Look. I get it. Raising kids in a world where lockdown drills are needed makes you sick and horrified.
You don’t like to think about it. And you certainly don’t talk to your kid about it.
But should you? Definitely yes! Research shows your kid will handle life stressors better with your support. They need you.
But you worry you’ll say the wrong thing and make them terrified of school forever. Or, worse, you’re scared you’ll accidentally teach them the wrong thing and put them in even bigger danger during an emergency.
Listen, Run, Hide was created exactly for you!
You Need Something Specific...
With my oldest entering kindergarten my stomach was in a knot. I knew she’d do lockdown drills. I wanted to support her. I had no idea what to say.
I checked for books to help me but couldn’t find what I knew we needed. We needed something:
✅ Honest,
✅ Age-appropriate,
✅ Focused on my child’s safety,
✅ Able to answer the hard questions,
✅ And, miraculously, still soft and warm.
It didn’t exist so I created the book that you and I both need. The story of Willa and the drill was born!
I didn't write this book to get rich.
In fact I'm donating all profits, including my fee as author and publisher, to gun violence prevention.
I just want you to have the resource you need.
More Than a Story - A Safety Conversation Starter
What does this book teach? Exactly what you and your child need to know so that your child responds to an emergency in the way that puts their safety first.
Your conversation will leave them feeling empowered and supported through their lockdown drill experiences.
❌ No more pushing the topic out of your mind and hoping for the best.
❌ No more feeling nervous that you’re going to say the wrong thing.
❌ No more leaving your child to sit with this alone.
Just honest, age-appropriate, non-scary, empowering discussions about staying safe.
As you read about Willa turning to her family for support, Listen, Run, Hide teaches your child to...
Listen
I get it. Your child doesn’t always listen to you at the best of times and you worry about how they may act in an emergency. I was there too.
That’s why the first thing Listen, Run, Hide teaches is to listen and follow directions during emergencies.
In a high-stakes moment where seconds matter, you need your child to do what you ask, quickly, and without question. This book will help you teach them exactly that.
Run
Your child is told to not run in public all the time. But you realize that in an emergency, running could save their life.
Listen, Run, Hide will give your child a clear understanding that their safety is more important than rules. Sometimes running is not only allowed, but it’s exactly what you want them to do. What you need them to do. Their safety depends on it.
Your child needs your help to understand that the rules they learn each and every day, go out the window when there is danger.
Hide
We tell our children not to hide from us (that’s scary) or from their friends (that’s rude - except for when playing games of course). But hiding in an emergency could literally save their life.
You need to have a conversation with your child so they know hiding when they feel unsafe is okay. They need you to teach them that areas that are normally off-limits like emergency exits, teachers lounges, and employee-only areas, are all good places for hiding.
Reading Listen, Run, Hide will empower you and your child to adopt a safety-first view of their world.
But that's not all...
This lockdown drill book is unlike any other.
You’ll want to apply everything you and your child just learned to their daily routine. But you won’t have to do it alone.
The guide at the end of the story will walk you through the exact follow-up questions to ask your child. Whether an emergency were to happen at your child’s school, your church, the store, or elsewhere, your child will know exactly who they should trust, which rules they should break, and where they should go for safety.
Thanks to your guidance, your child will have a specific safety plan and you will remove all guesswork - leaving them feeling confident, empowered, and ready to put their own safety first.
The ONLY lockdown drill book to take place in a home setting.
Most lockdown drill books take place and are designed to be read in school. But this book has been built for you from its inception.
Because you know your child better than anyone. You’ll be able to read their body language and their facial expressions.
You’ll be able to give them clarity if they become confused. You’ll reassure them if they feel scared. When you read Listen, Run, Hide with your child you’ll become their biggest support as they navigate something difficult. No one can do this like you.
Easily applied to the classroom.
It’s important to you that your child understands what they should do and where they should go inside their own school.
That’s why Willa’s story includes pictures of Willa and her classmates in a school setting - in a classroom, in the hallway, and in a teachers supply room.
You’ll be able to use these pictures as visual prompts to answer questions like, “where would I go inside of my own classroom/hallway/etc.?”
With tips from multiple professionals.
Including:
✅ Licensed child psychologists, who know how to break down tough topics for kids
✅ Children’s literature experts, who know how to teach through powerful stories
✅ National experts in school safety and crisis response, who know what works best in a real emergency
And the creator of the FBI’s Active Shooter Program wrote the foreword.
Start showing up for your child today.
Grownup, I totally feel you. This topic is terrifying and you wish desperately that this wasn’t a part of your child’s life. Me too!
And if you and I were in charge, we’d snap our fingers and remove this type of emergency forever.
But you can’t control the world they’re growing up in.
All you can control is:
💛 the support they receive
💛 the safety lessons they learn
💛 and that they don’t grow up with this scary reality alone.
Your child needs you. Let Listen, Run, Hide make this hard conversation easier.
