We are committed to helping children develop emotional intelligence with particular emphasis on kindness and empathy. Today, kindness matters more than ever – not just because it makes the world a nicer place to live in, but also for our individual wellbeing. Being kind to ourselves, to others and to our planet helps relieve stress and reduce pain, strengthen relationships and foster a sense of wellbeing. Research shows that identifying with the emotions of the characters children meet in books helps to build empathy – the ability to see things from others’ perspectives. Kindness and empathy are central themes running through all Jenny Many stories.
The constant need to assess children in the education system means that creative subjects such as art, drama and music are increasingly being squeezed out of the curriculum. Furthermore, the resulting constraints on the classroom ensure that there is little space and time for our educators to help children to develop their creative thinking skills. The Jenny Many ethos supports all forms of creativity. We understand that thinking differently and imaginatively helps generate new and useful ideas as well as supporting each child’s passion for learning. Our storytelling supports the development of the creative mind through imaginative play, ingenuity and invention, in turn encouraging children to ask questions, make choices and learn resilience through failure.
Maintaining too narrow a focus on achievement in the traditional, academic sense can marginalise the successes of the many children who excel in ways not usually recognised by the current education system. We aim to redefine accepted notions of success, demonstrating that a happy and fulfilling life is built on far more than good grades and financial gain. We have created a cast of characters who model other valuable skills and attributes that deserve to be celebrated – budding entrepreneurism, curiosity about the world and the ability to communicate and collaborate.
Today’s world may be wide open and accessible thanks to advances in travel and technology, but as a society we have become so risk averse few opportunities are left for young children to discover their sense of adventure. The Jenny Many enterprise exists to help children identify and indulge their passions, unlocking untapped wells of excitement as they plan, explore and discover.
Confidence is vital to a child’s happiness and health. Children with high levels of confidence and self-esteem are better equipped to deal with the challenges and frustrations of modern life, including responsibility, peer pressure and the invasive influence of social media. We aim to help children find and build their inner strength – promoting positive self-image, resilience, as well as independent and conscious decision-making.
Our children are growing up in a world with increasing reliance on technology and a high demand for skills to match jobs in the technology sector. We promote responsible and creative use of technology from the outset in order to enable our children to become the ethical, digital citizens of the future. The Jenny Many community, while helping children and parents navigate some of the pitfalls of social media and the web, show that technology can also be a powerful force for good – enhancing learning, allowing for creativity and freedom of expression, improving problem solving skills and helping to build and consolidate relationships.