Welcome to my Website

My name is Debbie and I am the author of Molly Moo and the Mean Dinosaur. As an experienced classroom practitioner with over 25 years of experience and someone who has lived experience of coercive control, I am very passionate about teaching young children about healthy relationships and how to recognise the signs of unhealthy relationships.

My book and resources will give children the skills to be able to recognise these signs and what to do if they or somebody they know find themselves in any relationship or friendship which does not feel good.

A few years ago, I decided to write a children’s story which will help children really understand about coercive control and how it can evolve over time. We need to be giving younger children the knowledge and tools to spot the signs of coercive control so that they can recognise early warning signs in their bodies when something doesn’t feel right, and this is what Molly Moo and the Mean Dinosaur is designed to do.

Coercive control is now recognised as a criminal offence, and it is absolutely crucial that we begin to teach children of all ages about this type of abuse. It has a major impact on both children and adults, damaging their emotional, psychological, social and even physical wellbeing - as well as affecting their academic achievements.

It is important to note that coercive control is a form of domestic abuse that can often go unnoticed. Recognising the signs of coercive control and providing the support for children who are affected is critical.

A little bit about me.

I have been working with children of ages 2 - 11 for over 25 years. I completed my childcare and education CACHE diploma and have worked in several different childcare settings and primary schools over the course of that time.

As a passionate educator, I have undertaken many safeguarding courses and training and understand how crucial it is to encourage children to always speak to a trusted adult when they feel worried or scared.

I believe that spreading awareness about domestic abuse and coercive control is absolutely vital in today's society due to the life altering effects it can have on both children and adults, and I will continue to be a advocate for making sure that the early warning signs are recognised through my work.

About The Characters

Let me introduce you to Molly Moo, Rory and Bella. Molly Moo is a rag doll who lives in Holly’s bedroom. Holly feels safe and happy with Molly Moo and the other toys. Then one day Rory the Dinosaur arrives and things begin to change. Rory is mean to Molly Moo and starts to control her and the other toys. Molly Moo is scared of Rory and becomes very upset. Will she be brave enough to tell her friend Bella how she is feeling?

This book can help younger children to explore and understand unhealthy relationships, coercive control and bullying using toy characters that children can easily relate to. The story encourages children to seek help and support in order to stay safe.

Molly Moo

Rory

Bella

I recently read this book to my year 1 and 2 class. The book tackles some difficult issues around healthy relationships, bullying and control. The children very quickly latched on to the main character of Molly Moo and instantly felt protective of her when Rory begins to befriend Molly Moo and then subtly begins to bully and control her.
The Book is very clever in how it shows children what is happening in a context that the children can relate to that is not frightening in any way.
My class were eager for Molly Moo to stand up for herself and speak up to stop the coercive behaviour. They were able to communicate their thoughts and feelings and were able to give examples from the book.
The follow up materials are well planned and are appropriate for children aged 6 and upwards. They tease out some of the main themes of the story using the characters as a starting point. It is a super resource for exploring emotional literacy with this age group and widening their emotional vocabulary.
I would highly recommend this resource to any practitioner looking to educate their children about any of these issues.
5 stars!