|
Pillow talk
By Kim Smith
STAFF WRITER
Local invention: Helps youngsters talk about their feelings
An idea that wouldn't go away has been transformed into a pillow named
Paddy.
The brainchild of former Joliet resident Aimee Markelz is the first of
a line of products designed to help children learn to talk about their
feelings.
"The idea started 12 years ago," Markelz said. "I was volunteering
with the crisis help line. They taught me to handle what is called active
listening. No matter what had happened to the callers, we had to listen
and get them to talk about their feelings." Soon, Markelz realized
she had trouble expressing her own feelings. "Our instructor passed
a sheet around and had us write as many words for feelings as we could
in 60 seconds," Markelz said. "I came up with 10. Then the instructor
passed out a sheet of 100 words expressing feelings."
Realizing that most adults feel more comfortable discussing their feelings
with strangers bothered Markelz. She started studying the problem while
working her way up the corporate ladder at Sanford International, a manufacturer
of writing instruments and coloring products, as a market research analyst.The
St. Francis Academy graduate was promoted to vice president of marketing
at Sanford International in Chicago.
With the desire to help people still strong, Markelz quit her job in March,
2001, and opened her own company, Talk Inc. "I am trying to come
up with fun ways to get people to talk about their feelings," Markelz
said. "The best way to start seemed to be through children."
Paddy Pillow is a lovable, hugable pillow that also has a hard time naming
and explaining how he feels. Each brightly colored pillow comes with an
illustrated children's book and a CD of original Paddy Pillow music written
by Aimee's father, Jim Markelz of Joliet. "I knew at one time my
father played the organ and sang in the church choir," Aimee Markelz
said. "I had no idea he could write songs. It came as an absolutely
tremendous surprise."
Markelz grew up in Joliet and is the youngest of six children. Jim Markelz
is the former owner of Markelz Office Equipment. Her mother is Marge Markelz.
Her brother Greg Markelz now runs the office equipment business, her sister
Janet Markelz runs an office furniture business in Joliet. She has a sister
Nancy Gatens who lives in Dallas, a brother Carl who is a priest and principal
of Mt. Carmel High School, and brother Paul who owns Bridge Technologies
Inc. in West Chicago. "I may live in Chicago now, but I am always
in Joliet at least once a week," Markelz said. Markelz attended St.
Paul the Apostle Grade School.
To creating Paddy the Pillow, Markelz enlisted the help of a professional
advisory board of clinical psychologists, and educational psychologist,
a speech pathologist and a licensed social worker who specialized in family
and individual counseling."The younger we start working with kids
in developing healthy emotional literacy, the better off they will be,"
said Dr. Anne Updegrove, a clinical psychologist. "Teaching them
a vocabulary of feelings provides the words to express themselves clearly
and comfortably. Children need to identify their feelings and practice
talking about them with a person they trust."
Paddy Pillow is designed to help parents and children explore the world
of emotions together. The book is the first in a series and deals with
the feelings of happy, sad, love, scared, angry, shy, ashamed and proud.
Future books will deal with jealousy, confidence, loneliness, excitement,
hurt, frustration and more. Theme orientated books are also in works to
help children cover common sense issues children face such as peer pressure
and diversity. "Understanding our own and other people's feelings
is essential to healthy emotional development," said Dr. Caroline
Rehm Seufert, an educational psychologist and speech pathologist who helped
design Paddy the Pillow. "Paddy provides parents and children with
an entertaining way to facilitate the identification and expression of
feelings."
Markelz is introducing Paddy the Pillow in the Chicagoland area. The Paddy
the Pillow set retails for $29.95 and is available at paddypillow.com.
Locally, pillow sets are available at Rand's Hallmarks in Crest Hill,
Joliet, Lockport, Romeoville, Plainfield and Frankfort; Provena Saint
Joseph Medical Center's gift shop; and Markelz Business Interiors.
Kim Smith can be reached at (815) 729-6067 or via e-mail at ksmith@scn1.com.
04/14/02
|