Lynne shares her gifts and talents with lots of enthusiasm as she encourages everyone to appreciate their positive qualities. The stronger each person feels within themselves the more inspired they can become to open to their unlimited potential. Lynne has been a parent and parent educator for over 35 years. Fifteen years co-creating parenting programs at Non-Profit agencies, Port Coquitlam Family Studies and Maple Ridge Family Education Centre. Then twenty years in private practice.

Lynne passionately shares what she has learned with parents, teachers and children. The Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light Storybook, Audiobook with music and the Lesson Plans are a fulfilment of a dream for Lynne. The playful stories and activities bring joy to the hearts of babies, children and adults while inspiring them to recognize their precious, lovable nature.

Lynne was recognized as a Community Champion in 2024 for her many years of service in the community of Port Coquitlam as a Parent Educator.

The research that inspired me:

In the mid 1990’s I heard about a research study that was being conducted to see if specific activities could improve the self-esteem of young children.  This caught my attention because I struggled with self-esteem issues.  The details of the research that I remember consisted of suggesting that parents make audio recordings for their children.

Basically, a group of children were tested before and then after several months of a specific activity.  The parents in this group were asked to make audio recordings of all the special stories they remembered about each child.  Examples of the recording might include:

• How the parents felt on the day they held their child for the first time.
• How the parents would help their children fall asleep by holding them close and then rocking them back and forth.
• The special day that the child had their first swing ride at the park.

 The children would listen to the recorded stories before they fell asleep at night.  This was especially helpful when parents and the children were separated.  In these situations, the children could still listen to both their parents’ voices even if the parents were not living in the same house.  After several months of listening to the audio recordings the children in this group were tested again by the researchers and in every case the child’s self-esteem improved.

I was so excited.  Every parent wants their children to feel loved and to value themselves, so I shared this information with the parents in my parenting programs.  I asked parents to make their own audio recordings for each child in their family.  The next time I saw the parents I would ask them, “Did you have a chance to make a recording for your children?”  Many parents did not feel comfortable with this idea, and they asked me if I could make a recording suitable for all children.

So I asked myself, “How can I help children to feel loved?”  To love, accept and believe in themselves.  I also knew that the first six to eight years of life is a time of rapid growth and learning for children.  As I thought about this, over several months the Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light Stories came to me.

The first story, Breathing Free, is important as it helps children to calm and relax themselves by simply breathing deeply.  Our breath is there for us, helping to calm us down whenever we feel upset.  The Shining Light Story came next.  A shining light is something a baby can see once they are a few weeks old.  As they grow up they can imagine a shining light, or a star, that talks to them, comforts them and takes them on playful journeys.

As children listened to the stories and their parents, teachers and caregivers reinforced the social and emotional learning within the stories, they would be creating a positive relationship with their children.  The children would also be creating a foundation of inner strength based on love, trust and understanding.  Children that love themselves naturally extend love, kindness and caring to others.

Each day that children listen to the Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light Audiobook, Storybook and do the activities in the Lesson Plans they are given an opportunity to experience joy.

• Moments that touch their heart.
• Moments that inspire them to feel happy inside.
• Moments that help them to see their talents and gifts.
• Moments with their family and friends playing together.

The more we practice something, the better we get at it.  So as the children focused on precious moments more would become a part of their life.  As they focused on loving themselves, they would feel loved!

The Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light Audiobook was professionally recorded and available before the Storybook and Lesson Plans were published.  The Lesson Plans In Action describes how parents, teachers and caregivers have used the Storybook and Lesson Plan activities in their homes and classrooms and includes children’s personal artwork.

The local Optimist Club worked with me when the Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Audiobook was first released.  They provided copies for families with young children and after several months they asked parents for testimonials regarding the audiobook.

Here are three testimonials regarding the Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light Audiobook.  More testimonials are available by viewing the Storybook Testimonials.

Testimonial from Kelly with three year old son.

“Most evenings I read Laurence, age three, a bedtime story and sometimes he’s fooling around and not sleeping.  He resists going to sleep.  Then, I put on the Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light Audiobook and it calms him down.  We listen to it every night.  Laurence frequently repeats the positive words on the audiobook.  He starts talking quiet, more soothing to me in a tiny little quiet voice.  He really likes the Shining Star story.”

Testimonial from Leslie with six year old daughter.

“My six-year-old child is very active and it was a challenge to get her to sit down and listen to what I say.  The Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light Audiobook is a signal for calm, a transition time for both of us.  We tend to argue less and don’t get disappointed as much.  We haven’t been into sparks compared to six months or even two months ago.  We are speaking with much more kindness to each other.

The Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light helps us get back to the basics.  The happiness of just being with our little ones.  Learning like them, seeing like them, feeling like them and never letting us forget the time when we first held them in our arms.  That excitement sometimes fades away as we get caught up in our busy world, but the Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light stories take us to the next level, witnessing the joy and excitement of giving knowledge to our kids firsthand, and leaving imprints on them that they will carry into the future.

Erika simply “loves” the Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light Audiobook.  She has listened to it so often that she knows every story and can recite almost every line as she plays the music.  She is just learning to write and I have seen her write out the words and then read them back to herself.  This is an excellent way for her to enhance her writing skills and experience positive messages as she reads and then writes the stories.

Erika is a very creative child and has an active imagination.  She imagines and plays “pretend”.  She’ll put on a show and she says, “I want to be a ballet dancer” and she’ll start dancing around the room reciting the words on the Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light Audiobook.  She is enjoying herself very much.  I see this as a positive way for her to have fun and build confidence in herself.”

Testimonial from Donna with nine year old daughter and twelve year old son.

“I thought the Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light Audiobook might be too young for my nine year old daughter when I first listened to it.  However, this is not true!  It is exactly what she needed.  In fact, my twelve year old son who is a real cool grade seven student listens to the audiobook when he finds he cannot sleep.

The Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light Audiobook has significantly reduced the time before our nine year old falls asleep.  It is minutes opposed to hours!  She is a very imaginative girl who thinks of things lurking in the dark.  The audiobook has allowed her to relax and let go of her fears and give into the night while slipping beautifully into sleep.  She is now able to settle her thoughts of anxiety and replace them with calm, loving thoughts.  It has been a marvel to see the soothing, calming and positive impact the audiobook has had on her life.  She has already memorized the words and it is comforting for her to say them.  As my husband and I listen to the Beaming Bright, You’re a Shining Light Audiobook with our daughter, it relaxes us and sets a wonderful tone for the rest of our evening.”