What is Grow with me Poetry About?

​Grow with Me Poetry uses poetry as a means of introducing children and early teens to the practice of mindfulness. In Grow with Me Poetry, you will find both a primer on mindfulness and basic meditation techniques, as well as a guide to incorporating that practice into your daily life. Through unique interactive exercises and discussion prompts, adults and children alike will have the opportunity to engage, to converse, to learn about each other, and ultimately, to grow. This book is sure to become a treasured keepsake on any family’s bookshelf!

Praise for Grow with Me Poetry

“What a beautiful introduction to mindfulness and creativity for caregivers and children to cultivate together!”
-- Dr. Christopher Willard, faculty at Harvard Medical School and author of Alphabreaths

“Among the many wonderful mindfulness books for children, Grow with Me Poetry is a rare gem! Whimsical poems employ humor and rhyme to encourage children to develop self-awareness, understand their feelings, and appreciate the beauty in the world around them. Thoughtful questions and activities and enticements for journaling and drawing will help both novice and expert introduce mindfulness to children as a way of life. As someone who grew up reading and writing poetry as a part of family activities, I personally loved Fowler’s focus on facilitating the relationship and connection between older and younger generations through poetry. This unique collection will be treasured by parents, caregivers, teachers, therapists, and all the children in their lives.” 
-- Vivian Sisskin, Clinical Professor, Dept. of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland 

“Grow with Me Poetry is an ingenious pairing of the lilting rhythm of rhyme with the practice of mindfulness. Research has evidenced the far-reaching impact of mindfulness for social and emotional wellbeing. When well taught and regularly practiced, mindfulness has been shown to help improve mood, self-esteem, self-regulation, and behavior. What better way to teach mindfulness than through the art of poetry! The poems generate curiosity, while encouraging open mindedness, gratitude, and appreciation. Learning and practicing mindfulness throughout the book serves to enhance the appreciation of poetry, and the developing love of the poems will encourage the mastering of mindfulness. A ‘win-win’ for sure.”
-- Kathleen V. O’Keefe, licensed clinical social worker and private practitioner specializing in the behavioral healthcare of children and adolescents 

“As we face unprecedented incidences of stress, anxiety, and depression among our children, Grow with Me Poetry provides parents and educators alike with a timely and gentle response. What a special gift! With her creative and unique combination of mindfulness and poetry, Bridgette Fowler’s Grow with Me Poetry offers an easy-to-use, heartwarming, and fun way to move beyond the sense of separation increasingly experienced by today’s young people.”  
-- Richard TenEyck, former superintendent, former Assistant Commissioner of Education (NJ)

Why Grow with Me Poetry?

The book is unique in that it:

• combines poetry and mindfulness in a creative recipe, making for a palatable learning experience.
• provides a uniquely hands-on, engaging reading and creative experience.
• includes guided journal activities, which allow different generations to learn about each other while also facilitating old-fashioned conversation.
• includes prompted drawing activities, which allow readers who do not feel creative to be creative.
• speaks to what children experience as they grow and assures children they are not alone in what they feel or think.
• will appeal to children, educators, parents, grandparents, caregivers, and clinicians alike.
• features delightful Seussical rhythm and cadence, complimenting the poignancy of the poems themselves.
• is meant to be read to and with a child, then passed on to them when they are ready and able to independently read, journal, and create!
• helps a child bloom into a beautiful person.

 
Grow with Me Poetry will be a favorite on your bookshelf because it:

• has a central theme: kindness matters, how you treat others matters, and YOU matter.
• provides a fun means of exposing little readers to mindfulness at a very young age, which in turn arms them with an invaluable coping and stress management tool that has proven health and wellness benefits.
• provides a creative way to transition children to bedtime or naptime while sneaking in the skill of mindfulness, introducing poetry, and creating a treasured memory book.
• reassures children that they are not alone in their feelings, whether they be happy, silly, sad, angry, or confused.
• is a sure way to strengthen the self-esteem and reading skills of children who do not like reading; introducing those children to poetry is a novel way to keep them reading.
• is a charming way for parents and children to get to learn about each other.  The guided questions after each poem allow for mutual growth.
• is most helpful in teaching rhyming skills. Did you know that children with certain learning disabilities/challenges have much difficulty rhyming? This book is a must for teachers and parents of such children.
• features journaling and art, which are wonderful forms of self-expression and provide an excellent and safe means for children to release emotion.
• is multifaceted in that it can be used at home, in the classroom, or as a useful tool for clinicians.
• not only plants important seeds, but allows little seedlings to see their own growth over time.