ST. LOUIS, Missouri (KMOV) — A local 8-year-old girl is hoping to help other children coping with an absentee parent by detailing her own experience.
Zara Daugherty, 8, is going to be a third grader this year in the St. Louis Public School District. She enjoys reading and writing, something her therapist told her she could use to channel some of her emotions.
“I’m so thankful to her because she has taught me different tools for handling my sadness or anger,” said Daugherty. “I can scream into a pillow, squeeze a stress ball or even write a book!”
The latter Daugherty enjoyed, writing down her feelings after a particular day a few years ago when her dad broke a promise he made, she said.
“My dad had come over the day before to eat sushi with us and he said he would cover over the next day,” she said. “He broke that promise.”
Daugherty told her mom she wanted to write a book, one that would be available on Amazon for children around the world to read if they’re going through the same pain.
“Even though this is an epidemic in this country, it’s also important [on another front],” she said. “Kids face disappointment all the time, they face things that make them angry, but the real question is, ‘what tool does that kid have to get through those type of feelings?’”
Hesitant about her family’s personal life being on full display for the world to read about, Daugherty said she realized the benefits of allowing her daughter to express herself in a way that was not only positive and productive, but that she enjoyed. She tried to encourage Zara to write a happy story, perhaps about her ideal day with her dad or other family member. Instead, she said, she was adamant to write about how to overcome a broken promise.
“I love to write and read books and I like a lot of books that have meaning,” explained Zara. “When somebody breaks a promise, you can’t control what they do but you can control what you do.”
Her mom hopes Zara’s story will help eliminate the stigma of therapy, which Zara has attended for nearly four years. A proactive and intentional approach to parenting is key to helping guiding a child through the disappointments of a loved one breaking a promise, she said.
“This is something a lot of kids are facing, but the key is getting in front of these situations so children can have a productive life,” she said.
The mother-daughter pair brought on an illustrator and publisher and ‘Broken Promise’ was published in May of 2023, as Zara celebrated her eighth birthday. The book can be found on Amazon and in local branches of the St. Louis Public Library.
