“Riley’s Really Big Worries” is Dr. Donna Housman’s fourth book for her book series The ECSELent Adventures of Hemmy and Shemmy, with a focus on dealing with worry, anxiety, fear, and illness. “Riley’s Really BIG Worries” is awarded Creative Child Magazine’s 2024 Book of the Year in the category of “Kids Story Books on Handling Worries.”
Children often talk about germs and illness and how anxious they feel about them. However, there are many other things that little ones could feel worried and anxious about. Dive into this new book with children to learn about how we can deal with all sorts of things that make us anxious!
Feelings, like anxiety, can feel overwhelming for children. Kids need to talk and brainstorm strategies for dealing with big emotions before they happen. Reading this book before big anxiety-filled events, such as first day of school, a performance or meeting someone new, can help kids think of an action plan, practice, and build confidence!
Parents and educators alike can see examples of how to use tested techniques and strategies to help develop emotional regulation strategies with children.
One of the charms of the ECSELent Adventures book series is the relatable situations and characters. Fall in love, laugh, and befriend the cuddly characters. Children will love pointing out the characters and scenes that resonate most with them as they reread this story, over and over.
Psychologist – Early Childhood Education
Dr. Donna Housman has spent her professional career in the world of early childhood development and education. Believing that it is far easier to prevent than repair, Dr. Housman founded Housman Institute, along with its lab school and early childhood development center, based on emotional foundations of learning and cognition and informed by research in neuroscience, child development, and early education. Seizing the opportunity to inform the architecture of the brain in the earliest years, her Emotional, Cognitive, and Social Early Learning (ECSEL) approach promotes healthy brain development and a positive sense of self by fostering the building blocks of emotional intelligence starting from birth.
Dr. Housman has trained thousands of early childhood educators, children, and families in her ECSEL approach while being a consistent source of vital counsel and guidance for families and educators on young children’s social and emotional development.
