The Grumpit is an endearing new character and self-help storybook created by Polly Bateman to help her young son grow in confidence and self-esteem, by learning to calm himself in situations where he felt anxious or fearful.
As adults, navigating life’s many ups and downs isn’t always easy. For young children, the world can be a pretty scary place, particularly in new or intimidating situations when they can often feel overwhelmed and paralysed by fear.
Polly knows that only too well – as a mum and Mindset & Performance Coach she specialises in helping people understand their own self-limiting beliefs.
The Grumpit helped Polly’s son enormously and has since helped many other children. This 32-page book, the first in a series, introduces The Grumpit and marks the beginning of a relationship children will come to nurture and put their trust in.
Polly Bateman has created what is essentially a “guardian angel” for children within a beautifully written, exciting and heart-warming story. Harry’s Grumpit helps him to overcome his fears and anxieties by representing them in the form of a character with “lots of colours like a rainbow” imagined by Harry. Each Grumpit is uniquely imagined by the visualiser. The character becomes the safety-net and springboard for Harry to help him assuage his fears. Harry talks to his Grumpit, alleviating those anxieties, which are dissolved in the process. This is a wonderful tool for children and adults, both at home and to use in schools and community settings. Delightfully comical and skilfully enlightening, The Grumpit is a vital instrument for anyone with a vested interest in children’s mental health and happiness.
Ms Laura Hawley
Creative Practitioner and Performance Examiner
BA (Hons), MA, PGCE, LAMDA
Most children don’t even understand that feelings of anxiety and lack of self worth are just that. Through this story, my child not only learnt to identify these feelings, she also was able to understand them. Most importantly through the story and the concept of “the Grumpit” she was given the essential life skill of gaining an insight as to how to manage these feelings.
That insight has helped her to open up to adults and enabled her to express to adults her feelings.
Gaining that skill at the young age of 10 it has set her up for her adolescence as she now has an understanding of anxiety and fear and how to self sooth or alternatively how to speak to someone if she is struggling with her fears.
The concept of “the Grumpit” is now family wide and it is not uncommon for a member of my family to talk about “their Grumpet feeling fluffy”.
These tools and skills she will carry to her adult years and support her in overcoming the many obstacles we meet in life as both children and adults.
This is a great investment in your child’s, and even your entire family’s, mental health. Let’s hope we are raising a generation of young people who manage their thoughts and feelings through their own Grumpits.
Anna-Marie Kenny
Mother of 3
The Grumpit is a fantastic character; friendly, warm and it has the ability to be personalised by the child thereby developing their relationship still further. The Grumpit helps develop the child’s understanding of their own emotions and the way in which those emotions play out.
By externalising the worry and putting the child in the supportive role they get to learn self-soothing, self-compassion and courage to try out new and different techniques to help them through the situation they find themselves in.
This story shows how the Grumpit helps in one situation, the slide, but can also help in others, interactions with older children. I can see the Grumpit as a series with a wide range of stories guiding children in different situations throughout their development.
Dr Ben Goodall
Child Clinical Psychologist
As an Olympian I know what it takes to get out of my own head. The Grumpit is a great tool to help kids step outside of their own limitations. My Grumpit is green and gold, what colour is yours?
Kate Allen
Mother of 3 & Australian Rowing Olympic Gold Medalist
The Grumpit is a beautifully simple story which empowers children to over cometheir fears. I read the story to my 7 year old and he was completely enchanted by the character of the Grumpit, he described what his own Grumpit would look like and speaks about him often.When he is nervous about something we are able to discuss the fear by using this character and he's able to work out if the thing he is scared of is a real fear. My four year old and even 10 year old also love the book and had fun deciding what their Grumpits would look like.
Vicky Price
Mother of 5
A story that beautifully describes a way of channeling unease and doubt. The smiles on our faces grew as we turned each page absorbing Harry’s increasing confidence and the brilliant illustrations. This book gives my daughter a tool to call on when she is faced with a tricky situation.
Kim
Mum to 8 year old daughter
What a charming book, dealing with an everyday situation in a new way. My children love the pictures and I'm sure it will be read over and over.
Edward B.
Father of 4