I am Irma Smegen, and I am committed to the well-being of children and changes in education. I am a mindfulness and compassion trainer, and I have more than 30 years of teaching experience as a primary school teacher and (teacher training college) instructor. My work mainly focuses on parents and professionals who work with children. More and more people are experiencing stress-related issues or facing burnout. I believe we truly serve children by teaching them from a young age how to take good care of themselves and each other. This led me to develop my first book on mindfulness for school: ‘Playing in Silence.’ I have now written 5 books containing playful exercises to help children stand strong and take care not only of themselves but also of others and the world around them. My most recent book, co-authored with Marjolein Prenger, is a compassion training for children: 'Be Kind.' Offering mindfulness and compassion training is now the most important part of my work. I also regularly give lectures and workshops internationally and am involved in arts education and mindfulness programs.