Why Raising Kind, Confident Children Matters More Than Ever
Written by Mona Liza Santos, Award-Winning Children's Author & Emotional Literacy Advocate Mona Liza Santos is an award-winning children’s author and founder of World Love Press. She has written more than 40 books focused on emotional literacy, kindness, confidence, and cultural identity, inspiring families, educators, and young readers worldwide through heartfelt storytelling and meaningful life lessons.
The first stories I wrote were never meant for a bookstore. During the pandemic, I made up little rhymes for my son, Michael, hoping to make unfamiliar days feel a little safer. One of them eventually became Mama, I Love You. I couldn't have known where that small beginning would lead, but it left me with a question I still ask when I write: What does a child carry away from a story? It might be a new word for a difficult feeling, pride in a family tradition, or the courage to include someone who feels alone. That's why I care about emotional literacy, kindness, and cultural identity, and why I hope the work can reach far beyond the book itself.
From one child to a larger purpose
When I began writing in 2020, I wasn't trying to build a publishing career. Like many parents at the time, I was looking for ways to comfort my child and make our days a little brighter. As I continued, I thought about children who might be struggling with things they couldn't easily explain, such as feeling left out, worrying they weren't good enough, or wondering where they belonged.
Those questions shaped many of the stories that followed. Today, I've written nearly 50 children's books and founded World Love Press, an independent publishing imprint. I enjoy creating playful, imaginative stories, but I also want to give children and the adults who care for them an inviting way to explore feelings, confidence, friendships, and identity. The number of books has grown, but the reason behind them has stayed close to where it began.
The feelings children don't always have words for
Children can feel disappointment, embarrassment, worry, and jealousy long before they know how to describe them. A child who seems angry may actually feel excluded. Another might stop participating because a careless comment made them question their abilities. Those moments can look minor from an adult's perspective, yet they may feel enormous to a child.
This is why I believe emotional literacy for children deserves a place in everyday family and school life. We teach young people how to read and solve problems, and we can also help them name their feelings, ask for support, and understand how their actions affect others. A story is one way to begin. After reading, a parent or teacher might ask, "Have you ever felt the way that character did?" Sometimes children can talk about a character before they're ready to talk about themselves.
Not every book needs to teach a lesson. Children deserve laughter, adventure, and the simple joy of reading. Still, stories such as No One Like You, I Am Brave and Resilient, and My Friend Is Different, and That's Okay! allow me to explore self-worth, perseverance, and acceptance in language young readers can approach. I hope they can become useful starting points for conversations, not substitutes for the individual support children may need.
Kindness includes knowing your own worth
As life has changed, my understanding of kindness has deepened. We often teach children to share, forgive, and consider other people's feelings. Those values matter, but so does teaching them that they can say no, ask for help, and speak up when they are treated unfairly. Being compassionate should never require a child to accept repeated hurtful behavior.
That is a lesson adults continue learning, too, myself included. Sometimes we are so busy trying to understand other people that we forget our own feelings deserve attention. I want children to grow up knowing that kindness and self-respect belong together. They can be gentle without being silent, and they can respect others without making themselves smaller.
Why seeing our culture in stories matters
My Filipino heritage is part of the reason I write. I spent part of my childhood in the Philippines and was raised by grandparents whose love, discipline, and sense of family still guide me. Later, I began thinking about Filipino children growing up abroad who might never have visited the Philippines or heard many stories about their roots. Their connection to their heritage matters, too.
That was part of the inspiration for The Filipino in Me: Celebrating What Makes Us Proud. I wanted to offer Filipino families a joyful way to share traditions and memories while welcoming children from other backgrounds to discover something new. Cultural pride, to me, isn't about placing one culture above another. It's about being comfortable with where we come from and curious about the people around us.
I shared more of that personal background in a September 2026 interview with The Filipino Magazine titled Mona Liza Santos: Turning Kindness, Culture and Motherhood Into Stories That Matter. The conversation explored my grandparents, motherhood, personal loss, and the unexpected path that led me to publishing. Those experiences haven't given me every answer, but they've helped me think more carefully about what I hope to pass on.
