Every single child has a unique story to tell, and we need to help them with words, noted author, poet and teacher Liam Kelly at a freewheeling talk on the opening day of Sharjah Children\u2019s Reading Festival (SCRF) which is being held from May 11 to 22 at Expo Centre Sharjah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kelly, who created the book The Wonderful World of Worried William<\/em>, was speaking on \u201cThe World of Anxiety\u201d at an SCRF 2022 Cultural Programme event, well-attended by both parents and young children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Irish author called over two young children to his side in order to elicit and understand their views about school life and relationship with parents. He remembered the central role his mother played in his life but how, despite the bonding, he could not bring himself to confide in her about issues he had in school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He referred in particular to an incident in school when his teacher called him over to the blackboard and asked him to pronounce the word \u201clook\u201d and he stammered. He confided he had so much anxiety that he didn\u2019t want to cope, and got very low scores because he was always worried about getting 100 per cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kelly, who published his first book at the age of 37, underlined the need to instill confidence in children, for which parents and adults need to open up to them. \u201cIf parents don\u2019t talk about their thoughts or feelings, children won\u2019t either,\u201d he reminded his audience. And even if children did not communicate their thoughts and fears, their eyes never lie, Kelly told them as he took them on a journey of self-discovery and realisation that each one is special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The author cum master doodler exhorted all to make use of the many apps available \u201cto write your own story\u201d as it was \u201cokay to tell stories through different characters\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n