Waukesha author's book teaches kids value of mindfulness
Book helps kids understand emotions
It’s hard nowadays for parents to get their kids to slow down and be present, but a Waukesha author thinks she might have cracked the code to helping kids understand their emotions.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - It’s hard nowadays for parents to get their kids to slow down and be present, but a Waukesha author thinks she might have cracked the code to helping kids understand their emotions.
'Mindful Mabel Learns Kindness'
The backstory:
Waukesha author Amy Sazama wrote "Mindful Mabel Learns Kindness." The book hits shelves in October, and the story shares the value of mindfulness.
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"Just letting yourself feel whatever you’re feeling. Just being aware of it and not judging it. Which really is what mindfulness is too – just slowing down and noticing whatever you are feeling and just not judging whatever it is," Amy Sazama said.
Penelope Sazama's friends don't believe the main character in a new children's book is modeled after her.
FOX6's Bret Lemoine talks to Amy and Penelope Sazama
"I saw myself on the page, and I’m literally like, ‘This is me!’" the 7-year-old said.
This is Amy Sazama’s second book. Her first was a memoir published two years ago called "Fleetwood Dreams." In it, Sazama detailed the pain and trauma of losing her mother at a young age, the death of her close aunt and the 2007 murder of her twin brother in Milwaukee.
"I wanted to share my story and help people feel less alone," Amy Sazama said.
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What you can do:
Meditation, yoga and being present in every moment helped Sazama in her grief journey. Her daughter uses some of the same techniques to help process her anxiety just like Mabel does in the book.
"If you are mindful enough to recognize your own feelings, then you can actually slow down to recognize other people’s feelings and choose kindness instead of just being reactive," Amy Sazama said.
What's next:
"Mindful Mabel" hits bookstores next month. On Oct. 17, a book signing and launch party is planned at the Waukesha Public Library, complete with mindfulness crafts and kids yoga.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Bret Lemoine and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: FOX6 News interviewed Amy Sazama.