We're proud of the quality and diversity of the information we can offer you here at happychild. The breadth and variety of content is due to the contributions of many wonderful writers and a small team behind the scenes helping Yvette Vignando (publisher) produce this online publication.

Yvette Vignando, Publisher

Yvette is a passionate advocate for importance of emotional intelligence being made part of the school curriculum and is an expert in the area of emotional intelligence and social and emotional learning.

You can read more about Yvette here and you can watch/read her video and blog posts here.

As a parent of three boys, an active member of her children's school communities and an outspoken advocate for the importance of emotional intelligence in schools and at work, Yvette also runs workshops for teachers and parents and relishes every opportunity to talk and write about her passion. Like many other mums, Yvette adores chocolate, craves more sleep, more time to read and would love a full time housekeeper to keep the chaos at bay.

Melissa Coward, Publisher's Assistant

Melissa is part of the backbone of happychild - her vast array of writing, communicating, editing and organisational skills are a fundamental part of the success of this website.  Melissa is a parent of three girls (including twins) and is also an active member of her children's school community.

 

Bloggers & Authors

We are fortunate and grateful to have a range of skilled bloggers and writers to contribute to the happychild website. Simply click on their names to find out more about them. 

Arun Abey - read Arun's full profile

As director of the Smith Family in Australia and father of two boys, Arun is particularly concerned with bringing up emotionally-resilient and financially successful children with a strong sense of their own values.

 

Sally Collings - read Sally's full profile

In between running Red Hill Publishing, caring for her two girls (aged five and seven) and extracting melted toys from the oven, Sally is working on her third book, Parenting with Soul.

 

Carol Duncan - read Carol's full profile

Carol is a Walkley Award-winning journalist, was the inaugural winner of the NSW Cancer Council award for Excellence in Reporting, and awarded the 2007 Premier’s Public Sector Awards medal. She is the mother of two children.

 

Sophie Lee - read Sophie's full profile

Sophie has three children, is an accomplished actor as well as an author.  Alice in La La Land was her first novel. Edie Amelia and The Monkey Shoe Mystery is a her first children’s book, its  sequel is due later this year.

 

Sarah Pietrzak - read Sarah's full profile

Sarah is a freelance writer and educational consultant. She is a regular blogger, book reviewer and mother.

 

 

Catherine Sim - read Catherine's full profile

Catherine has four children, is an accomplished artist and hopefully soon to be published children's author.

 

 

Authors

 

Verity Leatherdale - read Verity's full profile

(her pic is coming, please enjoy these chocolate eclairs til then!)Verity has enjoyed working in the media and communications industry for over two decades. She is currently employed by a goverment agency with a strong focus on children and parenting.

 

Julia Richardson - read Julia's full profile

Julia Is an experienced writer and editor of magazines, newspapers and books. She has two children and hopes her work with happychild will help her to find her own answers.

 

Margie Sheedy - read Margie's full profile

Margie is an author, experienced journalist and editor. She is the mother of  three children (including twins). Margie is inspired by the idea that there must be better ways to do things, which keeps her writing and eating chocolate.

 

Alison Tait - read Alison's full profile

Alison is a freelance writer, with twenty years experience in magazine and online publishing. She is a non-fiction author with two books. Alison is a parent of two boys.