About Melanie
My life has set the stage for me to become a child advocate. My colorful childhood left me with an incredibly vivid memory of what it was like to be a child. I am someone who has always wanted to make a difference in the world of children. As I entered my adult life, my strong desire to empower children and give them a voice never left me. I found that although my corporate sales job paid the bills, my heart was bankrupt. In 1986, I began volunteering in the classroom, speaking to children on a variety of topics. In 1999, I took a leap of faith and left my job to launch a non-profit organization called Speak To Children.
Children need to have tools to help them navigate through life. As adults, we are eager to offer explanations and solutions when children bring us their questions and problems. But even more than these answers, children need strategies for solving their own dilemmas, methods that will empower them to become more self-sufficient. This is how children gain the self-esteem and courage to reach beyond themselves and become all they deserve to be. My vision is to give children those tools and the basic values they need to find their places in the world. My hope is that we as adults will remember what it was like to be children, remember what is valued in a child’s world. I believe it takes just one individual to begin this process of empowering our children. My program was born out of my childhood. As a foster child, I experienced loss. I vividly remember how it felt to miss my parents. The adults in my life offered many explanations, but what I needed was a way to deal with my sadness. As adults, we are skilled at giving explanations to children. Providing children tools to deal with their feelings can give them the confidence and comfort level they need to be able to embrace and accept their emotions. Teaching has given me invaluable experiences with children and continues to renew my passion for helping children.
Education and Training:
UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, San Francisco, California
Attending the School of Education, Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT)
UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, San Francisco, California
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
PAULA STATMAN INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER, Founder of Kids Wise
Formal Training Public Speaking
In The Press:
• The Greenwich Broadcasting Corporation
Interviewed by WGCH AM 1490 Radio and WVIP AM 1310
• Child Friendly Initiative
Feature Article written by Leslie Crawford
• Bay Area Parent Magazine
Featured in the section of the magazine called, Parenting People
• “When Life Changes or You Wish It Would”
Author Carol Adrienne interviewed Melanie Jones
• Melanie Jones is quoted on page 87 the book. Interview was in 2001,
• KJAZZ Public Radio
Interview on entrepreneurship, Speak To Children.
• Army Wife Talk Radio
Interview on children’s book, Always In My Heart & Speak To Children. 2009
.
Children need to have tools to help them navigate through life. As adults, we are eager to offer explanations and solutions when children bring us their questions and problems. But even more than these answers, children need strategies for solving their own dilemmas, methods that will empower them to become more self-sufficient. This is how children gain the self-esteem and courage to reach beyond themselves and become all they deserve to be. My vision is to give children those tools and the basic values they need to find their places in the world. My hope is that we as adults will remember what it was like to be children, remember what is valued in a child’s world. I believe it takes just one individual to begin this process of empowering our children. My program was born out of my childhood. As a foster child, I experienced loss. I vividly remember how it felt to miss my parents. The adults in my life offered many explanations, but what I needed was a way to deal with my sadness. As adults, we are skilled at giving explanations to children. Providing children tools to deal with their feelings can give them the confidence and comfort level they need to be able to embrace and accept their emotions. Teaching has given me invaluable experiences with children and continues to renew my passion for helping children.
Education and Training:
UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, San Francisco, California
Attending the School of Education, Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT)
UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, San Francisco, California
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
PAULA STATMAN INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER, Founder of Kids Wise
Formal Training Public Speaking
In The Press:
• The Greenwich Broadcasting Corporation
Interviewed by WGCH AM 1490 Radio and WVIP AM 1310
• Child Friendly Initiative
Feature Article written by Leslie Crawford
• Bay Area Parent Magazine
Featured in the section of the magazine called, Parenting People
• “When Life Changes or You Wish It Would”
Author Carol Adrienne interviewed Melanie Jones
• Melanie Jones is quoted on page 87 the book. Interview was in 2001,
• KJAZZ Public Radio
Interview on entrepreneurship, Speak To Children.
• Army Wife Talk Radio
Interview on children’s book, Always In My Heart & Speak To Children. 2009
.
My life has set the stage for me to become a child advocate. My colorful childhood left me with an incredibly vivid memory of what it was like to be a child. I am someone who has always wanted to make a difference in the world of children. As I entered my adult life, my strong desire to empower children and give them a voice never left me. I found that although my corporate sales job paid the bil... More
Profile Comments
Comment by Melanie Jones on 4/28/2009 at 2:14 PM:
I am the Author of Always In Your Heart. I wrote this book to help children learn how to comfort them selves when they are missing someone. As adults we are great at giving explanations to children. In addition to helping them understand, children need to learn how to soothe themselves in the midst ... more
I am the Author of Always In Your Heart. I wrote this book to help children learn how to comfort them selves when they are missing someone. As adults we are great at giving explanations to children. In addition to helping them understand, children need to learn how to soothe themselves in the midst of their dismay. Giving children the tools they need to deal with their feelings can give them the confidence and the comfort level they deserve to embrace their emotions.
