A second-year counselor at McIntire Elementary School said there is more than meets the eye when it comes to children's emotions.
"They're doing the best they can with what they've got," said Audrey Penberthy. "People see a cranky kid and write them off. There are so many layers to why they act like that."
Penberthy, herself a lifelong Callaway County resident, said she's always had a love for helping children.
"I've always had a passion for working with kids," she said. "There's nothing I would rather do than work with kids, especially ones who struggle. I wanted to help those who need extra support."
Among her responsibilities at the school, Penberthy visits each classroom weekly for half an hour to talk to the children about emotional well-being. In addition, she also spends a lot of time helping on a smaller scale.
"I also run small groups and met with individuals," she said. "Throughout the day, I put out emotional fires, you can say."
With a desire to balance fulfilling work with a family life, working as an elementary school counselor just made sense, she said.
"I knew I wanted to be a counselor, and I knew I wanted to be with my own children for the summers and holidays, and this was a good fit," she said.
Penberthy said she considers herself an advocate for the children and tries to help them make sense of their emotional troubles. Many of the children who struggle, she added, are often carrying stress from their home life.
"Sometimes, they're tired, cranky and hungry because some of their basic needs aren't being met at home," she said. "Sometimes all they need is a hug or a snack. They're falling asleep in class not because they don't want to pay attention."
The emotional wounds children experience can be either small or big, Penberthy said.
"It could be anything as small as their dog dying or as big as their dad got arrested," she added. "It's the whole gambit."
In dealing with emotionally distressed children, Penberthy takes an approach deeper than simply telling the child what to do.
"I try to figure out what's going on, and when they've explained what's happening, I ask them what they need to have a good day," she said. "Whatever they say they need to do, we do. We ask them if they're ready to go back, and generally they're pretty good about letting us know."
Dealing with a child's emotional well-being is paramount for future success, Penberthy said.
"At this young age, they're so vulnerable to so many things, and they're developing into who they'll be," she said. "If you don't address a child's emotional needs, it will get worse as they grow, and they'll get too big to learn coping skills."
The coping skills they learn now, Penberthy added, will be the foundation for the rest of their lives. She encouraged parents and those close to children to observe and listen to the children.
"If you notice a kid isn't acting like themselves, ask. Give kids time," she said. "It's easy to ignore them and give commands, but we need to take time to stop and listen. If you want to listen, they'll tell you exactly what's going on."
To have a healthy emotional state, children need to feel validated and heard.
"I think that's the most important party of my job - listening and validating them," Penberthy said.
In addition to her love for working as a counselor, Penberthy also enjoys a popular sci-fi movie series.
"I'm a huge Star Wars nerd," she said.
One of her favorite characters from the series is part of her inspiration to do what needs to be done to help people around her.
"Han Solo is my favorite," she said. "He's just daring. He goes out there and gets it done."
Penberthy said she enjoyed watching the original Star Wars trilogy with her family growing up, a tradition that followed as her family went to see the most recent installment, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," in theaters together.
"With my dad, growing up we watched it all," she said. "And the new movie is amazing."
However, she is not a fan of the prequel Star Wars trilogy released in the early 2000s. Penberthy said she can thank everyone's least favorite clumsy, well-meaning Gungan outcast for that.
"I can't stand the prequels," she said. "Jar-Jar's awful. He ruined it."