Neha's Worry Butterflies
- Feelings
- 3 min read
- Ages 4–5
Chapter 1
Today is my first day at my new school. I am eating breakfast with Mom.
Chapter 2
My tummy feels fluttery and jumpy, and I do not want my toast. My hands feel wiggly, too.
Chapter 3
Mom says some people call this feeling “butterflies in the tummy.” There are no real butterflies inside me; it is a feeling called worry.
Chapter 4
Mom says lots of people feel worry before something new. She felt it on her first day at work.
Chapter 5
I can try balloon breaths. I put my hands on my tummy and breathe in slowly, and my tummy gets big and round.
Chapter 6
I breathe out slowly, and my tummy gets small again. Mom breathes with me, and after three, my tummy feels a little calmer.
Chapter 7
Holding something soft helps, too, so Pip, my toy bunny, rides in my backpack pocket. I can hold his soft ear.
Chapter 8
We walk to school together. At the crossing, I hold Mom's hand, and we look both ways.
Chapter 9
At the school gate, I see lots of children and grown-ups and hear loud voices. My tummy feels fluttery again.
Chapter 10
Telling a grown-up I trust helps, too. I say, “Mom, I feel worried,” and Mom listens and squeezes my hand.
Chapter 11
My teacher, Ms. Rivera, smiles and says, “Good morning, Neha.” Mom says Ms. Rivera is a grown-up I can tell, too.
Chapter 12
Mom hugs me goodbye and says she will come back at pick-up time. My tummy flutters, so I take three balloon breaths.
Chapter 13
I hold Pip's soft ear and tell Ms. Rivera, “I feel a little worried.” She asks what helps me, and I show her my balloon breaths.
Chapter 14
I walk to the block corner by myself. After a while, the fluttery feeling gets smaller, and I build a tall tower.
Chapter 15
At pick-up time, Mom comes back, just like she said. I tell her about my tall tower.
Chapter 16
At home, I tell Mom my plan for next time: breathe slowly, hold something soft, and tell a grown-up I trust.
The End
When worry comes: breathe slowly, hold something soft, and tell a grown-up you trust.
How did this story make you feel?
Listen to the story
