1KHO 875: Feelings Are Welcome Anytime | Joy Stephenson-Laws, Secrets That Sparkle, Secrets That Sting

2026-08-01

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When we teach children to trust their feelings, we give them one of the most powerful tools they'll ever have for staying safe. In this important conversation, Ginny sits down with attorney, child wellness advocate, and author Joy Stevenson-Laws to explore why feelings—not rules—are often a child's first line of defense. Inspired by her own family's experience, Joy explains how children process the world through emotions long before they can fully understand logic, and why validating those feelings can create the trust chi...

When we teach children to trust their feelings, we give them one of the most powerful tools they'll ever have for staying safe.

In this important conversation, Ginny sits down with attorney, child wellness advocate, and author Joy Stevenson-Laws to explore why feelings—not rules—are often a child's first line of defense. Inspired by her own family's experience, Joy explains how children process the world through emotions long before they can fully understand logic, and why validating those feelings can create the trust children need to speak up when something doesn't feel right.

Together they discuss Joy's new picture book, Secrets That Sparkle and Secrets That Sting, a beautifully written resource that helps families distinguish between joyful, harmless secrets and unsafe secrets that should always be shared with a trusted adult. They also explore practical ways parents can foster meaningful conversations, help children recognize what their bodies are telling them, and create homes where every feeling is welcomed without shame or dismissal.

This episode is an encouraging reminder that emotional awareness isn't about raising fearful children—it's about raising confident, connected kids who know their voices matter. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, teacher, or caregiver, you'll come away with practical tools to strengthen trust, deepen communication, and help children develop the lifelong skill of listening to their intuition.

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