About Kathy
Hi, I’m Kathy
I’m a wellbeing teacher with a psychology degree, a long-time classroom educator, a mum of two, and a grandmother. Supporting children to understand themselves so they grow up emotionally strong has been my passion for over 30 years.
This program, Sparky and Shady for Early Years, is an updated version of the books I published in 2015. After completing my psychology degree (with honours), I reworked the content to bring it up to date with the latest science and I made it easier for little ones to understand.
Why I created Sparky and Shady
When I was 22, I had a motorbike accident that changed my life. I realised I didn’t know how my body, thoughts, feelings, and personality all worked together. I wanted answers. I was studying to become a teacher at the time—and I decided that once I worked it out, I’d teach it to kids too.
My goal has always been to help children grow up with self-awareness, emotional resilience, and tools to navigate life. I want children to feel strong on the inside. I want them to understand what’s going on in their minds and bodies, and know how to respond with kindness, courage, and love.
I have grandchildren now, and I want every little one to learn this stuff—as early as possible.
What makes this program different?
There are lots of wellbeing programs out there, but none (that I know of!) include Sparky—the loving, wise, calm voice we all carry inside us.
In my experience, Sparky is essential for wellbeing.
I met Sparky one day when I was working as a behaviour support teacher. A nine-year-old boy named Sam was struggling—shouting, swearing, and hitting trees with a stick. I didn’t know what to do. I closed my eyes and quietly asked, “How can I help this kid?” That’s when I felt it. Calm. Peace. Love.
A moment later, Sam sat opposite me and gently asked, “Hey Miss, did you bring your handball?”
From that moment on, I knew I wanted to help children find that same inner calm for themselves—especially those who’d never been told it was there.
A bit about my background
Over the years, I’ve raised two boys, and taught in public, private, specialist, alternate and faith-based schools. I’ve supported students with autism, special needs and complex trauma. I’ve taught in mainstream, special education and behaviour units, worked with homeless youth, answered phones at Lifeline, written other wellbeing programs, and held roles from classroom teacher to acting principal.
I’m not a practicing psychologist. I don’t diagnose or treat mental health concerns. I prevent them. That’s my dream: that every child in Australia grows up with the tools they need to be happy, connected and well.
Let’s raise a generation of loving, self-aware, and emotionally resilient humans—together.
❤️ Kathy
Kathy’s Philosophy
Connect with Love. Grow with Love. Share with Love.
Everything I’ve learned about what really helps kids be happy and well comes back to one thing: love.
Humans are on the planet to share our unique selves, our gifts, talents and passions – with love.
When we do this we have more moments of feeling happy, peaceful, calm, connected and fulfilled. (We can’t feel like this all the time of course – we are human!)
To share with love, we first need to know how to connect with love, and how to grow with love.
That’s what this program is all about!
What’s Sparky Got To Do With it?
Connecting with love is the first of the five things we teach to help children be happy and well.
It might sound a bit unusual for a wellbeing program to focus on love—but as psychologist Dr Barbara Fredrickson says:
“The love you do or do not experience today quite literally affects your physical health, your vitality, and your overall wellbeing.” (Love 2.0, 2013)
Love Beyond People
Some of us are lucky enough to experience love every day—from family, friends and community. Others may not. That’s why it’s so important to teach children that love comes from other places too.
Psychiatrist Dr Daniel Siegel, in his book IntraConnected (2022), reminds us of what Indigenous cultures around the world have always known:
We experience love when we are connected with nature, culture, ancestors, and life itself.
This kind of connection isn’t something we have to earn or wait for. It lives within us.
In the Sparky and Shady program, we call this part of ourselves Sparky.
So… What Is Sparky?
Sparky is our inner source of love, peace, wisdom and connection. All humans have it. Little children often live from it naturally—what positive psychology calls flow.
Dr Daniel Siegel calls it being:
“This is the ground of being—where we move beyond the isolated self and experience our embeddedness in relationships, in the natural world, and in consciousness itself.”
When children connect with Sparky, they feel more centred, confident, safe and ready to learn.
When adults connect with Sparky, we remember how to listen, be present, and show up with love—even on the hard days.
We’re Wired For This
Love and connection are human capacities we’re born with.
We’re neurologically wired to connect with ourselves, with each other, and with the world around us.
That’s where love lives. And that’s where wellbeing begins.
Testimonial
“I highly recommend Sparky and Shady. We were lucky enough to work alongside Kathy at our community preschool. It helped to embed the practical solutions for the children, establishing a better understanding of themselves, both their Sparky and Shady sides! The children embraced the language and practiced when supported by their educators and parents! It definitely made a positive difference!”
Nicky Darby-Misios
Director, Lower Bucca Community Preschool