CHILDREN’S AUTHOR TAMARA THOMPSON
TEACHES MENTAL HEALTH IN A FAIRY TALE TO HER FIVE YEAR OLD SON
Being a mental health
advocate, a children's book fairy tale writer, and a Mom is sometimes no easy task. I say this in all honesty, as my Son and all of his life concerns and all of his precious moments, his playtime and his happiness always comes first & foremost. My writing always Tamara Thompson Author and Poet: takes a happyback seat to his learning and growth. Our time together is always treasured, rather than pounding away at the keyboards. Time with my son and watching his delight as he grows is what this mom writer loves to do. Of course, my story is his story and as my boy is learning all the beautiful wonders of life, the storybooks that I wrote, are a backstory to his growth, his health, and wellness. For me, I am his
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Ta m a r a T h o m p s o n
proud mom, his biggest fan and the first person that he will one day turn to if ever needing a mental health advocate. The reason for my first book, goes back now many years... it was a kids' book written in 2008 and published two years later in 2010. It is about Mommy Frog who lives in Lilly Pad Pond; where meeting a Prince in a castle, who is a Froggy counselor just three miles up the marsh. He helps Mommy Frog, setting guidelines for her to, overcome depression. Mommy Frog becomes a great chef for all of "Lilly Pad Pond, making fly stew for all to enjoy and savor". In the end she has a heroic tale of hope and awareness in mental health to share with her son Jack. The story is light and fun, with a lot of hopping around as Mommy Frog learns to ease her depression. Personally, this story is truly significant to this mom of a bright, smart, well adjusted, and tender-hearted five-year-old boy. I suffered greatly in my 20s from Bipolar illness, I almost gave up so many times, pleading night after night to take away these horrific feelings of dread, doubt, and suffering. This seemed to never end, it wouldn't let up, it wouldn't quit, as I prayed for strength, the emotions were wild, it crashed hard most days causing extreme moods of worthlessness, mixed emotions, paranoia, hallucinations would come on suddenly, delusions