Hi, my name is Daniella Cranfield, and I live in Scotland with my family. I am married to Matt, I have two daughters, a blind Siberian Husky named Luna, and a black domestic short-haired cat named Pickles.
The old saying goes that you should never work with children or animals. I have done both, and they have been very rewarding! Although not for the faint of heart.
I have included the Creative Corner on my website for parents and guardians to help children learn life skills and express their creative side. Most children love animals, and combining animals and children’s activities seemed like a natural progression for me.
My Qualifications
I am a qualified Teaching Assistant and have worked with children from nursery age through to teenage years. I have worked in primary schools and a Special Educational Needs School.
I loved working with the children, but I was less keen on the system I was working in. There’s never enough time in the classroom to devote to children who really need support and to help them fully develop their potential.
I have always been an avid reader, and I enjoy many genres – after all, variety is the spice of life! Teaching a love of the written word is very important to me, and I want to encourage others to teach children to love books, too.
My Lived Experience
I read to my daughters since they were babies; it was part of our routine. The ‘calm down’ part of the day, spending time together, snuggled, sharing a book. This carried on throughout their childhood.
As older children, my daughters would ask for various books – they know that I can NEVER refuse to buy a book! I would read the book before or while they were reading it. Then we would discuss the book.
I would ask for their thoughts on the characters, parts of the book, what they thought was going on, why a character would do a specific action and what they thought would happen next.
Doing this, sharing the books in this way, had several positive impacts.
- I was showing an interest in something they were interested in, making them feel valued and seen
- I was asking their opinion on various aspects, showing that I valued their opinion, making them feel heard
- By asking them questions, it developed their comprehension skills
- By asking them questions, they thought deeply about aspects in the books and developed analytical skills
Sharing the books and discussions helped our relationships grow stronger, but it also built their confidence as people. They developed a feeling of being valued, seen and heard. They knew they could offer opinions and have them valued. It also helped them develop critical skills for school and life.
Sharing books with children has such a positive impact on their development and life. Taking the time every day to read helps children to associate reading with calmness and love. Both of my daughters have always had strong literacy skills, which have benefited them hugely.
My eldest is now at University and is fully utilising these skills. My youngest will be joining her sister at the University in 2026. Both of my daughters have taught me that spending some time just enjoying a book together can be priceless. It has so many benefits for the children and the family relationship.
Even though they are older teenagers now, one of our Christmas traditions is snuggling together as a family and reading T’was The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve before we say goodnight. Although now, we each take turns in reading it.
For me, books are as essential as food and water. It sparks the imagination and allows the reader to step into someone else’s shoes and experience a different life. Books open doors to knowledge, skills, and the development of empathy. All are essential for our overall well-being.
Why Creativity Matters
Creativity is as valuable as literacy. Both of my daughters and I love to colour, draw, paint and create. Allowing children the time to express their creativity can help stimulate their imagination and calm a busy head!
Using art can allow a child to express and release emotions that they may not have the vocabulary or ability to express. Putting up their pictures on the wall or fridge shows them that their efforts are seen and valued. This helps them develop a sense of self-worth and achievement.
Children scribble, draw and paint before they can read or write. Every time you encourage your little one to pick up a crayon or paintbrush, you help them develop their fine motor skills, express their creative side, and spark their imagination.
It truly is the little things in life that have the most value.
Our Love Of Animals
I ran my own dog-walking and cat-sitting business in Jersey, where my family lived for many years. I gained qualifications in dog training, canine behaviour training, feline behaviour, and canine and feline nutrition. When a subject interests me, I tend to go all-in.
During the Covid lockdown, people were walking their own dogs and would contact me asking questions. This is where the idea for the PawsRPals website originated. I started writing informational articles where people could find information for free.
I really enjoyed the writing aspect and had some ideas for children’s books. I wanted to combine information and stories for children with an animal aspect. Most children love animals and can often relate to them more easily.
Having worked with children, many of whom had special needs, I wanted to provide easily digestible information to help them process and deal with changes and challenges in their lives.
This information doesn’t just apply to children with special needs. These are beneficial for all children to learn. What better way to illustrate essential knowledge than with animals.
Most children love and can easily recognise dogs and cats; therefore, Luna and Pickles seemed like the perfect choice for me.
And so, I have started my journey into being an author.
Children can also follow Luna and Pickles on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
PawsRPals is a safe place, it is family-friendly, and I monitor engagement closely.