Hello there! My name is Dina, and I am the founder of Calm Little Minds. I am a mum to two beautiful girls and a psychologist with over 12 years of experience working with families and children with a focus on psychological research. I am super passionate about families and children’s mental well-being and our mission in Calm Little Minds is to support you throughout your journey to understand and care for your family’s wellbeing.

As parents, we are always working hard towards providing for our children but for many years now, mental wellbeing has been overlooked (don’t worry that’s not your fault). Mental well-being is often confused with mental illness, but it is not. Mental well-being is our emotions, our feelings, the ability to solve problems and be resilient, cope with everyday stresses, and to tribute to society. If mental well-being is not taken care of then we might have to deal with mental illness.

Five years ago, my daughter started school. It was such an exciting time! She would always be happy at drop-off and thrilled to share her stories from the day at pick-up. A few months later, I noticed that she wasn’t as happy to go to school but didn’t think anything of it. She was slowly becoming shy and reserved, traits that did not represent her. I thought she was just tired (cue the biggest mum guilt for missing the signs!). It was only after she finished her first year in primary school that I realised what was happening. My daughter was being bullied for her ethnicity! Kids at school would call her names, that she should go back to where she came from, and that she didn’t belong there. I was heartbroken and felt lost. My kid was transforming in front of my eyes, and I felt like I was drowning.

It took us four years and a move to a different country for my daughter to find her voice and self, but we did it! It took four grueling years where I would teach her and support her to develop self-confidence, her self-esteem, and to believe in and love herself! ‘Difficult roads often lead to beautiful situations’. Four years where I would cry myself to sleep because I felt like the biggest failure. One of the things I learned in my life is to turn negative situations into positives and that is how Calm Little Minds was born. Through Calm Little Minds I would like no other parent to feel the way I was feeling those 4 years. I would like to educate as many parents as possible and children about the importance of mental well-being and step by step make our world a better place for everyone.

I have used my professional experience in psychology to design unique mental health boxes and products to help you as a parent understand topics like stress, growth mindset, self-esteem, etc, and implement them in your own life and parenting. All the activities included aimed at children are to be used as opportunities to spend quality time with your children and learn together. Don’t be afraid to show vulnerability and discuss your and their feelings.

Each box includes activities for parents and children because I firmly believe that if you want to help your kids with their mental well-being then it starts with you! You will become the change you want to see in your child. I have also personally designed fun printable tools and resources for kids and parents which can be downloaded at a reduced cost.