Bridging the Gap: Why Early Emotional Support Matters for Our Children

(A Worley’s World Big Kid Blog)

Right now, across the North East, loads of families are facing the same heartbreak.

Kids struggling with big emotions like anxiety, anger, sadness and when parents reach out for help, they’re hit with long waiting lists.

Did you know 1 in 5 young people aged 8 to 25 in the UK now has a probable mental health condition? What’s even scarier…that number’s been going up for years.

And while schools are doing their best with things like Mental Health Support Teams, the reality is, under current plans, half of England’s kids still won’t have access by 2025.

That’s a lot of children left waiting.

And this is where early intervention really matters.

This is where Worley’s World steps in.

Why Storytelling + Play Aren’t Just Cute — They’re Critical

As someone who’s been a primary school teacher, a mum, and now an emotional language specialist with a background in NLP, I get how kids actually learn.

• They learn through stories - things they can picture and relate to.

• They learn through play - when they feel safe and free to explore.

• They learn through connection - with the grown-ups they trust.

Worley’s World was never meant to be just worksheets or reward charts.

It’s about helping kids feel the lessons. Helping them recognise, understand, and manage their feelings in a way that’s playful, meaningful, and sticks for life.

Bridging the Gap While Families Wait

Here in the North East, health inequalities hit even harder. Families in tougher situations face longer waits, less support, and more stress. Worley’s World is here to fill that gap. Giving families, schools, and nurseries practical, playful tools they can use right now, while they wait for formal help.

We’re not pretending to replace therapists or specialists.

We’re a stepping stone. A little boost, a toolkit, a way to build emotional resilience and confidence before things spiral.

What Makes Worley’s World Different?

• We Inspire kids to recognise their feelings through stories and characters they connect with.

• We Nurture understanding by creating safe spaces to explore emotions without judgement.

• We Educate with playful, simple tools that help manage mental health day-to-day.

Every monster, every story, every resource comes from a mix of what I know about how kids learn and the therapeutic tools I wish I had growing up.

Together, We Can Change the Story

My mission’s simple:

No child should feel alone with their feelings. Parents and schools deserve the confidence to open up real, meaningful conversations and families can become the boss of their brains. One brave, playful, messy, magical moment at a time.

If you believe early support matters… if you want to bring more emotional learning into your home, school, or community… come join me and Worley on this adventure.

Together, we can change the story for kids across the North East and honestly, I couldn’t be more excited about that.

Be a part of the journey… www.worleysworld.co.uk