How can I use bedtime stories to help my child name their emotions? 

Parenting Perspective 

Creating a Safe Space to Explore Feelings 

Bedtime stories are a wonderful opportunity to help your child name and understand their emotions, especially after a long day when their mind and body are winding down. Sharing stories at night can create a calm, safe space where feelings can be explored without distraction or pressure. Start by choosing books with relatable characters and simple storylines that naturally include feelings like fear, sadness, excitement, or jealousy. As you read together, pause to draw attention to the characters’ expressions and actions. You might ask, ‘He looks worried, what do you think made him feel that way?’ or ‘How would you feel if that happened to you?’ This gentle approach allows your child to practise noticing feelings in others before reflecting on their own. If your child struggles to open up about their day, stories give them a way to talk about big emotions indirectly through the characters. 

A Gentle Daily Check-In 

Some parents find that bedtime stories also open the door for conversations that might have felt too big during the day. If your child remembers something upsetting, let them share it without you dismissing their feelings or trying to ‘fix’ everything immediately. Simple reassurance like, ‘I hear you,’ or ‘That must have felt very difficult,’ helps your child to feel seen and understood. In the long run, this bedtime habit becomes a soft daily check-in, strengthening your bond and giving your child the tools to handle tomorrow’s feelings more calmly. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches us that our inner world, including our emotions, is a trust from Allah Almighty to be guided and refined, not ignored or shamed. Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Shams (91), Verses 7 to 8: 

‘And by the soul and how it is designed (for infusion into the body). Thus, We have designed (the soul with discretion) for wickedness and piety.‘

This Ayah reminds us that every human soul holds both struggles and goodness, and our role is to nurture understanding and self-control. When you share bedtime stories that help your child name and process their feelings, you are fulfilling your role as a guide and protector of their fitrah. 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, Hadith 2513, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘He who does not show mercy to our young ones, nor acknowledge the rights of our elders, is not one of us.‘

This Hadith Shareef calls us to raise our children with compassion and gentle wisdom. Bedtime storytelling, when done with love and patience, mirrors this Sunnah spirit; you meet your child at their level, listen to their heart, and help them navigate big emotions without fear or blame.