Helping Children Grow Rooted in Love
Helping churches, educators, and families support children through faith, connection, and emotional wellness.
Meet Kelly
Kelly Jones is a Registered Nurse, educator, mental health program director, and the founder of Rooted Hearts Initiative.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Nursing Education and has spent years working with children, families, older adults, churches, and community organizations - helping people better understand emotional wellness, trauma, resilience, and the importance of safe connection.
But beyond her professional background, Kelly is also a wife and mom to two little girls living in rural Minnesota. Much of the heart behind Rooted Hearts was shaped not only through her work in mental health, but also through everyday moments of motherhood - helping children navigate big feelings, fears, change, grief, confidence, and connection.
Kelly created Rooted Hearts Initiative to bring together faith and emotional wellness in simple, practical ways that feel approachable for real families, churches, schools, and communities.
Through stories, trainings, curriculums, and speaking, her mission is to help children grow up knowing they are safe, deeply loved, and never alone.
The Real Beau
Bo was inspired by our real black lab, Beau.
Beau had a gentle, calming presence and a special way of making people feel safe - especially children. He stayed close during hard moments, brought comfort without needing words, and reminded us how powerful quiet connection can be.
As I began creating stories to help children understand big feelings, it felt natural to create a character like Bo: a safe, steady presence children could trust as they navigate emotions, relationships, faith, and growing up.
Research consistently shows that children learn and regulate best through safe, connected relationships. In the stories, Bo helps model that safe connection while reminding children that they are deeply loved and never alone.
View Our Curriculums!
Helping Children Build Big Hearts for Big Feelings
Give the children in your care the tools to recognize, understand, and navigate their emotions through engaging, play-based, trauma-informed learning.
This six-week curriculum was created specifically for childcare providers, preschool classrooms, homeschool families, and early childhood programs that want to intentionally build emotional resilience while creating a calm, connected classroom culture.
Each week focuses on one important emotion through developmentally appropriate lessons, hands-on activities, movement, books, reflection, and meaningful conversations.
Inside this curriculum you'll explore:
Week 1: Nervous
Week 2: Angry
Week 3: Sad
Week 4: Scared
Week 5: Jealous
Week 6: Joy
Each week includes:
Daily lesson plans
Circle time discussions
Hands-on learning activities
Art and sensory experiences
Movement and gross motor activities
STEM invitations
Dramatic play ideas
Literacy and book recommendations
Social-emotional learning prompts
Provider reflection questions
Family connection ideas
Classroom posters and printable resources
Calm tools and coping strategies
Created by a master's-prepared mental health nurse educator, this curriculum blends child development, trauma-informed care, evidence-based social-emotional learning, and practical strategies that fit naturally into your daily routine.
Whether you're introducing emotional literacy for the first time or strengthening an existing SEL program, this curriculum provides everything you need in one easy-to-use resource.
Choose Your Format
Digital Download (PDF)
Instant access after purchase. Print as many copies as you need for your own classroom or use digitally on your device.
Perfect for providers who want immediate access or prefer to print materials themselves.
Printed & Shipped Curriculum
Receive a professionally printed, full-color curriculum delivered right to your door.
Perfect for busy educators who want a beautiful, ready-to-use resource without the hassle of printing and binding.
Children experience big feelings every day—but many families aren't sure how to talk about them.
Rooted Hearts at Home helps families build emotional wellness and faith together through simple, meaningful lessons that fit naturally into everyday life.
Created by Registered Nurse and mental health educator Kelly Jones, MSN, RN, this printable family study helps children understand their feelings while learning that Jesus is with them through every emotion.
Included Feelings:
❤️ Nervous
❤️ Angry
💙 Sad
💚 Scared
💛 Jealous
☀️ Joyful
Each Lesson Includes:
📖 Engaging story featuring Bo the black lab and relatable children
🙏 Family prayer
💬 Talk Together discussion questions
📜 Bible verse connection
🧠 Emotional wellness teaching
✨ Parent connection section
🐾 Bo's encouragement
💪 Practical emotional regulation activities
Perfect For:
• Families
• Homeschool families
• Grandparents
• Children's ministry
• Christian schools
• Foster and adoptive families
• Anyone wanting to help children build strong hearts rooted in faith and emotional wellness
Ages:
Recommended for ages 3–8
Format:
Printable PDF Download ($14.99)
OR
Physical copy shipped to You ($32.96)
Help your child discover that all feelings are welcome, they are deeply loved, and Jesus is with them through every emotion.
Strong Minds. Rooted Hearts. Brighter Futures.
Church Trainings
Faith-based trainings that help churches better support children, families, emotional wellness, trauma-informed care, and emotionally safe ministry environments. Designed for pastors, children’s ministry teams, volunteers, and church leaders.
Daycare Trainings
Trauma-informed and faith-based trainings that help daycare providers and early childhood educators better understand children’s emotions, behavior, nervous systems, and emotional development while creating calmer, more connected classroom environments.
Conference Speaking
Engaging faith-based speaking on emotional wellness, child development, trauma-informed care, leadership, resilience, and building emotionally safe communities for children and families.
Our first children’s book!
Bo & The Big Feelings: Nervous
Coming Soon 💛
The very first book in the Bo & The Big Feelings series is currently in development!
This faith-based children’s story follows Maggie and Bo as they navigate nervous feelings, new experiences, bravery, and emotional growth through gentle storytelling and safe connection.
In the story, Bo helps Maggie learn that God often places safe helpers in our lives — people, family members, teachers, friends, and comforting companions who remind us that we are loved, protected, and never alone. Through Bo’s steady presence, Maggie begins to understand that Jesus cares about her big feelings and walks beside her even when she feels nervous or unsure.
Inspired by a real black lab named Beau, Bo was created to model the calming presence of a safe and trusted companion while helping children build emotional awareness, resilience, faith, and courage.
We are currently working on illustrations and bringing the story to life — and we cannot wait to share it with you.
✨ Stay tuned for updates, sneak peeks, coloring sheets, and preorder information coming soon!
“THANK YOU!!! I love this curriculum for my daycare kiddos! It’s both simple and meaningful at the same time, and the kids love it.” -Marsha Larson
Let’s Team Up
