What Is My Tummy Saying?

🎯 Educator Guide: “What Is My Tummy Saying?”

💭 What is this story about?

Fanti is a little elephant right in the middle of a fascinating game when she begins to feel strange sounds and movements in her tummy. Quite scared, she looks for a private corner behind the big sofa to figure out what her body is trying to tell her. Meanwhile, patient Papa Elephant stays close with respect, giving Fanti all the space and time she needs without interruptions.

🧠 What will children learn?

• Active body listening teaches us to pay attention to our body's early sensory signals before there is any urgency.
• The right to privacy demonstrates that seeking a hiding spot is a natural way to find a personal safe space.
• Assertive co-regulation reminds us that a relaxed, unhurried adult helps dissolve fears during moments of growing independence.
• Releasing expectations helps us value body self-awareness over whether or not the potty gets used.
• The absence of rush shows us that play does not stop forcefully, but simply takes a pause.

🤝 How to continue this conversation?

• “Has your tummy ever made funny noises like Fanti's?”
• “Close your eyes, breathe like Fanti… can you feel what is going on inside your tummy right now?”
• “Fanti has a hiding spot behind the gray sofa — do you have a secret spot at home just for you?”
• “What could we do next time our tummy feels like it has something to tell us?”

🎯 Educational approach

Potty training should not be linked to success or parental pressure to keep clothes clean, as this creates stress that often leads to long-term withholding. This story aims to empower children by placing the focus entirely on the skill of interoception. By doing so, they learn to pause and listen to what is happening inside their bodies from a space of uninterrupted privacy and respect.