As a foster child I experienced loss. My memory is vivid of how it felt to miss my parents. The adults in my life offered many explanations. What I needed was a way to deal with my sadness. I wish someone could have taught me that although people may not physically be with you, they never really leave you--what you experience and remember about that person stays with you, they are in your heart. As an adult, loss has been no stranger to me. I learned that those I have lost through death are still with me, in a different way. My experiences with loss have helped me to comfort children when they have been sad about death or when they are missing someone.
The book is based my own experience of loss and a sheer desperation to help a little girl. The first time I tried the process described in the book was at a funeral for my foster-mom. My niece Amanda was beside herself with the loss of her grandmother. As she sobbed in my arms, I slowly tried to soothe her by helping her to see my foster- mom�s smile, how it felt when grandma hugged her and how infectious and wonderful grandma�s laugh sounded. Much to my relief and everyone in the funeral parlor, she stopped crying. I slowly explained Grandma was never going to leave her and that she was just going to be with her in a different way. Everything that she and Grandma experienced together now lived in her heart. It worked; because it is the truth. When I leave a classroom after delivering Speak To Children�s program, children become sad when I announce the program is over. Without fail the children want to know, where am I going? Why am I going? Tears subsequently follow their questions. I walk them through the same process in the book. Close your eyes, can you see my face, what does my voice sound like? How about my laugh? Remember how you feel when I tell you I appreciate you? How do you feel when I teach you? What follows are smiles of acknowledgement on every child�s face. I then remind them--see I am always with you�I will be with you in your heart. Then I ask the children to put one of their hands over their heart, and think of something they would want to remember about me �while I taught in their classroom, we lift our hand in the air and throw these precious experiences into each others hearts. It is amazing how this process helps children comfort themselves. They begin to realize I may be gone but because of what we shared together I will always be with them.
I have met many children in the last nine years, who have no idea how to deal with their loss.
Since this is not a popular topic to talk about in our culture, the book provides a way for adults and children to approach the issue of death and loss.
My wish for you and your children is that this book will help you feel close to who you miss. Those we love will forever live with us in our hearts.
As a foster child I experienced loss. My memory is vivid of how it felt to miss my parents. The adults in my life offered many explanations. What I needed was a way to deal with my sadness. I wish someone could have taught me that although people may not physically be with you, they never really leave you--what you experience and remember about that person stays with you, they are in your heart. As an adult, loss has been no stranger to me. I learned that those I have lost through death are still with me, in a different way. My experiences with loss have helped me to comfort children when they have been sad about death or when they are missing someone.
The book is based my own experience of loss and a sheer desperation to help a little girl. The first time I tried the process described in the book was at a funeral for my foster-mom. My niece Amanda was beside herself with the loss of her grandmother. As she sobbed in my arms, I slowly tried to soothe her by helping her to see my foster- mom�s smile, how it felt when grandma hugged her and how infectious and wonderful grandma�s laugh sounded. Much to my relief and everyone in the funeral parlor, she stopped crying. I slowly explained Grandma was never going to leave her and that she was just going to be with her in a different way. Everything that she and Grandma experienced together now lived in her heart. It worked; because it is the truth. When I leave a classroom after delivering Speak To Children�s program, children become sad when I announce the program is over. Without fail the children want to know, where am I going? Why am I going? Tears subsequently follow their questions. I walk them through the same process in the book. Close your eyes, can you see my face, what does my voice sound like? How about my laugh? Remember how you feel when I tell you I appreciate you? How do you feel when I teach you? What follows are smiles of acknowledgement on every child�s face. I then remind them--see I am always with you�I will be with you in your heart. Then I ask the children to put one of their hands over their heart, and think of something they would want to remember about me �while I taught in their classroom, we lift our hand in the air and throw these precious experiences into each others hearts. It is amazing how this process helps children comfort themselves. They begin to realize I may be gone but because of what we shared together I will always be with them.
I have met many children in the last nine years, who have no idea how to deal with their loss.
Since this is not a popular topic to talk about in our culture, the book provides a way for adults and children to approach the issue of death and loss.
My wish for you and your children is that this book will help you feel close to who you miss. Those we love will forever live with us in our hearts.
Thanks for accepting me as your friend. I self published my book through AuthorHouse. Actually I sent over 120 letters to publishers and they all rejected me. I sent 75 letters to self-publishing companies and they were they only one who accepted it... A very difficult task indeed.