How StoryChild works: your subscriber journey

Get more play from less doing.

Am I doing enough?
Am I doing it right?

It’s easy to feel like you’re always falling short. Screens, small spaces, constant noise – modern life makes it hard to give your child what she really needs: time to think, to explore, and to play.

StoryChild is your weekly nudge to step back – and let her step up.
Each issue is packed with tips, ideas and developmental insight to help your child play independently, make her own fun, and grow in confidence.
You’ll learn how to create the right environment, adopt simple habits, and stop feeling like her only source of entertainment.

This isn’t about leaving your child alone.
It’s about helping her discover what she’s capable of – and building a world where she doesn’t need you all the time.

What it’s about

StoryChild brings together storytelling, developmental insight, and seasonal rhythm to help you:

• Understand your child’s behaviour
• Support her emotional and cognitive development
• Build a family life that’s grounded, creative and calm

Who it’s for

Parents of children aged 0 to 11 who want to:

• Stop outsourcing play and learning to screens or busywork
• Feel more confident and relaxed in their parenting
• Nurture their child’s independence, curiosity and emotional growth

The promise

You’ll raise a child who knows how to play, how to learn, and how to manage her feelings - without needing you every second.

And you’ll finally feel like the kind of parent you always wanted to be.

1. Choose your companion

Start by selecting the character closest to your child’s age and stage:

• Ben (0–12 months). Sensory-rich routines, bonding moments, and those thrilling first milestones.
• Yuki (1–3 years). Schema play, language bursts, and the beginnings of independence.
• Sam (3–5 years). Imaginative play, early literacy, and rich social connections.
• Alice (5–7 years). School transitions, friendship skills, and growing confidence.
• Raj (7–9 years). Big questions, deeper interests, and collaborative thinking.
• Daisy (10–11 years). Vision, purpose, and the closing chapter of the StoryChild journey.

You can switch or follow multiple children as your own child grows.

2. See your child clearly, week by week

Each week, you’ll receive a new StoryChild episode and companion guide:

• Your weekly how-to guide. StoryChild isn’t a storybook. It’s a practical, developmental guide disguised as a warm conversation. You’ll follow familiar characters, yes – but the focus is on you: helping you step back, so your child can step up. The characters’ lives give you context, perspective, and a way to practise important decisions before they arrive on your doorstep. When Yuki faces two preschool options, you’ll explore both. What’s right for her – and what might be right for your child? Week by week, you’ll build confidence in your instincts and clarity about what matters.
• Practical insight. Each story comes with clear explanations of what’s going on beneath your child’s behaviour and gives you age-appropriate ways to support her growth and independence.
• Reassurance and encouragement. Understand what’s typical. Learn what matters. And stop second-guessing every decision.

3. Follow the rhythms of the year

StoryChild is structured around the seasons, helping you build family traditions that give shape to the year:

• Winter. Nativity plays, cosy crafts, festive storytelling
• Spring. May Day garlands, Easter activities, planting and new beginnings
• Summer. End-of-year transitions, outdoor exploration, holiday calm
• Autumn. Harvest festivals, conker trails, back-to-school traditions

These rituals provide predictability and joy - grounding your child and anchoring you.

4. Get quick answers with A Plan for Play

When you want fast, practical advice, turn to A Plan for Play - your go-to guide to childhood development from birth to age 11.
It gives you:

• Instant reassurance
• Clear developmental snapshots
• Playful suggestions that actually work

Coming soon.

5. Tap into your StoryChild library anytime

All your StoryChild stories and guides live in one place. Return to them whenever you need inspiration or reassurance:

• Browse by age, topic or theme
• Revisit earlier stages or preview what’s ahead
• Download seasonal activity packs and quick-reference parenting tips

And while there are already over 100 posts, guides and resources waiting for you, the story is still unfolding.

StoryChild is new. When you join, you become part of something that’s growing. Week after week, you’ll receive fresh newsletters as we follow the children of Elmwood through the seasons and over the years. They’ll grow up alongside your child. They’ll face the same milestones, celebrate the same holidays, and play under the same skies (especially if you’re in London, like me!).

As I write this, it’s June 2nd here – the same date in Elmwood. At Halloween, we’ll all be making costumes together: you, me, our children – and of course, Sam, Alice, Yuki and friends.

Why StoryChild works

It’s not just stories. It’s a framework.

The characters show you what real development looks like - not the pressurised, milestone-chasing version, but the lived-in, layered version that builds confidence and capability over time.

You’ll understand that your child isn’t behind - she’s becoming.
And you’ll finally see parenting not as a series of urgent problems to fix, but as a relationship to enjoy.

Your transformation

You’ll stop chasing solutions and start building a home where play, learning and connection happen naturally.

You’ll raise a child who knows how to create her own fun, think independently, and take pride in her progress.

And you’ll feel less alone, more confident - and more like yourself again.

Welcome to StoryChild. Welcome to a simpler childhood.