Why I Started the Little Dreamers Podcast: Helping Kids Grow Calm, Brave, and Wise Through Storytelling
When I first sat down with the idea for Little Dreamers, it wasn’t about creating just another children’s podcast. It was about filling a gap I saw both as a mom and as someone who has spent years talking about wellness, stress management, and mindfulness on my Motherhood Unstressed podcast.
Kids today are growing up in a world that is noisy, fast-paced, and sometimes overwhelming. Even from a young age, they feel the ripple effects of stress and anxiety, whether it’s from school pressures, social expectations, or simply picking up on the emotional climate at home. But what I realized is that very few resources exist to help kids intuitively learn how to manage those feelings in a safe, engaging, and even fun way.
That’s where Little Dreamers comes in. My mission is simple:
To help children learn practical ways to handle stress and anxiety, without them even realizing they’re practicing mindfulness.
To deliver stories that carry a moral - little life lessons tucked into gentle narratives.
And, honestly, to give myself a creative stretch. After years of speaking mainly to parents and adults, I wanted to explore a new space where I could create something both imaginative and deeply useful for children.
This blog post is about the “why” behind Little Dreamers, what I hope it offers families, and why stepping into children’s storytelling has been one of the most creatively fulfilling projects of my career.
Planting the Seeds: Why Kids Need Calm Tools Early
I think back to my own childhood and how big the world sometimes felt. Even though my life was filled with adventure, (growing up in a military family meant constant moves and new environments) there were still moments where I felt anxious or uncertain. Back then, mindfulness wasn’t something kids were taught. You were just expected to “push through” your feelings.
Now, as a mom myself, I see how much pressure kids face and how those feelings often show up as trouble sleeping, stomach aches, irritability, or withdrawal. Research shows that even elementary-age children are experiencing higher levels of stress and anxiety than in previous generations. And yet, when kids are given tools early on like simple breathing techniques, the ability to pause, the reassurance that it’s okay to feel what they’re feeling, they build resilience for life.
I didn’t want Little Dreamers to be another “lesson-heavy” podcast where kids feel like they’re being lectured. I wanted it to be a place where calming techniques and coping strategies are woven right into the story itself. That way, children absorb them naturally, the same way they pick up vocabulary or morals from classic tales.
The Power of Storytelling as Medicine
Stories are one of humanity’s oldest forms of teaching and healing. From fairy tales told by firelight to parables passed down through generations, stories help us make sense of the world. For children especially, stories are more than entertainment, they are guides, showing them what bravery looks like, what kindness feels like, and how choices have consequences.
But stories also have another secret power: they regulate the nervous system.
Think about it: when a child hears a calm, rhythmic voice, paired with gentle background music (like the 432 Hz tones I use in Little Dreamers), their body begins to relax. Their breathing slows, their muscles soften, and their mind becomes receptive. This is the perfect state not only for falling asleep, but also for learning.
By embedding breathing techniques, grounding exercises, and gentle moral lessons into the narrative, I’m able to offer kids both a story and a subtle skill set. For example, a tale might have a character who pauses to take “box breaths” before a big challenge. Or a wise mentor might show a child how to slow down and notice their surroundings to feel calmer. These are practices children can carry into their real lives, without it ever feeling like “work.”
A Different Kind of Bedtime Routine
One of the main ways parents are using Little Dreamers is as part of their child’s bedtime routine. We all know bedtime can be tricky, kids are overstimulated, parents are exhausted, and everyone just wants peace.
By pressing play on a story that blends relaxation techniques with moral teaching, parents get more than a way to settle their kids down. They get a trusted tool that:
Creates a consistent routine kids look forward to.
Models calming strategies they can use anytime, not just at night.
Gives parents peace of mind that their children are hearing content that uplifts and teaches values.
For me, that was a huge motivation. I wanted parents to have something they could rely on, something beautiful, soothing, and enriching that takes one task off their plate at the end of a long day.
Why Morals Still Matter
I’m often asked: why include morals? Why not just keep the stories entertaining?
The answer is simple: children are constantly shaping their worldview. Every story they hear is like a brick in the foundation of their understanding of right and wrong, kindness and selfishness, courage and fear.
But instead of making the moral obvious or heavy-handed, I like to weave it in subtly. A child who listens to Little Dreamers might finish an episode feeling calmer, yes, but also inspired to be a little kinder to their sibling, a little braver at school, or a little more compassionate toward themselves.
These are lessons that echo long after the story ends.
Stretching My Creativity
Another reason I launched Little Dreamers? I simply wanted to stretch.
After years of podcasting in the wellness and parenting space, I had a strong foundation of interviews, research, and conversations with incredible experts. But I craved a different kind of creativity, the kind that comes from crafting a narrative, painting a picture with words, and speaking directly to children’s imaginations.
It was both exciting and terrifying. Could I really craft stories that children would love? Could I balance entertainment with teaching? Would parents find value in it?
The answer, I’ve found, is yes. And the process has been so rewarding. Writing these stories allows me to draw from all parts of myself: the mother who wants her kids to feel safe and strong, the wellness advocate who knows the science behind stress, and the storyteller who just loves to play with words.
What I Hope Little Dreamers Becomes
I don’t want Little Dreamers to just be another podcast kids listen to once and forget. My hope is that it becomes a trusted companion in their childhood, a safe place to land after a tough day, a guide when emotions feel overwhelming, a gentle voice that encourages them to dream big and rest easy.
I also hope it sparks connection between parents and children. Maybe a mom listens alongside her child and later practices the breathing exercise together. Maybe a dad uses the moral of a story to start a conversation in the car ride to school. Maybe siblings bond over their favorite characters.
At the end of the day, Little Dreamers is about more than stories. It’s about giving families tools, connection, and a shared experience of calm in a busy world.
Final Thoughts
When I first dreamed up Little Dreamers, it was partly for the kids who would listen, and partly for myself. I wanted to give children the gift of intuitive stress management, moral growth, and restful storytelling. And I wanted to give myself the gift of exploring creativity in a whole new direction.
Adding something new to an already busy life is a sacrifice. But as I hear from parents about how their children now practice breathing before a test, or how bedtime has become a little smoother, I know it’s a risk worth taking.
Because at the end of the day, if even one child feels calmer, braver, or a little more loved because of these stories, Little Dreamers will have been worth it.