Volume 1
Let's dance ballet!
Moving, expressing yourself and finding a rhythm together.
Coming soonNICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
Every child is
an entire world.
Does your child seem to fit no simple description? This is a place for what you notice: new words, an open mind and the many ways of being a child.
Explore the developmental lettersFrom Katja. For families. With an open mind.
Why Varikind?
I was diagnosed with ADHD. I am neurodivergent myself and know how long it can take to find a way of living with yourself and the world that truly fits.
I do not want to make children fit. I want to see them as they are and look for the support and strategies that suit this one child. So they can feel capable of happiness, connected and at home in their lives.
Understanding. Strategies. Advocacy.
For families. For diversity. For every child.
THE ATTITUDE BEHIND VARIKIND
A child is more
than the word
that describes them.
One whole person.
Sometimes a label helps us understand. Sometimes it narrows our view.
A diagnosis can make experiences clearer and help us find useful support. It never tells the whole story of a child.
Varikind invites you to hold both things at once: the knowledge that helps, and the openness required by this one person — with their strengths, fears, imagination and very own way of experiencing the world.
Not every difference needs a diagnosis.
No child can be reduced to one.
WHERE VARIKIND BEGINS
Finding words for
what makes your child who they are.
Coming soon
The developmental letters
Sometimes we do not lack the feeling for our child. We lack the language.
The developmental letters help you capture what you see: interests and strengths, intense feelings, unusual questions and the small moments in between.
For families exploring ADHD, giftedness, autism or other neurodivergent ways of developing — and for anyone who wants to understand their child more closely, with or without a diagnosis.
Little by little, you create a personal picture of your child and a foundation for good conversations at home, in childcare or at school.
What you will find inside
Prompts, questions and suggestions help you expand your vocabulary and describe your child more precisely. Notice strengths, interests and needs without falling back on the same few adjectives.
You can borrow the suggested words, change them or find your own. Write freely, collect notes or answer one question at a time. It does not have to be perfect.
An observation and reflection workbook. It is not a substitute for professional diagnosis.
Developmental letters
How I experience you
right now…
a snapshot
Developmental letters
I am amazed by
the way you…
Dear child,
What I notice about you
right now is…
Selected lines from the developmental letters.
THE CHILDREN’S SERIES BY VARIKIND
Every child belongs
in the middle of life.
In the colouring, activity and conversation books, eight children explore the world together. With different bodies, perceptions and abilities — and with so much that connects them.
Volume 2
We love winter
Snow, shared adventures and small winter joys.
Coming soon
Volume 4
Let's go riding
Meeting horses and daring to try something new together.
Coming soon
Book 5
At the Fire Station
Discovering helping, teamwork and big questions together.
Coming soon
A series that can grow with new hobbies and themes. For colouring, recognising yourself and talking together.
What you will find in the books
Questions, possible answers and sentence starters invite conversations about difference, feelings, bodies, interests and shared experiences.
They help when a child has experienced something but has not yet found words for it. The books create space to observe, wonder, ask and discover different perspectives together.
THE PERSON BEHIND VARIKIND
I am Katja.
Mother.
Director.
Always curious.
Children matter to me. In my films. And in the middle of my life.
I am Katja Benrath, a film director and mother of two. In my films and in everyday life, I keep returning to the same questions: How do children experience the world? What moves them? How can we truly listen?
I was diagnosed with ADHD. I am neurodivergent myself. I know how long the search for explanations, strategies and a way of being can take when the usual answers do not fit.
I try to accept my children as they are while giving them the support they need to be capable of happiness. I observe, ask, learn and keep looking for what fits this individual child.
My films for children are also interested in different feelings, bodies and ways of moving through the world. I want stories in which these differences belong naturally and children are visible in all their complexity.
Understanding. Strategies. Advocacy.
That is why Varikind exists: to bring materials and stories into the world in which children can recognise themselves — and every child belongs.
Katja
THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
Varikind is growing.
With you. For you.
Ideas to keep thinking about
An Instagram channel is planned: about ADHD, giftedness, twice exceptionality and supporting children beyond the box.
Support for parents
In time, Jessica will offer one-to-one coaching to help parents communicate with teachers and childcare professionals. More materials for families and educators may follow.
The materials are on their way.
Planned outlets include our own shop, Etsy and books on Amazon. Direct links will appear here as soon as they are available.
LEGAL INFORMATION
Imprint
Information according to § 5 DDG
Varikind — Beyond One-Size-Fits-All
Katja Benrath
Müllerweide 24c
22391 Hamburg
Contact
Email: kontakt@eigen-arten.de
Responsible for content
Katja Benrath
Müllerweide 24c
22391 Hamburg
VARIKIND — BEYOND ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL