Real Stories for Real Children
This gentle children’s podcast brings realistic, age-appropriate stories to life for toddlers and preschoolers ages 1.5–4, inspired by everyday experiences like having a new sibling, big feelings, and having to wait for something you want. Each short social story introduces children to common scenarios and how to respond in them. Episode descriptions also include tips for caregivers that help you tailor your approach to your child based on their needs - whether they be multilingual, non-verbal, or neurodivergent. Created by a former early childhood teacher with a PhD in education, this podcast is a positive way to support emotional growth during car rides or quiet moments together!
Got a topic request? Reach out at realstoriesrealchildren@gmail.com or connect on Instagram at @RealStoriesRealChildren.
Real Stories for Real Children
Not getting what you want
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We don’t always get what we want, and that can be really hard. In this story, Javi learns that when he doesn’t get what he wants, he can try to do something that makes him feel better, or just let himself be sad for a little bit.
Grown-ups, try this out with your own littles! Did it work? Did you run into a challenge?
Connect with us at realstoriesrealchildren@gmail.com or on IG at @Realstoriesrealchildren.
Tips for caregivers:
- Don’t feel that you need to rush to make your child feel better immediately. Part of growing up and being in touch with your feelings is sitting in disappointment sometimes - this is where you can empathize with them!
- In a moment when your child isn’t upset, you can talk about how they feel when they don’t get what they want and maybe even think about some things that they can do to make them feel better. Maybe a special song or a handshake, or maybe they just practice letting themselves have sad feelings. A neutral moment is a great time to practice these things because then they can think about it without having the emotions in the heat of the moment.
