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A Bedtime Story About Feeling Jealous
Jealousy is one of the first big feelings children have and one of the hardest to name. A brother gets a new toy, a friend gets picked first, a baby gets carried, and suddenly there is a hot, tight feeling with nowhere to go. It often comes out as grabbing, sulking or a meltdown over something small.
This story gives the feeling a name and a next step. It does not tell a child they should not feel jealous, because they will, and so does everyone. It shows them what the feeling is like, that it is allowed, and that saying it out loud to someone who loves them makes it smaller. Read it on a calm evening, not in the middle of a jealous moment.
✨ Or make one starring your child, free in seconds ↓
What will happen, in order
- Someone gets something I want
- My tummy feels hot and tight
- That feeling is called jealous
- I can say it out loud
- The feeling gets smaller
Read the steps together in the daytime, more than once. The free printable below has these steps at the top and the bedtime story underneath.
Leo and the Shiny Red Bike
A free story to read aloud tonight
On Saturday, Leo’s cousin Mia came over on a brand new bike. It was shiny red, with streamers on the handles and a bell that went bring-bring. Everyone came outside to look at it.
Leo looked at it too, and something strange happened inside him. His tummy felt hot and tight, like a fist. His face went cross. He did not want to look at the bike anymore, and he did not want anyone else to look at it either.
Leo went inside and sat on the stairs with his arms folded. After a while, Grandpa came and sat on the step below him. “That’s a big face,” said Grandpa. “What’s going on in there?” Leo shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s hot. And tight.”
“Ah,” said Grandpa. “I know that one. That’s called feeling jealous. It happens when someone has something we wish we had. Everybody feels it, even grandpas.” Leo looked up. “Even you?” “Even me,” said Grandpa. “Last week Mr. Patel grew a bigger pumpkin than mine.”
Leo laughed a little. Then he said it out loud, very quietly: “I wish I had a new bike.” And as soon as the words were out, the hot, tight feeling got a little bit smaller, like a balloon letting out some air.
Later, Mia let Leo ring the bell, bring-bring, as many times as he wanted. At bedtime, Leo told Mom, “I felt jealous today, and then I said it, and it got smaller.” Mom tucked the blanket under his chin. “That’s exactly how it works,” she said. And Leo fell asleep with the feeling all gone, dreaming about bells.
How do I help my child with jealousy?
Name the feeling for them (“I think you are feeling jealous”), tell them it is normal, and help them say what they wish for out loud. Many families find that accepting the feeling while still holding the line on behavior, like no grabbing or hitting, works better than telling a child not to feel it.
Is it normal for kids to be jealous of a sibling?
Yes, very. Jealousy between siblings is one of the most common feelings in family life, especially around a new baby or when one child gets attention, a present or a privilege. A little one to one time with each child often helps more than trying to make everything exactly equal.