Studying elementary education, and having completed the childhood development endorsement, Safferman always had a passion for working with children. She used to work at the MSU preschool with 3-year-olds and currently works at an after-school program in Lansing with second and fifth graders. 

“I have always worked with kids every job that I have had,” Safferman said. “My ultimate goal is to be a kindergarten teacher. I have a really special interest in special needs and disabilities, I might proceed in receiving my master’s in special education.”

Though Safferman is now a children’s book author, writing never used to be something she liked to do. 

“As I got older, I started to like writing more and more,” Safferman said. “At first when I started writing, I figured it was a great way to express emotions, but then I realized — especially when working with kids who have anxiety — it could help them, too.”

“It’s OK to be Anxious” is targeted toward 3- and 4-year-olds, but Safferman said it’s also a good starter book for children of all ages learning how to read. The book focuses on topics such as anxiety, disabilities and feelings that otherwise are difficult to talk about with younger children.

Safferman said the book is also geared toward parents and educators who hope to learn how to explain these conditions to children in order to make them feel more comfortable with expressing their concerns.

“It is a topic that I think that is very important and a lot of people won’t touch,” she said. “I am doing it to help children. I don’t care that much about being becoming famous or any of that — I just want to help children who are struggling with anxiety through this book. I want to reach out to them and let them know that it is okay.”

After sending her manuscript to multiple publishers who turned it down, Safferman didn’t give up. Her journey led her to find Austin Macauley, an independent book publisher, who gave her a contract. 

“They are the ones who took it from a word document to a product,” Safferman said. “I did draw some illustrations myself and submitted it to them. They took the ideas and made them professional.”

She said another goal in publishing the book was to address childhood anxiety, which is oftentimes overlooked. 

“They just say, ‘Oh he’s crying because he’s cranky today.’ But it is very easy to label younger kids who may not be able to express their feelings yet as, ‘They’re having a bad day.’ But in reality, they have tons of emotions and have harder times than adults because they don’t know how to express it or use the right words,” Safferman said. 

A book release party will be held Feb. 16 at Everybody Reads, a book store on 2019 E Michigan Ave. in Lansing. It’s open to the public and all ages are welcome. Safferman will be reading the book and signing copies.

“It’s OK to be Anxious” can be purchased on Amazon and other book websites around the United States for $8.95.