Helping children understand their thoughts and behaviours is a key skill to building emotional intelligence. This little story brings to life the importance understanding fear in children and how they could struggle with social interactions if they are worried about being accepted. The story was inspired by the author’s son through this journey of being bullied and struggling to feel like he belonged.
Oscar the pufferfish lives in a city under the sea with his mum and dad. He loves playing with his friends and going to school but there are times when he gets scared or stressed and in those times he tends to ‘pop’.
Like when he’s playing tag with his friends, John and Josh who are better at it than Oscar. He’s already made his mind up that he’s lost and when he gets a fright he puffs up and is now embarrassed. Feeling sad, Oscar heads for home, worried about what his friends will think of him and believing that he is good for nothing. But it’s while he’s going home that he bumps into Phoebe, a girl pufferfish, and the two become stuck together. It’s up to his mum and dad, and Josh and John, to show Oscar that he is actually a pretty smart and amazing fish and all he needs to do is to stop comparing himself to others and understand that he is good enough just as he is.
The Adventures of Oscar the Pufferfish: Owning My Pop is a great story for young children, to show them that we all have a place and that comparing ourselves to others will never allow us to see our own strengths.
About the Author
Christina E. Foxwell devotes her life to helping others find and follow their passions, transform their lives, and grow into the people they were always meant to be. Her life’s journey began in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and ultimately landed her in Sydney, Australia. Her road to where she is now was paved with hardships and turmoil. She experienced domestic violence, PTSD, and divorce before she found a path to healing and building a life of gratitude, forgiveness, and love.
Currently, she runs a practice called Ignite Purpose, where she has the privilege of guiding others on their life-changing journeys. In addition to her work, she also has many other passions. They include painting, writing, teaching, coaching, and spending time with her family. Her most important roles are wife, mother, daughter, and grandmother of one.
