Ollie and his Super Powers - What a Difference !! The Difference ?

Parent Workshop

I was invited to do a parent workshop in a school in London.  On the actual day of the workshop I was riddled with cold and not feeling it!  But I went, arriving late due to traffic, and still feeling pretty ill.

Initially the parents in the room didn't warm to me.  Was this because of my continual sniffing or was it because of my mood? I don't know.    But I carried on - probably being a bit more 'real' about the actual impact emotional well-being is having on the individual, the family and those around them and how children will keep pushing your boundaries to see how much you love them.  But we all know, kids need boundaries to help them feel safe, protected and loved. 

When I finished my part I was swamped with questions about what next? How could they get into the school? How could they learn more? With many of the parents buying the Ollie Books.

Ollie and his Super Powers review   

I made it through the morning and then the rest of the day with my cold.  Not really able to think much about if I had done a good enough job in explaining the Ollie Model then this came through from one of the parents who had bought the books:  

I hope you have a couple of minutes to read a story. May get long, but bear with me. Maybe get a cuppa to drink while you read?
My daughter moved to St. Joseph’s after she was mercilessly bullied and the previous school did nothing. This left her with unimaginable resilience but also crippling shyness. 
Last week she had a banding test for a school. It’s not our first choice of school and it’s only a banding test so you can’t fail it and we don’t really mind anyway as we’d rather another school. Regardless, my daughter was terrified. On our way there, and as we got closer, she started to tremble. When we were across the road she started to cry. As they opened the doors, she was sobbing and making weird noises like she was being tortured. The teachers there were very helpful and kind and accompanied her as she went in and did her best. 
Fast forward a week to yesterday. 
On our way to another school and another test she explained that she was a bit nervous. Not too bad. We got to the door. She’s fine. They let the kids go in and she smiles back and waved at me. See you later! And off she trots.

What a difference!! The difference?

She read Ollie and his Super Powers.

I asked her how it went, and she said that when they were led into the exam room she could feel getting all worked up, so she “took out little calm, made him bigger and sat him down on a spare chair next to her”. And so she was absolutely fine.

What a difference!! The difference?

So, thank you from me and from her and probably from every teacher that won’t have to deal with a sobbing child in the future. 
What a difference a person, a book and an opportunity makes. Thanks