Making a story about something real

Some of the most powerful stories aren't fantasy at all — they're gentle rehearsals for something a child is about to face. A first day of school. A new baby. A night away from home.

Turn the worry into an adventure

When your child is the hero of a story about the very thing they're nervous about, the fear gets smaller. They get to practise being brave in a place where nothing can go wrong.

Children don't need the scary thing explained. They need to feel capable of meeting it.

A simple recipe

Name the moment, make your child the hero, and let the story end somewhere calm and safe. Keep it short, keep it kind, and let them make a choice or two along the way. By the time the real day arrives, they've already done it once — in a story that belonged to them.