Hi! I’m Emma Tempest and you landed on my website somehow out of all the websites in the whole world, so I’m guessing you want to know two things: what can I do for you and why should you trust me. So, here goes nothing…
I focus on welcoming the clouds and the storms, knowing that the sunshine is just waiting to peek through and create a rainbow. This sounds super twee as I read it back, but it’s something a lot of us don’t do. We want the world to be all rainbows and butterflies (quick factoid about me: terrified of butterflies!) but in reality the world is truly 50/50. I like living in that happy, shiny 50, but I also know that once that rainbow disappears it’s only a matter of time before another storm rolls in (without sounding too much like gloom and doom, I’m just stating #facts). Resisting that other 50 just makes life twice as hard. That’s why you gotta make your own rainbows and not hang around waiting on the off chance for the next one to just show up. Learning to embrace both 50s is the greatest lesson I have ever taught myself – I even got a tattoo to remind me that you can’t have the light without the dark, and both those times will ebb and flow throughout our life. Just like Byron Katie says; “When I argue with reality, I lose—but only 100 percent of the time.”
Ever since I was a little girl I have wanted to be a teacher. I remember playing ‘schools’, bossing my little sister around (sorry, Jess!) and being the kid at school who always had their hand up (and was always talking – #sorrynotsorry for that one). I achieved my dreams and became an early childhood teacher in a 4-5yr old classroom in England after graduating from Leeds Metropolitan University with a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education (shout out to my tutor Yinka, who fondly remembers all my talking and infinite questions). I absolutely loved my job and loved promoting the power of play as the best way for young children to learn. I also loved the adult relationships I made and did not realise at the time just how much we also PLAYED.
2016 rocks up and my husband got a job in Arkansas, USA. It was time for me to put my playing shoes on and take on a whole new adventure! When I moved from home to the USA, my whole emotional support network was considerably altered in a way I was not anticipating! Ever since then, I have been learning how to look after my own mental health and the discoveries I have made indicate that play is the key – it’s not just for children! Play joins everybody together – from all ages, races, nationalities and cultures. People just like you who are reading this right now I have since shifted my role from teacher of children to become a consultant and coach for adults. I realised that as much as I LOVE playing and being a witness to children’s play, I can make more of an impact by supporting YOU – the educator who in turn supports even more children! Play for children, for teachers, for parents – for everybody!
I’m a strong advocate for play and originally began writing about play, as the self-titled “Play Coach”, on my blog. It has led me to create bespoke training and coaching for educators and families around how children learn through the power of play, and play as a tool for building a strong foundation of wellbeing. I’m using this new found knowledge, combined with my early childhood expertise, to create empowered children who are loved by empowered adults. I help adults to understand how young children learn, how to support them with their behavior challenges and bring happiness – not stress! – to their lives every single day. When children and adults share happy spaces together, the happiness ripples spread far and wide – from child to adult and from adult to adult! The key to happiness for me truly is the power of play.
I have been engaged with the early childhood field on a local and state level ever since my big move across the pond – attending and hosting training events, supporting and representing early childhood educators as a board member of the Northwest Arkansas Early Childhood Association and the statewide Arkansas Early Childhood Association. I even presented virtually at the Arkansas State Capitol advocating for ECEs and all the wonderful work they do! Wait, WHAT?! Yup, this blew my mind too.
I now live in New Jersey and share all about wellbeing for adults and children and how we can use positive psychology as a tool to help everyone be inspired to live joyful lives! Positive psychology is the tool that got me out of burnout and I know that is an all too familiar place for people just like you to live in. I am a Certified Positive Psychology Coach with the Wholebeing Institute, which is basically a gift to share with you how to go from overwhelmed to overjoyed using science-based activities that create and promote well-being and happiness via my specialty vehicle of play! I also have a Certificate in Creating Wellbeing from The Wellbeing Lab – with this certification I elevate the needs of early childhood employees in particular, who are often overlooked and underpaid, by providing them with professional development training and coaching that is tailored to them. I am also a Certified Wonder-Led Approach Educator and Guide with Fairydust Teaching. I do also take non-education clients! All humans welcome. I want to advocate for your mental health and wellbeing so you can not only turn up to your life happier and healthier, but that you look after yourself for the simple fact that you are a HUMAN BEING before you are anything else. I am a huge fan of using our brain power FOR us rather than spinning out in overwhelm, anxiety and depression. You deserve love too, y’know?
Hopefully by reading this you are realising that you are in the right place and trust that I can help you! I know what it’s like to be stressed out and overwhelmed and to forget the joy that simple play can bring. I also know what it’s like to flip the script and change the stories you are telling yourself so your brain heals from the inside out.
If you made it this far, I salute you! I I can’t wait to get to know you so send me an email saying ‘HI!’ today (p.s. you get bonus points if it includes emojis, gifs or a meme; they are my top love language after all).
