26/04/2026
I’ve been asked so many times what inspired me to write I Can Be Brave Without You, so I wanted to share the heart behind it 💙📘
My name is Aoife Watters. I’m a mum to two beautiful children, aged 3 and 5, and the owner of Little Explorers Daycare & Afterschool in Belleek and Culloville. Every day, I’m surrounded by children bursting with imagination, curiosity, and big emotions. Their little voices, their questions, and their bravery planted the very first seed for this book.
I’m not a trained writer, and this was never part of my plan. But sometimes, the most meaningful things come from the most unexpected places. This story exists because of the children who inspire me daily, especially my own little explorers.
Over the years, I’ve supported so many families through one of the hardest transitions, settling into childcare or school. I’ve seen mums cry, dads cry, and parents sit in their cars after drop off, heartbroken and full of doubt.
I was always the one saying, “They’ll be okay.” “This is normal.” “It just takes time.”
Parents trusted me with their fears and emotions… but the truth is, for a long time, I had never truly felt what they were feeling.
My own children had always been with me. Little Explorers was their safe place, their second home. They never had to face the fear of walking into somewhere new or being left somewhere unfamiliar.
And then one day, everything changed 💔
It was my turn.
Ealach Mae’s first day at nursery, she was excited, until she wasn’t.
She clung to me, and in that moment, my heart broke. I felt the panic, the guilt, the overwhelming anxiety. I walked away, got into my car, and cried… because suddenly, I understood.
This is what those parents felt.
She did settle, but it wasn’t easy. There were moments I questioned everything. Moments I thought, “If she can’t do this, I can’t put her through it.”
The same words I had once heard from other parents.
Then came Primary 1 and it all began again 📚
A bigger school, new faces, new routines. Even with friends around her, it felt like starting from the very beginning.
She became anxious. Quiet. She would say her tummy was sore. Some mornings she cried, some mornings she panicked, telling me, “I can’t do this.”
And every morning, I had to leave her at that door and walk away.
Some days I cried. Some nights she cried. Every day, my heart ached 💔
The hardest part? Knowing that once she was inside, she was okay. She would come out smiling, telling me she had a great day… but the next morning, the fear would return.
That’s when I truly understood, this was separation anxiety.
Her feelings were big, too big for her little body to manage alone. And I struggled too. I questioned myself. I wondered if I was failing her.
But I’ve learned something important, she hasn’t “grown out of it”… and that’s okay. She is still brave. She is still strong & she is learning, in her own time, that she can be brave without me.
And that is why I wrote this book 📘
I wrote it for Ealach Mae.
For the children who feel scared but don’t have the words. For the children who think they’re the only ones feeling this way & I wrote it for the parents. The ones who cry in the car. The ones who feel guilt, doubt, and heartbreak.
I want children to know, It’s okay to feel scared. Your feelings matter & mummy or daddy will always come back.
I want parents to know, some children find transitions easy, and some don’t, that does not mean you’ve failed. Your child isn’t being difficult, they are communicating.
Childhood anxiety is real. It deserves patience, understanding, and love.
If this book helps even one child feel understood, or one parent feel less alone, then it will all have been worth it ❤️
This story comes from love, from lived experience, and from a little girl who showed me what true bravery really looks like 💙
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