One of the most impactful tools parents have is storytelling, which helps children process their emotions and experiences by engaging both sides of their brain. For example, the book discusses how Thomas helped his daughter Katie overcome her fear of going to school by narrating the event where she got sick. By detailing the sequence— 'First, we got ready for school, didn’t we? Remember, you wanted to wear your red pants...' —Thomas allowed Katie to use her left brain to logically piece together what happened. This balanced her overwhelming right-brain emotions and helped her make sense of her fear. 'What kids often need, especially when they experience strong emotions, is to have someone help them use their left brain to make sense of what’s going on.' | Daniel J. Siegel | The Whole-Brain Child

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The Power of Storytelling

One of the most impactful tools parents have is storytelling, which helps children process their emotions and experiences by engaging both sides of their brain. For example, the book discusses how Thomas helped his daughter Katie overcome her fear of going to school by narrating the event where she got sick. By detailing the sequence— 'First, we got ready for school, didn’t we? Remember, you wanted to wear your red pants...' —Thomas allowed Katie to use her left brain to logically piece together what happened. This balanced her overwhelming right-brain emotions and helped her make sense of her fear. 'What kids often need, especially when they experience strong emotions, is to have someone help them use their left brain to make sense of what’s going on.'

-- Daniel J. Siegel