Mission: The Bedtime Brave Plan (Feeling Safe and Cozy When Someone is Away)

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Mission episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast.

In this episode, Todd is joined by co-host Georgia, calling in from Fort Lauderdale where she is spending some of the summer with her grandparents. Together they dig into something a lot of kids know about: The way missing someone can feel the biggest right at bedtime, when everything gets quiet and your brain starts thinking.

Georgia shares her own bedtime routine, her doll Lila, her love of reading while listening to a story at the same time, and her firm belief that experiments are how you figure out what works, and that it is okay to try again and again until you get it right. She and Todd also discover something they have in common: they both have ADHD, which makes stopping the brain at bedtime a little trickier and a little more worth talking about. They also listen back to clips from three kids in a recent episode, Jack, Harper, and Nile, who each have a parent in the military, and talk about what helps them feel safe and cozy when someone they love is away.

At the end of the episode, kids listening at home get their mission: Make your very own Bedtime Brave Plan. Think of three things that help you feel safe, calm, and cozy before bed, draw them on a piece of paper, and share them with a grown-up you love.

Perfect for kids ages 3-11 and for listening together as a family.

In This Episode, Kids Will:

• Hear Georgia's own bedtime routine and what helps her feel cozy and brave at night
• Listen to real kids share what helps them feel safe when someone they love is away
• Learn that missing someone and feeling okay can both be true at the same time
• Discover that a bedtime routine helps your brain know it is time to rest
• Get a mission to make their very own Bedtime Brave Plan

Grown-Ups, You Can Extend the Mission By:

• Asking your child: "What are three things that help you feel cozy at bedtime?"
• Making a Bedtime Brave Plan together and putting it somewhere your child can see it
• Talking about what it feels like when someone we love has to go away for a while
• Trying something new in your bedtime routine and treating it like an experiment
• Sending your child's Bedtime Brave Plan drawing to the show so we can share it ([email protected])

About Little Kids, Big Hearts:Little Kids, Big Hearts is a social and emotional learning podcast where kids lead the conversation. Through real discussions, imaginative stories, songs, and Kidventures, children explore feelings, relationships, kindness, and what it means to care for others.

Subscribe, Rate, and Share:If this episode resonated with your family, please subscribe, rate, and share the show. It helps other families discover Little Kids, Big Hearts.

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Credits:Little Kids, Big Hearts is hosted by Todd Loyd. It's produced by Julia Levy at Sparkler Learning, with support from Meaghan Penrod and Adrianna Arocho. Sound design and mixing by Ryan Marth. Special thanks to Noggin for their support and the song “Like Nobody Else” from The Big Heart Beats album.

🌈 Visit The Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast website: https://playsparkler.org/podcast