Leo's Secret Key

Leo is kind to everyone - except to himself... When Leo accidentally ruins the birthday card he made for his teacher, he gets very upset. His mom tries to teach him to be mindful and kind to himself. She wants her son to treat himself the way he treats others - with compassion.

Can Leo learn to be his own friend? Can Leo learn to unlock the power of the secret key?

This heartfelt, rhyming story, written by a mindfulness teacher and pediatric speech-language pathologist (M.S. CCC-SLP), teaches children the powerful lesson of being kind to themselves when they make a mistake. Join Leo as he learns the importance of treating himself like a friend. This story introduces mindfulness and self-compassion to children and adults in a fun and engaging way.

The book offers more than just the story - it includes a scavenger hunt to find 12 hidden secret keys, mindful breathing scripts, discussion guides, and more! Leo's Secret Key is a great addition to your home library, your classroom, or your therapy toolkit!

Leo’s Secret Key teaches children how to regulate their big feelings and emotions through mindful breathing and other mindfulness-based techniques. Practicing mindfulness helps children reduce stress and feel calm, especially when they are feeling anxious, frustrated, upset, or angry. Practicing mindfulness helps to build self-awareness, confidence, and resilience - all qualities we want our kids to develop.

**Leo’s Secret Key - written by a mindfulness teacher and pediatric speech-language pathologist (M.S. CCC-SLP), will help your kids learn about mindfulness and self-compassion with an additional focus on social-emotional learning, speech & language development, phonological awareness, self-regulation and executive function skills.

**Interactive Scavenger Hunt: Your kids will search for the 12 golden, secret keys hidden throughout the pages of the book! Discover the meaning of the secret key as you read! This is a fun & interactive way to engage your kids while reading.
*A "key" for where the secret golden keys are hidden is located in the author's note.*

Included in the book:

• Mindful Breathing Activities
  • Help your kids regulate their emotions and calm their bodies and minds through mindful breathing.
  • Help your kids offer themselves kindness, compassion, and love using Leo's mindful breathing exercise.
  • A Mindful Breathing Script created for parents, teachers & caregivers to use with the kids in your life. This way you can practice mindful breathing together!

• Mindfulness-Based Practices & Activities
  • Self-Awareness & Self-Regulation exercises for kids
  • A Self-Compassion Practice for kids to use during stressful or hard moments to help regulate their emotions and to help them stay calm, centered, and focused.
• Mindful Discussion Guide
  • Looking for a supportive way to talk to your kids about making mistakes or for tools to help the kids in your life learn to be kinder to themselves?
  • This guide was created specifically for parents, caregivers, and educators to engage your children in a deeper, more mindful discussion about making mistakes and treating themselves with kindness!
• Explanation of Mindfulness
  • The Author's Note explains the benefits of mindfulness for children.
• Interactive Scavenger Hunt
  • Your kids will search for the 12 secret golden keys hidden throughout the story! Discover the meaning of the secret key. This is a fun and interactive way to engage your kids as you read the book!