Social Story – Understanding My Feelings by Be Happy Resources

A gentle introduction to feelings and self-regulation for young children

Introducing our first Social Story resource – a warm and accessible story designed to help young children learn about emotions in a way that is clear, calming, and supportive. This beautifully simple narrative introduces common feelings such as happy, sad, angry, worried, and calm, and helps children begin to understand that all emotions are okay.

This story is ideal for early years and primary-aged children who are just beginning to explore emotional awareness and self-regulation.

About This Resource

This printable social story is thoughtfully written to introduce children to the world of emotions in a developmentally appropriate way. With child-friendly language and gentle illustrations, the story follows a relatable character experiencing different emotions throughout their day. Children will learn not only to identify how they feel but also what they can do when emotions feel big, such as practising deep breathing or talking to a trusted adult.

The story ends on a positive, empowering note, celebrating the fact that we all feel many different things—and that’s okay.

Features

• A simple, relatable social story written with early learners in mind
• Introduces 5 core emotions: happy, sad, angry, worried, and calm
• Includes basic self-regulation strategies: deep breathing and seeking support from an adult
• Positive, feel-good ending to reinforce emotional acceptance and resilience
• Printable format for classrooms, therapy settings, or home use
• Ideal for use with children aged 3–7, or older children who need simplified emotional learning

Benefits

• Builds emotional vocabulary and helps children name their feelings
• Promotes emotional literacy in a gentle, supportive way
• Teaches early self-regulation skills using calming, realistic strategies
• Encourages children to seek support from safe adults when needed
• Supports inclusion and is ideal for children with additional emotional or communication needs
• Provides a foundation for future conversations around mental health and wellbeing

How to Use

1. Read aloud with your child or group – use a calm, expressive tone and pause to check in with children’s reactions.
2. Discuss as you go – ask children to point to how the character is feeling and reflect on times they’ve felt the same.
3. Practise the strategies – pause when breathing or talking to an adult is mentioned to model or act it out together.
4. Revisit regularly – re-reading helps reinforce emotional learning and builds comfort around discussing feelings.
5. Use as part of emotional check-ins or calming routines, or to support children through specific challenges.

Understanding My Feelings is a supportive and engaging social story designed to introduce children to emotions and self-regulation. Through a gentle, reassuring narrative and relatable examples, children learn that it’s okay to feel a mix of emotions—and that there are simple, safe ways to manage them.

Perfect for classrooms, home, or therapeutic settings, this story lays the foundation for emotional awareness and lifelong wellbeing.