Renee White is on a mission to help families nurture emotionally healthy children. As the founder of Little People, Big Emotions, a certified parent coach and a mum of three, she creates thoughtful resources and shares practical, compassionate guidance to help children develop their emotional intelligence, creating a peaceful space for parents and children to connect and co-regulate. Inspired by her own life experiences and a passion for equipping families with the tools she wishes had been available to her own mum, Renee is empowering parents to embrace peaceful parenting, one small step at a time. Here, she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind her work, her creative process and why small, intentional steps can lead to lasting change for families.
What do you create?
I create resources for parents and teachers to use in their homes and classrooms to help children develop their emotional intelligence. Right now, my resources come in the form of posters, cards and stickers. These resources are designed to be used together in what I like to call a “Peaceful Place”. Think of it like a calming corner, where parents and children can go to co-regulate and connect through time-ins, rather than the traditional time-outs.
As a certified parent coach, I also create and share a lot of educational content online about peaceful parenting, alongside my coaching services.
Can you tell us a little bit about your creative process?
If I’m being completely honest… right now, in the season of life I’m in, being a mum of three, with my youngest just 18 months old and starting to homeschool my 7-year-old, I’ve really had to re-evaluate the time I have to create and work on my small pakihi (business).
One thing I always make sure to do is write down any ideas for my business or content as soon as they come to mind, always in the Notes app on my phone! I’ve had to adjust my expectations around what “showing up consistently” looks like for me. These days, I show up less often, but when I do, I make sure it’s with intention and quality (hopefully!).
My faith is also a huge part of my life. Sunday, being the Sabbath day, is a day of complete rest for me, not just physically, but mentally too. I stay off social media and don’t read or respond to emails. I’ve found that when I honour this boundary, creativity flows more freely during the week, and my brain gets the rest it needs to prevent burnout.
What inspires/influences you?
I draw inspiration from many places, but one of my biggest influences is my late mum. She passed away when I was 14 years old, and I was the second oldest of five children. I remember reading her journals after she passed, before I became a mum myself, and seeing her raw, honest reflections: entries saying things like, “I’m such a bad mum”, “The kids would be better off without me”, “Why do I get so frustrated so easily?” and “Why can’t I just be calm and kind?”.
So whenever I create content, speak publicly or sell my resources, I imagine I’m speaking to her, to that young mum who desperately wanted to do better, but just didn’t have the tools or support. I know that what I’m creating would have resonated deeply with her, and that thought keeps me going. Somehow, when I focus on her, the words and the direction I need always come to me.
When you are not working on your business, what do you love?
First and foremost, I’m a stay-at-home mum, and I truly love being at home with my kids. Yes, that means my business could probably be a lot bigger by now if I had more time to invest in it, but honestly, I’m okay with that. My kids come first, and this season is precious.
I also love playing sport. Sport has been a huge lifeline for me. It’s where I’ve made all my friends, and it’s how I release a lot of the daily frustrations that come with parenting and life. Honestly, it’s good for my whole family that I have that outlet!
When I’m not playing sport, you’ll usually find me either at church, at home playing the piano and singing or trying to beat my husband at a board game.
Any words of inspiration to anyone thinking of giving something a go?
I want to speak directly to the women out there who struggle with social anxiety and feel like they could never enter the business world because it seems to demand so much talking to people, the phone calls, the Zoom meetings, the putting yourself out there side of things.
Four years ago, I couldn’t even bring myself to call and order takeaways. Fast forward to now, I recently spoke at my first event in front of over 50 people. (I did still sweat profusely and needed a shower when I got home!).
There was no giant leap, no diving into the deep end for me. It’s been slow, tiny steps. Tiny moments of exposure, week by week, month by month, year by year. Each time, just pushing a little bit further out of my comfort zone.
You don’t have to be fearless to start. You just have to be willing to take small, manageable steps, over and over again. Over time, those tiny steps add up to something extraordinary. You are capable of far more than you know, and the world needs your voice, exactly as it is.
Arohanui,
Renee
Visit littlepeoplebigemotions.co.nz to find out more, and connect with Renee on Instagram and Facebook.
