For parents and carers

A calm, kind heart begins at home.

HeartWise gives parents and carers books, words and small daily practices for the feelings that fill a family’s day, for children of every age and from the very first heartbeat.

Start by your child’s age Find the right book

7books for families 5age bands 5feelings to begin with

Try tonight · two minutes · nothing to buy

One Five Feelings word at the table

At dinner or bedtime, each person shares one Five Feelings word for today (happy, sad, angry, scared or tired) and one small reason. Share yours first.

WhoThe whole family, any age that can point or speak. A grown-up goes first.
ChoiceAnyone can say “pass” or “I’m not sure”. All feelings are okay.
Without a screenJust voices. If you like, draw the five faces on paper.

Open the feelings check-in Take the HeartWise Compass

What a family receives

Simple words. A calm path. Time to repair.

HeartWise is built from a few ideas that fit on a kitchen table, and grow with a child.

Words for every feeling

The Five Feelings, happy, sad, angry, scared and tired, give everyone at home the same simple words to begin with.

A calm way through big ones

Three Zones, green, yellow and red, and the seven steps of L.A.N.T.E.R.N. help a child, and a parent, find the way. All zones are okay.

Mending what breaks

Things break between people who love each other. The Bridge, one of the Six Pillars, asks: How do we mend what breaks?

Room for the parent, too

Becoming a HeartWise Parent is a gentle workbook for the parent you want to be.

Start by your child’s age

Five bands, one family

Choose the age that is closest to your child. Each card opens the library at that age, showing the titles for families.

1–3

Baby Hearts

The first three years

For you: HeartWise Beginnings, You Were Never Meant to Know This and 2 more

See 4 titles 3–5

Little Hearts

Preschool and nursery

For your child: Little Hearts Storybook, All About Me: My Feelings Journal (Little Hearts) and 3 more

See 5 titles 5–8

Growing Hearts

The early primary years

For your child: Growing Hearts Storybook and My HeartWise Book: Growing Hearts

See 2 titles 8–12

Strong Hearts

The middle years

For your child: My HeartWise Journal: Strong Hearts

See 1 title 12–16

Brave Hearts

The teenage years

For your child: My HeartWise Journal: Brave Hearts

See 1 title

For you, at any age: HeartWise Parenting, Becoming a HeartWise Parent and the parenting stories Raising a Boy, The AI‑Native Child and The Grapes Lesson.

Pregnancy to age three

From the first heartbeat to the third birthday

HeartWise Beginnings is a gentle companion from pregnancy to age three, covering the first thousand days and the toddler year after. You Were Never Meant to Know This is an honest letter to new and expecting parents.

A pregnant woman standing by a sunlit window, resting a hand on her belly — Before the Beginning

A newborn asleep against a parent’s chest, wrapped in a soft cloth — The Fourth Trimester

A baby sitting on a rug, reaching up to hold a grown-up’s finger — The First Year

A toddler taking steps towards a kneeling adult in a sunny room — One to Three: The Toddler

You are about to do something hard and ordinary and extraordinary, the way billions have before you. You can do this. You truly can.
Yasmin Mubarak, You Were Never Meant to Know This

Look inside HeartWise Beginnings Read about the letter

Play and pause

Take one calm breath together

Heart Bear is a gentle friend in many HeartWise books. Breathe in as the circle grows, breathe out as it softens. Three slow breaths, no rush.

If slow breathing ever feels uncomfortable, stop and simply sit together for a moment.

Calm feelings check-inName how you feel, in the three Zones.

Book finderThree quick questions, then the books that fit.

What you get

Books for the grown‑ups who hold the hand

Each is a separate book. Open any one to see what is inside.

Book

HeartWise Parenting

Parents of children of all ages

For parents who want to raise kind, calm and confident children.

Book

HeartWise Beginnings

Pregnancy to age 3

For expecting and new parents, from pregnancy to age 3: the first thousand days (pregnancy to the second birthday) and the toddler year that follows.

Letter

You Were Never Meant to Know This

Expecting and new parents

An honest letter to new and expecting parents.

Workbook

Becoming a HeartWise Parent

Parents of children of all ages

For parents. Read a chapter of HeartWise Parenting, then turn to the matching practice here.

Guidebook

The Early Years Guidebook

Ages 1–3

For parents, carers and toddler-room teachers.

Curriculum

The HeartWise Early Years Curriculum

Ages 1–3

For parents, carers and toddler-room practitioners.

Paper

The Foundation

Parents, teachers and anyone who shapes a child

For everyone who shapes a child, from the first years onward.

Books are sold separately. Complete books are never available as a free download.

How to start

Three small steps, nothing to prepare

1
Find your starting book
Begin with your child’s age above, or answer three quick questions in the Book finder.
2
Share the words
Try one of the Five Feelings at the end of the day: happy, sad, angry, scared or tired. There is no right answer.
3
Come back to the check-in
The calm feelings check-in is a quiet minute for a child and a grown-up. Nothing you do there is saved on a server.

Good to know

Honest answers

Which book should I start with?

If you are expecting, or your child is under three, begin with HeartWise Beginnings. For children of any age, HeartWise Parenting is the main book for parents. The Book finder asks three quick questions and suggests where to begin.

Do I need to be a perfect parent first?

No. The books are written for real families. The workbook, Becoming a HeartWise Parent, begins with the line: “This is yours. Be honest. Messy handwriting and crossings-out are welcome.”

Is HeartWise therapy?

No. HeartWise is an everyday, educational approach to feelings. It does not diagnose or treat anything. If you are worried about your child’s wellbeing, please talk to a trusted adult or a qualified professional, such as your doctor or your child’s school.

Are there books for my school-age child?

Yes. There are storybooks, journals and feelings books for your child, such as The Heart Bear Stories and My HeartWise Feelings Book for ages 3 to 5, and the My HeartWise Journals for ages 8 to 12 and 12 to 16. You will find them in the library, under Families. The curricula and Educator’s Guides are written for teachers. At home, HeartWise Parenting and its workbook are written for parents of children of all ages.

Can I read a book online or download it?

Books are separate purchases and are not offered as full downloads. Each book page shows a look inside, and “Ask about this book” opens a short form to ask us.

Begin gently