Hey you,

I am so glad you are here.

My name is Jaleesa Grzech (Juh-lee-suh Grech). I am a published author, a mama, an educator, a wife. I am here to connect with others through this wild journey of life. I have always felt young at heart and love to be around kids. Helping children learn, grow and discover joy in their own lives has been a passion of mine for many years. A University Professor once told me that “kids don’t care about what you know until they know you care.” This has always proven to be true for me. With over a decade of teaching experience in the classroom, I have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of kids ranging in ages 3-17. No matter what age of the students, their strengths or their needs, they all have one thing in common. They ALL desire to be seen, heard, loved and appreciated just as they are. As Glennon Doyle says, “there is no such thing as other people’s children.” And so, as the adults – it our collective responsibility to make our children feel this every. single. day.

Childhood can be a special, magical time filled with wonder, play and adventure. But being a kid isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. I believe babies, children and teens are typically so in tune with their emotions and are often great at feeling them. Expressing and processing them however, is a different story. It is one of our many jobs as caregivers to kids to help them navigate through their emotions in healthy, supportive ways. I don’t know about you, but I still struggle as an adult at times to understand and regulate my own emotions which is why it blows my mind that kids are expected to do this so early on.

I am a firm believer that we are all doing the best we can with what we have. Each generation of parents and guardians naturally tries to make their children’s upbringing a little better than theirs was. I think we all want so many great things for our kids because we love them so much, it hurts. I want my kids to feel safe and secure. I want them to be brave, vulnerable, and willing to take risks. I want them to choose joy. I want them to feel worthy and loveable. I want them to follow their gut and to trust their own judgement. I want my kids to feel seen, heard, loved and appreciated. I want all this and more for my kids. I feel that the root of all these incredible gifts is self-awareness and self-love.

Sometimes we work so hard to provide our kids with more. More toys, more holidays, more organized activities and so on. When in reality, what they need the most, above ANTYHING ELSE is unconditional love and acceptance from their caregivers. They need strong attachments early on and to feel it in their bones that no matter what – they are loved. No matter what – they are enough.

No. matter. what.

Imagine a world where we put as much emphasis on learning about our emotions and what they are trying to tell us as we did on learning how to read and write.

If that sounds magical to you, then welcome. You are in the right place.

I created my company Giggly Beans Productions in 2018 to help normalize the emotions and feelings that we ALL experience regardless of our age, gender or ethnic background because feelings are feelings and we are all human. By connecting with others while sharing and learning about our emotions, we can teach kids early on that all emotions are okay and sharing them is too!

If as an adult, you don’t remember being taught about emotional regulation or receiving messages as a child that it was okay to feel and express all emotions, you are certainly not alone. My books are for you too. They are stories and conversation starters to help break down the stigma of mental health between kids and those who love on them. I’m not only referring to our relationships with our daughters, sons, nieces, nephews, students, grandchildren, or kids in our neighborhood… I believe as adults, we also need to spend time connecting with and re-parenting our inner child. By taking time to unlearn beliefs and messages that were shared with us in the past that no longer serve us, we create space for more love, acceptance, peace and joy in our lives today and onward. It is never too early nor is it too late to work on your mental health. If I get to be apart of that journey for you or those you love, I am truly honored.

To learn more about my books, journals, resources and workshops that I have created or am creating, explore the tabs above.

Thank-you for being here,

Jaleesa Grzech