The ducks to my squirrel

Hampton behavioral consultant publishes kids’ book

Some people seem to have all of their ducks in a row. Certified Behavioral Consultant Megg Thompson of Hampton finds that this isn’t the case for many, including herself.

“I saw a post on Facebook a long time ago that said, ‘I don’t have ducks and I don’t have a row, I have squirrels and they’re drunk,” Thompson said.

It was this post that eventually led to the publication of Scoot ’n Newton, the brainchild of Thompson and her son, Brennan.

The book follows the antics of two friends, a duck and a squirrel, with opposite mentalities as they teach each other new skills with the help of other animals along the way. The children’s book is influenced by Thompson’s experience with children’s behavioral psychology, specifically children who have metaphorical squirrels in their head, and ones who need all of their ducks in a row.

“Ninety-eight percent of the time, a challenging behavior is a lack of skill or an unmet need,” Thompson said. “I’m trying to teach the adults that through this book, while making it fun and lighthearted.”

Thompson’s goal is for kids and their parents to realize it’s OK to be like Scoot, and to learn how to function with a swift brain.

“It’s helpful for people to know that your brain goes fast, and it doesn’t mean that you’re wrong or right,” Thompson said.

Moreover, Thompson hopes that Scoot ’n Newton will inspire parents to sit and read with their children, have more conversations and instill higher self-awareness in them. Each book comes with a set of behavioral strategies in the back for parents to try with their kids.

“I hope there’s laughter, quality family time and I hope it brings the family closer together,” Thompson said. “If it’s a ‘Newton’ mom and a ‘Scoot’ kid, I hope this book helps them understand each other.”

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in communications, Thompson veered off the beaten path and taught kindergarten for 10 years. After finding success in aiding children with challenging behaviors, she decided to pursue a career in behavioral psychology.

“I was always good with the really hard kids because of my sense of humor and my patience,” Thompson said. “I realized that doing the silly things that teachers usually do with hard kids wasn’t working, so I left teaching and got my master’s in early childhood development and a certificate in behavior.”

Thompson’s strategies stem from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a pyramid of essential childhood development components such as safety, love and belonging and self-realization.

“Every kid wants to belong somewhere,” Thompson said. “That’s just part of human nature, and a lot of people tend to put that before their basic needs. We want kids to have all of those components so they can focus on academics.”

With one book published and a second expected to be released soon, Thompson hopes these characters will have their own cartoon show someday, and a four-book set with teacher guides is on the horizon.

Thompson is also teaching a mask curriculum at multiple schools, an effort raised to teach kids the importance of health and safety during the current pandemic. Her approach makes masks seem not so mystical.

“I went to my son’s school in a unicorn outfit,” Thompson said. “The owner of the school asked me to come in and teach the kids about masks and I asked if I could wear a unicorn outfit. People started asking me to come to their schools and do teacher workshops and videos on how to help kids, but I have to wear the outfit as part of the contract.”

As Thompson finds success in writing children’s books and helping kids, she gives credit to her son, Brennan (who is the Newton to her Scoot, she said).

“All of the ideas were actually his,” Thompson said. “I just helped him put it all together.”

Brennan is the mastermind behind the short and long thinker dynamic in the books. The duo is already planning out the storyline for future books, along with their illustrator, Jana Borja, whom Thompson discovered through Facebook.

“I rarely have my squirrels in a row, but I’m always finding people through social media that are the ducks to my squirrel,” Thompson said.

For resources on child development, visit meggthompson.com. Updates on Scoot ’n Newton can be found on their Facebook page.

— Shane Jozitis

Featured photo: Megg Thompson and her son, Brennan. Courtesy photo.