Kelly Melton, Owner of The Itsy Bitsy Scholars, from Milwaukee, WI.
What’s your overall mission:
As a childcare professional, my overall mission is to help mold minds for tomorrow’s future! I also want to encourage parental involvement and interaction! I want to help parents build community with resources to encourage growth and development!
My mission for Did you say baby? Is to encourage healthy conversations between parents and children. Many times, children aren’t included in conversations that parents don’t think pertain to them, but in all actuality they should be included in conversations that will assist them with understanding a change in their environment or in their family! I want to encourage that! I want to encourage early literacy, play, and social interactions with families and encourage limiting screen time. I want children to see themselves in my book! Representation matters!
How did your journey start:
I began my family childcare center: The Itsy Bitsy Scholars in March of 2018. During the pandemic I decided to publish my first children’s book: Did you say baby? I was having a moment of imposter’s syndrome. I wasn’t feeling like my life’s work was effective, I didn’t feel like I was doing enough within the community, I didn’t have a legacy. With Did you say baby? I created that legacy and I want it to reach children all over the world!
Since you’ve been on your journey, what’s been the best part:
The absolute best part is for parents to give me feedback that their children relate to the character and see themselves in the book! I’ve also had parents tell me that they want to be an author because they can see that I’ve done it. Being a light and an example to the youth speaks volumes! The best pet of being an educator is hearing success stories of former scholars! I’ve hear so many parents come back to me and say they are doing so well in school because The Itsy Bitsy Scholars helped prepare them!
In contrast, what’s been your biggest hurdle:
My biggest hurdle with Did you say baby? Was getting a publishing company. I wasn’t able to get the support of an established company, But I knew how powerful the story was and the impact it could have on the community, so I decided to self publish.
The biggest hurdle for The Itsy Bitsy Scholars is to find capital to expand. We want a commercial building so we will need grants and funding in order to expand. That has been challenging.
What’s the best advice you ever received:
The best advice I’ve received is to keep going. Nobody told me that the road would be easy, but I don’t believe God brought me this far to leave me.
What keeps you going:
Children and Families and My Community! My friends and family encourage me regularly and I need it!
Who’s one person you would like to work with that you haven’t had the opportunity to, yet:
Tabitha Brown is a long-term goal! I would love to work with her during an educational segment, like her Tab- time.
What do you want the world to remember you as:
A community and youth advocate and a published Author!
Is there anything else you would like to share:
If they would like to purchase a copy of Did you Say Baby? It’s avail on Amazon and on my website www.AuthorKellyM.com
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