The Story Behind Big World Of Little Dude

We love to feature other mom owned brands, so we are delighted to introduce you to Big World Of Little Dude!

Big World of Little Dude, an educational platform teaching children, aged 3-7, social and emotional skills delivered via a book series and toys for home and curriculum for teachers in the classroom. The main character is based on Little Dude, a real-life therapy dog, who volunteers with the Good Dog Foundation. We have just launched the humanKIND Curriculum, which is a literacy-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program for preschool and kindergarten.

What made you decide to start your business?

Big World of Little Dude was born from my experience as part of a therapy dog team with my real-life therapy dog, Little Dude. Together, we’ve visited schools, hospitals, aged-care facilities, and child protective services through The Good Dog Foundation. Through these visits, I witnessed firsthand the incredible power of kindness in action—how a simple gesture of warmth and care could positively impact people in our community.

As an early childhood educator, I wanted to bring this same message of kindness into my classroom. So, I started introducing Little Dude to my students, teaching them not just about what therapy dogs do but why being kind is so important. We engaged in fun, hands-on activities where kids could truly experience kindness in action—learning how to care for others, express empathy, and treat people with respect.

This sparked an "aha" moment for me: In early childhood education, we explicitly teach the ABCs and 123s, but why aren’t we teaching essential life skills in the same way? Skills like making friends, effective communication, empathy, respect, and having a growth mindset are just as foundational as academic subjects. That realization led me to explore Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), and through my research, I discovered how powerful SEL can be for children—not just in their academic growth, but also in their emotional well-being, social awareness, and overall classroom harmony.

From this understanding, Big World of Little Dude was created—a platform where we combine the warmth of a therapy dog with the essentials of SEL, giving children the tools they need to grow into kind, emotionally intelligent individuals.

What did you do before creating your business?

Before creating my business, I was a classroom teacher. I taught fourth grade in Sydney, Australia, and after moving to New York, I pursued further education to become an AMS Montessori-certified teacher for early childhood, teaching at West Side Montessori School in Manhattan. Additionally, I managed an afterschool program with Manhattan Youth at P.S. 397.

How can parents & educators work with you?

Parents and educators can work with me in several ways. I offer tailored workshops and professional development sessions that focus on integrating social and emotional learning (SEL) into the classroom. I also provide resources and tools designed to support both teachers and parents in fostering an emotionally supportive environment for children. Additionally, I can collaborate with schools to implement the humanKIND Curriculum, which focuses on developing essential social and emotional skills in young learners. Through these partnerships, we can create a cohesive approach to nurturing children's emotional well-being both at school and at home. For more information, please visit our dedicated website for parents and educators.

If someone wants to work on kindness with their children at home can you give any tips?

Here are five tips for fostering kindness in children at home:

1. Model Kind Behavior: Children learn by observing adults. Demonstrate kindness in your everyday interactions—whether it’s helping a neighbor, expressing gratitude, or using polite language. Your actions will inspire them to emulate similar behaviors.

2. Create a Kindness Jar: Encourage children to think of kind acts they can perform or witness throughout the week. Write each act on a slip of paper and add it to a "Kindness Jar." At the end of the week, review the acts together and celebrate the positive impact of kindness.

3. Practice Empathy Through Stories: Read books that emphasize themes of kindness and empathy. Discuss the characters’ feelings and choices, and encourage your child to think about how they would feel in similar situations.

4. Encourage Helping Others: Involve your children in community service or simple acts of kindness, such as baking cookies for a neighbor or donating toys to those in need. Engaging in these activities together fosters a sense of compassion and responsibility.

5. Praise Kindness: Acknowledge and praise your child’s kind actions, no matter how small. Positive reinforcement helps them understand the value of kindness and encourages them to continue behaving in that way.

Find Big World of Little Dude here. 

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