Once upon a time, in the colorful town of Sunnyville, there lived a little bunny named Mia. Mia was cheerful and loved playing with her friends, but sometimes her feelings became too big for her to handle. When she felt angry, she stomped her feet; when she felt sad, she cried loudly; and when she felt scared, she hid under her blanket. Mia didn’t know how to calm down, and that made her feel even more upset.
One bright morning, Mia’s teacher, Mrs. Willow, gathered the class in a circle. She said, “Today we are going to learn about a wonderful skill called emotion regulation. Emotion regulation helps us understand our feelings and calm our hearts.”
Mia tilted her head. “Can feelings really be calmed down, like turning off noisy music?”
Mrs. Willow smiled. “Yes, Mia. Let me show you.” She took out a small, shiny jar filled with water and glitter. She shook it gently, and the glitter swirled everywhere. “This jar is like your mind when emotions are strong. Everything feels messy. But if we stop, breathe, and wait, the glitter settles down, and our thoughts become clear.”
The children watched as the glitter slowly drifted to the bottom. Mia’s eyes widened. She wanted to learn how to make her feelings settle too.
Later that day, while playing outside, Mia’s tower of blocks was knocked over by accident. Her face turned red, and her little paws tightened. She was ready to shout, but then she remembered the glitter jar.
“Stop, breathe, and wait,” Mia whispered to herself. She took a deep breath, counting, “One… two… three.” She felt her body relax just a little. Instead of shouting, she asked her friend kindly, “Can we build it again together?” Her friend smiled, and they rebuilt the tower even taller.
That evening, at home, Mia felt sad because it was raining and she couldn’t play in the garden. She wanted to cry, but then she thought, “Maybe I can use emotion regulation again.” She took her crayons and began to draw the garden she loved. She drew flowers, butterflies, and even the sun. Soon, her sadness felt lighter, like a cloud drifting away.
The next day, Mia faced her biggest challenge. During storytime, a loud thunderstorm boomed outside. Mia felt afraid. Her ears shook, and she wanted to hide. But she remembered her teacher’s words: “Breathe and wait.” Mia closed her eyes and took slow breaths. In and out, in and out. She imagined the glitter jar in her mind. Slowly, her fear settled, and she realized she was safe in the classroom surrounded by friends.
Mrs. Willow noticed and praised her. “Mia, you used emotion regulation so well! Feelings are not bad; they are messages. But we can choose how to respond to them.”
From that day on, Mia practiced every time she felt big emotions. She discovered that anger could turn into problem-solving, sadness could turn into creativity, and fear could turn into bravery. The more she practiced, the more peaceful she felt inside.
Her friends also started copying her strategies. Together, they made a “Feelings Corner” in the classroom with coloring pages, soft toys, and even a small glitter jar. Whenever anyone felt upset, they could visit the corner and practice calming down.
Soon, Sunnyville was known as the town where children learned to care for their feelings, share their emotions, and support one another. Mia realized that emotion regulation was like a superpower—one that everyone could learn.
And so, every time the children faced challenges, they remembered to stop, breathe, wait, and let their hearts settle like glitter in a jar.
The End.
Want more fun? Read another favorite tale here: Peppa Pig Story