What becoming a TOFA Awardee made me think about
Being named a 2026 TOFA Awardee was a meaningful moment for me. Meeting fellow Filipino Americans whose work serves their communities reminded me that our heritage is carried forward in many ways, through the lives we build, the people we help, and the stories we choose to share.
The recognition made me think more deeply about children growing up far from their families' ancestral home and about the importance of seeing their experiences reflected in books. It also made me consider how I could use the opportunities that come with recognition more thoughtfully. An award is something to be grateful for, but I hope the work behind it remains useful when the celebration is over.
What can happen beyond the last page?
I sometimes describe what I'm building as a movement, but I don't mean a large campaign with a claim to have reached every community. I mean a growing effort to bring the values behind my books into ordinary moments. A story about friendship might prompt a child to invite someone to join a game. A book about confidence might help a parent ask why their child has been unusually quiet. A story about heritage might encourage a grandparent to share a memory that otherwise could have gone untold.
I've seen a small example of this through Kwento at Kulay, a story-and-color event hosted by Seafood City in Chula Vista. I read The Filipino in Me while families gathered for activities that connected reading with culture and community. I also enjoy featuring and encouraging fellow children's authors because no single writer can tell every story children deserve to encounter.
The possibilities are modest but meaningful. A story doesn't need to solve a problem to be worthwhile. Sometimes it helps someone feel seen or gives two people a reason to talk. What happens next depends on the care, listening, and action of the people around that child.
A small way to begin at home or in school
The next time you read with a child, try asking one question that goes beyond the plot. "What do you think made that character feel left out?" "What would you do if a friend felt that way?" Or, after a story about culture, "What traditions or memories do we want to share in our family?" Let the child answer in their own words, and make room for the possibility that they don't want to answer right away.
These moments don't require a special program. A few minutes of curiosity and genuine listening can help children practice understanding themselves and other people. For teachers and counselors, stories may also offer an age-appropriate starting point for talking about belonging, feelings, and respectful behavior.
The work I hope to keep building
Looking ahead, I'd love to work more closely with schools, libraries, and community organizations that want to explore emotional and cultural learning through children's literature. I also hope to find partners who could help make books available in communities with fewer reading resources, including opportunities in the Philippines, and eventually explore translations for families who read in other languages.
These are goals, not programs I can claim to have completed. They will take resources, collaboration, and listening to what each community actually needs. For now, I can keep writing with care, showing up when opportunities arise, and remembering that the value of a project isn't measured only by how quickly it grows.
The lesson I hope children carry into life
I began writing because there was one child I wanted to comfort, my son. I never imagined those little rhymes would lead to books, community gatherings, or conversations about culture and emotional literacy. Yet when I think about what I hope lasts, I don't think first about titles or awards. I think about a child finding words for a feeling, discovering pride in their roots, or learning to treat someone else with dignity.
I know a book cannot solve every challenge a child may face. But it can begin a conversation, invite a new perspective, or remind someone they aren't alone. If my stories play even a small part in that, I will be grateful.
Because the most meaningful part of a story may not be what happens on its pages, but what a child carries into the world after reading it.
Continue the conversation
I'm Mona Liza Santos, a children's author and founder of World Love Press. Parents, educators, school counselors, librarians, and families are welcome to explore my children's books and learn more about my writing and community projects. I also welcome conversations about using stories to support reading, emotional understanding, and cultural learning.
Read more from Mona Liza Santos
Mona Liza Santos, Award-Winning Children's Author & Emotional Literacy Advocate
Mona Liza Santos is an award-winning children's author, publisher, and founder of World Love Press. She is the author of more than 40 children's books focused on emotional literacy, kindness, confidence, resilience, and cultural identity. Her work has been recognized by the Mom's Choice Awards for its positive impact on children and families. Inspired by motherhood, global travel, and her Filipino heritage, Mona creates stories that encourage children to embrace who they are and recognize their worth. Mona is also the founder of National Intentional Kindness Day and Heritage and Heart Day, created to promote empathy, inclusion, cultural pride, and meaningful human connection within schools and communities.
