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Steph and the Storytime Crew
Steph and the Storytime Crew is a podcast of gentle, engaging stories that help kids regulate emotions, feel safe in their bodies, and navigate the ups and downs of growing up.
Created by therapist and mum Steph McCarter, each 15–30 minute story supports emotional resilience, self-worth, and nervous system regulation - covering everything from anxiety and big feelings to friendships, confidence, and self-trust.
While many families love the stories at bedtime, teachers and educators also use them in classrooms, calm corners, and transition times to support focus, connection, and emotional balance.
Perfect for ages 5 through to 12 (and the grown-ups who listen too), especially sensitive, deep-feeling, neurodivergent, or anxious kids who experience the world a little more intensely.
Blending storytelling with nervous system wisdom, Steph also supports families through neurodiversity coaching - helping parents better understand and support their beautifully unique kids.
Think: big feelings, funny animals, gentle tools, and moments of calm that kids actually enjoy.
New stories added regularly.
Find us on Instagram @StephandTheStorytimeCrew
Steph and the Storytime Crew
Those First Day Feelings – A Kids’ Story About Back-to-School Nerves
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Going back to school can stir up all sorts of feelings… excitement, nerves, wobbly tummies, big thoughts, and quiet worries that don’t always have words yet.
In this special Storytime Crew episode, Ollie the Otter, Josie the Jaguar, Savvy the Seal, Emmy the Axolotl, Lenny the Llama and Que the Quokka come together on the night before school starts again. They talk about feeling nervous, carrying big feelings in their backpacks, using their voices when things feel tricky, and remembering that grown-ups feel first-day feelings too.
This gentle, reassuring story helps children:
- normalise back-to-school nerves
- understand what nervous feelings can feel like in their bodies
- learn that bravery includes asking safe adults for help
- feel comforted by the ideas of a snuggle-string and an invisible bubble suit
- remember they don’t have to feel ready to show up as themselves
Perfect for listening in the lead-up to school returning, or the night before the first day back.
A companion Backpack of Feelings activity pack is available for parents to purchase. You’ll find the link below if you’d like to continue the conversation together at home -> https://linktr.ee/whitespacewellbeing
Because there is nothing wrong with feeling nervous.
Thanks so much for joining use for another adventure with Steph and the Storytime Crew.
I'm Steph, an Integrative Therapist based in Perth, Australia, and I specialise in helping sensitive kids understand their big feelings, regulate their nervous systems and discover just how incredible they truly are.
These stories were born from my own journey as a mum. My son needed a fun, gentle way to understand emotions, friendships, confidence, anxiety, resilience, and all the wonderfully messy parts of growing up. So I started creating stories that could spark conversations, build emotional literacy, and help children feel seen, safe and understood.
If these stories have become a special part of your family's bedtime or your child would benefit from some extra support, I'd love to help. I work with children and families both in person and remotely around the globe through nervous system reset sessions and holistic wellbeing support.
You can find out more, book a session, or explore my other resources at whitespacewellbeing.com.au, or come and say hello on Instagram @whitespace_wellbeing_perth.
Until next time, keep being kind, keep being curious, and always remember... you matter, you belong and you are wonderful exactly as you are.