emotionally self-regulate.

“Parenting isn’t perfect and there’s always something to learn,” said Dussiaume-Good. “My son has ADHD; there aren’t many resources for kids, and most parenting books are really complex, let alone trying to teach parents how to use them with their children.”

Dussiaume-Good said it was important to make the book accessible to both parents and adults by simplifying techniques for all demographics to understand.

“I had a clear idea in my head of what I wanted each page to look like, but I can’t draw to save my life,” said Dussiaume-Good. “I connected with illustrator Ashley McKenzie, sent her my vision for each page and she brought it to life, which is really cool.”

The book will be available in print on April. 1. Dussiaume-Good said she has ideas for future books but wants to focus on the launch of her current project.