Hi, I'm Shalini, and this is my daughter Aria. When Aria was six months old, we received a devastating diagnosis—she was "one in a million" with a rare illness. Our world became hospital rooms and medical appointments, and while I couldn't control her physical health, I was determined to protect her spirit. 

So I homeschooled her in our attic using Montessori principles, teaching her not just academics but emotional resilience—how to name her feelings, calm her body, and ask for what she needed. Those skills became her survival tools. In the hospital when fear overwhelmed her, she knew how to breathe. At home when frustration surfaced, she had words for it. She didn't just survive—she thrived. 

Watching her grow, I realized every child deserves these tools, not just the ones facing medical challenges. But when I searched for resources to teach emotional intelligence, I found almost nothing. 

So I created them. Open The Joy was born from our attic classroom, designed to give every child what Aria learned: the power to understand themselves, regulate emotions, and face life's challenges with confidence. Because resilience isn't something you're born with. It's something you build. One feeling at a time. One conversation at a time. One moment of calm at a time.

With love and resilience,
Shalini & Aria Samtani
Co-Founder, Open The Joy