Meet the author
Kia ora I'm Liz Donnelly, the person behind the Eardrops stories.
When my son had glue ear as a preschooler he didn't hear properly for a while. Once we fixed his ears I wanted to help him learn what things really sounded like, rather than the muffled sounds and words he had been hearing.
There were no stories that focussed on listening to sounds and hearing words clearly. “Madness!”, I hear you say. Doesn't every child need to hear these sounds and learn the language to describe them? I agree - and right there was the seed of the idea that some time later became Eardrops.
I was working at TVNZ (New Zealand's national broadcaster) in Children's Media roles at the time and had just completed a Master's degree in Media to add to the Bachelor of Arts in English I already held. The Masters study included a block of research into children and how they use different types of media at different developmental stages and I was fascinated by what I learned. Our kids are amazing! Next, I completed a Graduate Diploma in Teaching, finishing in the top 10% of students, and am happy to be qualified to teach children professionally. I have also honed my writing craft over many years. I am committed to continued deep learning in all these areas so I can continue to produce artisan stories of real value for your children.
That's a small part of my story! I love the way Eardrops helps me share in your stories now too and would love to connect with you.
Liz xx
5 fun facts:
I spent several years as a contributing writer for 'Littlies' parenting magazine and wrote on a variety of topics, including how we develop a sense of humour (its learned) and how to listen (takes practice). Click the magazine logos below to read a selection of my articles.
I was a preschool Mum for 15 years.* Sleep deprivation, much! (*except for 1 year when my firstborn was 5)
I won an AMP Scholarship and used the funds to produce eardrops in Te Reo Māori. I worked with an amazing talented team and the Te Reo Māori series is great. A bilingual New Zealand coming soon!
I needed to learn how to ask for help. These years while our children are young are so precious but it’s a time when we need so much support, right? I am determined to create things that truly help parents of young children. I've been there for all those years and its not easy!
I have 3 children and a UK born partner. My beloved loves the fact his children have cool Kiwi accents.
Are you on Instagram? Let’s connect! (@eardrops_)
