About Annalit!

Hi name is Annalit

Sarah and I decided to start this blog because of our mutual passion for children. Sarah and I have been friends for about 6 years now. My now husband and her boyfriend were best friends in high school and when she started dating him he brought her to my then fiance's birthday party. She was super awesome and we started hanging out. We shared a passion for child development and she helped get me a job at the preschool she was teaching at.  We became best friends, neighbors, and colleagues.  She was a bridesmaid at my wedding and has been a true friend in my life. That's our story :)

I am from Santa Ana, CA I lived there until I was 17! Moved to Arizona the last quarter of my senior year and met my now husband! I am married and have a wonderful 2 year old daughter named Aria. 

From an early age I sought to try and understand why people were they way they were. Coming from an abusive childhood,  I wanted to know what made people do the things they did and realized that a lot of the decisions adults made were because of their childhood.  A lot of the things I do now are a consequence or in influence of my childhood.  I became really interested in the behavioral health field and always knew I wanted to work with children.  After high school I started going to school for behavioral health and started looking for opportunities to be able to work with children. 

In 2011 I started working with Sarah as a preschool teacher and learned so much about child development. While in school I realized that parents and caregivers are vital to children's lives, they form connections positive and negative all the time and their little brains work so much in developing in those early years!! I also worked as an outreach educator and developed curriculum tailored to individual children to teach them all types of developmental skills in their home with everyday experiences.

 I taught early childhood education ages 0-4 for a couple of years and then started working at a domestic violence shelter.  While working at the shelter as a family advocate I was really exposed to children who had very little to no coping skills with mothers who had their own struggles and fears.  The fears of each individual was a whole family problem, even though we think kids don't realize whats going on around them you would be surprised how insightful they really are and how much these kids where supporting their mothers emotionally.  There was so much love, fear, and frustration and it became my mission to empower people to take control of their lives. 

 I took a class on play therapy and was inspired to become a child and family counselor specializing in trauma using expressive arts therapy! Expressive arts therapy is inspiring to me. People of all ages and backgrounds can relate and use it to cope and express their feelings without having to say a word!! I am currently working as a clinical facilitator at a non profit organization working with youth in the behavioral health system and am still going to school to finish my education to be able to reach my goal of working as a therapist with children and families. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge and experiences with you all!

Random facts:

I love Harry Potter. Team Snape
Soccer is my sport of choice.
Fashion is my other passion.
I love being a mom. 
I love to read: Favorite authors and books: Nicholas Sparks, Edgar Allan Poe, The Giver, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Secret life of Bees
I love quotes, the best way to say something in a short way
I talk a lot

I have another blog about mental health awareness that you can also follow:
InSightbyA