Once Upon a Feeling: Why Stories Are the Best Way to Teach Children About Emotions

Welcome to Our World - The Walnut and The Oak

A good story doesn't just entertain - it gives children the words, the tools, and the courage to understand what's happening inside them.

Picture this: your child comes home from school, slams their bag on the floor, and bursts into tears. When you ask what's wrong, they can only say, "I don't know." It's not stubbornness. It's not drama. Most of the time, children genuinely don't yet have the words for what they're feeling inside - and that gap between emotion and language is exactly where stories can help.

"Emotions aren't problems to be solved. They're experiences to be understood. And children learn to understand them best through the mirror of story."

Emotions are invisible - stories make them visible

When a child watches a character feel left out at lunchtime, or nervous before a new experience something remarkable happens in their brain: they connect. Suddenly, that swirling, unnamed feeling they experienced on Tuesday has a shape. A face. A story. Researchers call this emotional recognition - and it's the first step toward emotional intelligence.

Unlike a direct conversation - which can feel exposing or pressured - a story creates safe distance. The feeling belongs to the character first. That makes it so much easier for a child to look at it, name it, and eventually claim it as their own.

Why our world was built this way

When we created this universe of stories, we made one decision early on: every character would feel things fully. Not tidily. Not with easy resolutions. Our characters get angry, feel left out, worry too much, and sometimes get things wrong. Because that's real life - and children know it.

Across our books and podcast stories, we've only just begun exploring the vast emotional world children live in every day - and honestly, there is still so much more to uncover. That's exactly why we've recently welcomed a new voice to our universe: Grandpa Banjo Bill and his trusty cat Potato. Gentle, wise, and completely judgement free, Grandpa Banjo Bill joins our podcast to guide children and the people who love them through the feelings that are sometimes the hardest to name. We hope you stick around for the journey!

What this means for you as an adult

You don't need to be a therapist or have all the answers. You just need to show up with a story. Reading together, or listening to a podcast episode on the way to school, naturally opens up conversations that might never happen otherwise. A child who won't talk about feeling jealous might happily discuss why a character felt that way - and that's where the real magic begins.

Simple ways to bring the stories to life:

• Read or listen together, then pause and ask: "Have you ever felt like that?"

• Don't rush to fix the feeling - let your child sit with it for a moment

• If you're listening to the podcast, pause with Grandpa Banjo Bill after the story - his gentle discussion is the perfect moment to check in with your child before continuing

• Each story episode has its own follow-up episode - a short mini lesson that goes a little deeper into the theme, without ever feeling like homework

• In Season 2, every mini lesson episode ends with a song - and yes, we deliberately made it one you'll actually want to hear. You're welcome, parents.

• Use character names as shorthand: "Are you having a bit of a [character] day today?"

• Let your child lead - follow their curiosity, not a lesson plan

An invitation into our world

Every book, every podcast episode, every character we've created is an open door. We're here to give children the tools and confidence to understand what's going on inside - and the adults in their lives an easy way into those conversations.

Because sometimes the best conversations start with a story.

Because sometimes the best conversations start with a story.....

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