How and Why I Published A Children's Book

Following Zara's anaphylaxis experience, I was left in a state of high anxiety and stress. We had to change everything in our house, and we had no idea how sensitive she was to her triggers. 

I bought a new toaster to toast wheat free bread for her, I binned or donated any foods that contained wheat, I bulk ordered wheat free foods - including all my toddler snacks. 

All of a sudden, Mackenzie (3 years old) had to be very cautious of what she was eating, and I was getting her to wash her hands after every meal. We had conversations every day about foods Zara can and can't eat. But what I was struggling to explain to Mackenzie was why. 

Why we had to change all of these things. She had been there with me and saw what happened to Zara that day and the following anaphylaxis exposure, but for a three-year-old, it was a difficult thing to grasp. Heck, I was struggling with it too. 

I looked all over for some resources to help her understand why we must be so careful around Zara with food. I was also mindful that I didn’t want to traumatise Mackenzie or create a food complex for her. 

I found a few resources here and there, which seemed okay, but weren't quite what I was looking for. 

On Zara's first day of childcare, after many tears (by me), I drove home and made myself a coffee. I sat on the couch feeling a little upset, my youngest baby was at childcare, and I was due to start work in a few weeks. I was also feeling intensely stressed about someone else caring for Zara, knowing she has allergies. 

Suddenly, while scrolling my Facebook news feed aimlessly, an advertisement came up for Laura Feldman’s free webinar "How to write a children's book*". I had nothing to lose, so I signed up.

Well colour me inspired. 

I messaged my husband Ben and told him about this webinar I had done and how I wanted to sign up for the full course. He of course, was very supportive. 

The course itself was a step-by-step guide to publishing a children's book. Laura provided templates for everything and spoke about her experiences. I've even been added into an ongoing support group for other people who are going through the same process, which has been invaluable. 

I am not sure I would have ever published a book (which has been a lifelong dream of mine) without this course and support. Well, at least not anytime soon. 

My sincere hope is that this first book, The Duck Who Couldn't Eat Snails, goes on to help other families who have gone through similar experiences to mine. I hope it can help children with no allergies understand the impacts of food allergies and increase inclusion for kids who do have allergies. 

If nothing else, it's been a great talking point in my house, with Mackenzie referencing my book when we talk about Zara’s food allergies. 

The journey of writing a book about food allergies has been very therapeutic for me also and talking about these experiences helps my mental wellness and ability to process the stresses that I've encountered. I've thoroughly enjoyed the process and already have my second book drafted in my notes! 

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