When I Feel Worried: A Free Social Story
For children ages 4-10 · Free to read, print, and personalize
Childhood anxiety often shows up as stomachaches, clinginess, or avoidance rather than words. This story helps children name worry and use simple calming tools they can carry anywhere. It suits everyday worriers as well as children working with a therapist on anxiety skills.
When I Feel Worried
Sometimes I feel worried.
Worry can feel like butterflies in my tummy or a squeeze in my chest.
Everybody worries sometimes, even grown-ups.
Worry is my brain trying to keep me safe, but sometimes it worries too much.
When I feel worried, I can name it: "This is worry."
Naming the feeling helps it get smaller.
I can take slow balloon breaths: breathe in to fill the balloon, then let it out slowly.
I can tell a grown-up what my worry says. Grown-ups are good worry helpers.
I can ask, "Is my worry telling the truth?" Lots of worries are not true.
I can remember a time I was brave before.
Worries come, and worries go. They do not stay forever.
I am safe, and my grown-ups are here to help me.
I can feel worried and still do brave things.
Tips for Reading This Story Together
- Give the worry a silly name or character with your child; externalizing it (there goes Worry Monster again) shrinks its power.
- Practice balloon breaths at random happy moments so the skill is not linked only to distress.
- Validate first, then coach: I see the worry is big right now, and then reach for a tool from the story.
- Avoid pure reassurance loops (it will be fine); instead ask the story's question, is the worry telling the truth?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my child's worry is normal or an anxiety disorder?
Occasional worry around new situations is developmentally normal. Talk to your pediatrician if worry regularly blocks daily activities, causes frequent physical complaints, or dominates conversations for weeks at a time. Tools like this story help in both cases, but persistent impairment deserves professional support.
Does naming feelings really help kids calm down?
Yes, affect labeling is one of the better-supported findings in emotion research: putting a feeling into words dials down the brain's alarm response. That is why the story pauses to say, this is worry. Kids who practice naming feelings recover faster from them.
When should we read this story?
Read it routinely at calm moments, like bedtime, and again before known worry triggers such as tests or new places. The free builder can personalize the story with your child's name and their specific worry situations. A story about my worry, not just worry, is the one kids actually reach for.
Make This Story About Your Child
Add your child's name, family members, and favorite things — our free builder creates an illustrated, printable version of this story that is truly theirs. The story world and learning goals are already set up for you. Built by the nonprofit Opportunity Hack, always free.
Create Your Free Story