Pick what's happening, from big feelings to losing a game, and get something simple to try with your child today.
Help with anger, frustration and overwhelm
What to say in the moment, and what to practise while calm
Explore sharing, conflict and getting along
For when trying something new feels too hard
Practise coping when plans change
Book of the Week
A calm, practical look at all the helpful things hands can do when feelings get big.
Try asking
“What else could hands do here instead?”
Try this together: Make a list together of five helpful things hands can do, and pick one to try today.
A new Growing Wise book pick every week. Read it, talk about it, practise it.
Printable scenario cards, three 5-minute activities and a “What could I try?” page for practising everyday skills together. Download it straight away.
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A child tries, fails, gets frustrated, steps away, and comes back to it: a real model for not getting it right first time.
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Useful for talking about what happens when being afraid of a mistake starts getting in the way of trying or enjoying things.
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Growing Wise workbook
A pencil-and-paper companion to the free Growing Wise game, giving children a losing scenario to practise the "stop, think, choose" pause.
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Growing Wise original
A picture book from Growing Wise.
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Starts a conversation about noticing a child who's left out, and the small things that help someone feel included.
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Henry wants a friend, but experiences the classroom and friendship a little differently to his classmates: a gentle way into talking about sensory and social differences.
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Talks directly and calmly about what hands can do instead of hitting, without shaming a child for the impulse during conflict.
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A bendy koala learning to loosen up gives a light, rhyming way into a conversation about change, without it feeling like a lecture.
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A tower she built is unexpectedly knocked down. Other animals rush in with advice, but it's the rabbit who simply listens: a gentle model for the moment a plan falls apart.
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A classic about a day where nothing goes to plan from the moment Alexander wakes up: reassuring for a child convinced today is uniquely unfair.
View on Amazon →No need to buy anything new. Pick a favourite from the shelf, read it together, then try two or three of our questions.
Ages 2–5
Growing and changing, and waiting for something good
Questions to ask →
Ages 2–6
Keeping going when something is hard, and facing fears together
Questions to ask →
Ages 3–6
Making room for others, and friends who stick together
Questions to ask →
Ages 3–7
Making choices when no grown-up is watching, and owning up afterwards
Questions to ask →
Ages 3–7
Trying new foods and new things before deciding you don't like them
Questions to ask →
Ages 3–6
Children who feel small, or too little to make a difference
Questions to ask →
Ages 3–7
Feeling ignored, and talking about listening to each other
Questions to ask →
Ages 3–7
Seeing things from someone else's point of view
Questions to ask →
Ages 0–5
Joining in with rhymes and sounds, and sharing feelings
Questions to ask →Games for ages 3 to 8, each chosen for a skill it practises at the table: losing well, waiting, taking turns and asking good questions.
Ages 5–8
Slightly older children who want more strategy in cooperative play
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Maria sees another child playing with a toy she likes. What should she do?
Want to practise this idea another way?
These stories can help children talk about joining in, noticing how other people feel, and what to do when they'd like to play too.
One much-loved book to start with, with a question to ask tonight, and the books we make ourselves.
A small mouse faces bigger animals by inventing the Gruffalo, then has to think fast when he meets a real one. A favourite for talking about fear and staying calm enough to think.
Try asking: “The mouse was scared. What did he do to stay safe?”
A gentle, rhyming picture book for ages 4–7 about imagination, friendship and learning to share.
Discover the book →
A pencil-and-paper workbook that goes with the free game: everyday scenarios to practise the “stop, think, choose” pause.
View on Amazon →Gestures, pictures, AAC and devices are all real communication.
Read the guide →What sensory overwhelm might look like, and what to say.
Read the guide →Routines, advance warning and simple visual supports.
Read the guide →Answering their questions without panic or turning someone into a lesson.
Read the guide →Picture books chosen with care rather than sentiment.
See the books →
Pause at tricky moments and ask, “What could they try next?”
Use play to practise sharing, turn-taking and working things out together.
Try one small situation while everyone is calm.
Growing Wise grew from wanting a calmer way for children to practise big feelings, friendships and everyday choices before the real moment arrives.
Read more about Growing Wise →
If Growing Wise has helped you and your child, you can support it with a one-off contribution.
Growing Wise is an educational parent resource, not medical or therapeutic advice.
