Truth Cards
Names what's true when a big feeling is telling a different story.
“This will not last forever! All storms run out of rain.”
At home
Read one out loud in the middle of the storm — no explaining required.
← Parent Corner
Hard Conversations
You don't need the perfect words. You need a calm body, honesty, and room for whatever comes next. Children rarely need the whole answer — they need to know the door stays open.
What helps
Before you start
- Regulate yourself first. Kids borrow your nervous system before they hear your words.
- Choose a side-by-side moment: the car, a walk, the washing-up. Eye contact raises the pressure.
- Start with what they already know: “What have you heard about it?”
- Short, honest sentences beat long explanations.
Keeping the door open
- Let silence sit — the real question usually arrives after the pause.
- It's fine to say “let me think about that, and I'll come back to you” — then come back.
- Revisit it a day later, unprompted, so they know it's still safe to ask.
- Offer paper for the words that won't come out loud: a drawing, a letter, a card they can write on.
Words you can borrow
You don't have to say the perfect thing. Your calm presence matters more than perfect words.
“What do you already know about it?”
“You didn't cause this. None of this is your fault.”
“I don't know either. We'll figure it out.”
“You can ask me anything, any time.”
The cards that help here
Inside the Power Card Deck are four kinds of cards. These are the ones families reach for with this topic.
Voice cards
Write-on cards that help a child get their voice back — what they wish they could say, and to whom.
“If you could tell a grown-up something about what you're going through, what would you want them to know?”
Truth cards
The sentences that need saying out loud when a child is carrying blame that isn't theirs.
“You didn't cause this. None of this is your fault.”
More on this from the blog
What If We Are Made for Loss?
What if we are made for loss, healing, and transformation? Discover how nature offers hope, resilience, and a path forward after grief.
June 21, 2026
When Bad Things Happen to Good Families: Building Resilience Through Crisis
Discover how navigating family crisis can build resilience. Learn strategies to support your family through tough times and emerge stronger.
July 10, 2025
I Can Do Hard Things. Right?
September 27, 2020
If you'd like something to hold onto
When you've worked through a hard moment together, these cards help continue the conversation — one card, one step, whenever your child needs it.
Remember Cards
Gives a child something steady to hold on to about who they are.
“You're still you. Even after what happened. Still worthy. Still magic.”
At home
Leave one on a pillow, in a lunchbox, or read it at bedtime.
Voice Cards
Gives them the words when speaking up feels impossible.
“Words to try when something doesn't feel okay.”
At home
Practise the line together before the moment it's needed.
Power Plan Cards
Turns a hard moment into one small, doable next step.
“One step you can take today — small counts.”
At home
Use it after the feeling settles, when the body is ready to think.
Release Cards
Moves the feeling out of the body through the hands.
“Draw the anger. Scratch, scribble, cover the whole space. Then tear it.”
At home
Hands-on and physical — drawing, tearing, folding, letting go.
Want to go deeper with creative tools?
Children often can't say what's wrong — but they can draw it, scribble it, fold it, or tear it up. Creative journaling gives feelings a place to go that doesn't depend on finding the right words.
A prompt to try today
"Draw what today felt like. You don't have to explain it — just put it on the page."