Once Upon an Upset: Recent Episodes
Jessica Laurel Kane
Once Upon an Upset is a podcast of stories and conversations to help make sense of difficult times, for kids and parents.
New episodes every Wednesday!
(All episodes written, performed and produced by Jessica Laurel Kane, and all music made by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.)
I also started another podcast for adults only—Once Upon an Upset-The Interviews—where I interview people about topics such as mental health and parenting.
And if you’re interested in listening to my memoir-based podcast for adults about my mother, who passed unexpectedly in 2016, it’s called A Woman Called Mother.
A story about a flamingo who attends school with a community of polar bears and has trouble meeting expectations.
(Suitable for all ages.)
After 69 episodes, I’ll be taking a three-month break from hosting Once Upon an Upset to figure out what Season Two will be, and also to heal my throat from a minor problem that developed. I’ll also be working on my next book, an illustrated compilation of many of the episodes from this past year. If you’re interested in finding out more about that, you can sign up for the email list at OnceUponAnUpset.com or follow my Facebook page, Once Upon An Upset. It’s been such a rewarding experiencing creating this podcast and i hope you and your family have enjoyed it. I look forward to connecting again soon! In the meantime, please be well.
A short story about how hurt feelings took over the world.
(Suitable for all ages.)
This episode was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
When my son was four, he kept telling me he had an imaginary friend named Mahabba Mahabba Mahabba Mahabba Mahabba Mahabba and when I looked it up, I found out it means love. This story was inspired by some things my son told me about his imaginary friend.
(Suitable for all ages.)
This episode was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
A little boy climbs the Titan Tree, even though he knows he’s not supposed to.
(Suitable for all ages.)
This episode was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
A story about a little boy who takes something that isn't his.
(Suitable for all ages.)
This episode was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
A story about a little boy who gives a rain cloud some time to get his feelings out.
(Suitable for all ages.)
This episode was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
(Suitable for all ages.)
This episode was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
A little bird is afraid to leave his nest because of all the dangerous things that could happen.
(Suitable for all ages.)
This episode was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
What would you do if you found a box of bad guys?
(Suitable for all ages.)
This episode was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
A very short conversation about understanding what might be behind bully behavior. This piece is not intended to condone violent behavior. Just another way to reframe mean behavior.
(Suitable for all ages.)
This episode was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“This is a story about the wickedest witch in all of the land. They didn’t even make a movie about her, that’s how wicked she was. She had so many people in her dungeon, she had to hire a big company to make her a second dungeon. That’s how wicked she was.”
— from 'Farmer John and the Wicked Witch of the Central Region'
A wicked witch falls from the sky due to a broom malfunction. After landing in a cornfield, she meets a farmer and they wind up helping each other in surprising ways.
(Suitable for all ages.)
Farmer John and the Wicked Witch of the Central Region was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once upon a time there was an anguished cave mother who finally couldn’t take it anymore.
Every night, she’d arrive back to her cave after hunting and gathering all day long, ready to fall asleep on her cozy boulder, but every night, without fail, her little ones would insist on a story before bed.
And back then, without a book to close, a goodnight story could go on and on until almost dawn.
In fact, it wasn’t uncommon for poor prehistoric mothers to miss out on sleep entirely because of little ones begging and pleading for the thousandth time, “Please Mama, tell us what happened next!!! Please, Please, Please!!”
But one day, this particular anguished mother just couldn’t think of what happened next.”
— From 'The Origins Of Happily Ever After'
(Suitable for all ages.)
This episode was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once, there was a man who had a secret. A pretty big secret. You see, even though he looked like a regular man, inside he was really a pigeon.” — from 'A Pigeon At Heart'
A Pigeon At Heart is a story about a man who felt it was easier to pretend to be someone he wasn’t. Until someone found out the truth of who he really was…
(Suitable for all ages.)
A Pigeon At Heart was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Robert Baker had the flu, so he stayed home from work. He was told by his wife and also by his doctor to rest. But he couldn’t. He tossed and he turned and then gave up to watch TV in the living room.”
— FROM "CHANNEL 15 ½"
Channel 15 ½ is about a man who fears the whole world is against him and discovers it’s true. Sort of.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
Channel 15 ½ was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once upon a time in a town called Thornling, sass and backtalk were taking over. Kids wouldn’t lift a finger and the moms were going gray from stress…”
— from 'The Shears of Thornling’
The Shears of Thornling is a story about a town that discovers their old-fashioned ways of solving behavior problems aren’t always the best.(Suitable for all ages.)
The Shears of Thornling was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once there was a boy who had OCD symptoms and tics. He would have to say certain things at certain times and clear his throat if he had the urge. His mom was pretty good at being empathetic but sometimes she got impatient. Especially when other circumstances in her life were adding additional stress. At those moments she’d say,” You have to be stronger! You have to delay that urge and learn to cope!” It sounded like the right thing to say, but underneath were different words, more truthful words: “I’m scared that my son is behaving like this and I’m tired. I wish he’d just stop.”
—from ‘The Boy Who Used Rituals To Cope'
A story about a mom who feels frustrated by her son’s OCD symptoms but then realizes that he’s really only doing the very best he can to cope with stressors out of his control.
(For adults only.)
This episode was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Flacko and his buddy Nacho were two of several teenagers in the village. But unlike the others, these two had a reputation for rarely doing as they were told. They pondered during work-time and raided the dessert cave during the village ponder.
And because they’d been born in the village as opposed to the wild, the elder members of the community were forever fed up with the both of them. “You don’t know how it used to be!” the elders would lament. “We used to have to sleep on a different boulder every night! Sometimes walk five miles just for a single berry!”
“Jeeze dad,” Flacko would roll his eyes. “It’s not my fault you guys didn’t know what you were doing.”
— from The Forgotten History Of The Human Race—Part Three
When a group of early humans discover a gift from The Great Wind, their lives are forever changed. In Part Three, the villagers begin to have more free time than ever before, which leads them to pondering for the very first time, but their pondering quickly leads to wondering why they are even alive on earth. With this uncertainty, the entire village soon begins to panic. Luckily, one teenager figures out the answer.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
This episode was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
A very short story about hiding the truth.
(Suitable for all ages.)
This piece was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com
“Days turned to months in paradise, and though no one discussed it openly, it was clear no one was planning on leaving.
People went about their days, avoiding eye contact with one another, hoping no one would breach the subject.
But one evening, as the villagers were sharpening their jagged rocks preparing for the night’s protection, the eldest member of the village took it upon himself to walk amongst the villagers, asking everyone to join him in the communal cave for what would be their very first town meeting.”
— The Forgotten History Of The Human Race—Part Two
When a group of early humans discover a gift from The Great Wind, their lives are forever changed. In Part Two, these early humans grapple with not having to survive 24-hours a day.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
This piece was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com
“Have you ever heard of the forgotten history of the human race? Probably not, being that it’s been forgotten.
Well, I’ll tell you the story the way it was told to me:
A long, long time ago, before any Christs or Buddhas or grocery stores, there lived a group of humans. No one quite agrees on how they came to be, but it was clear they arrived and they wanted to stay alive and became very busy trying to do so.”
— The Forgotten History Of The Human Race—Part One
When a group of early humans discover a gift from The Great Wind, their lives are forever changed.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
This episode was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
A conversation about what to do when you feel bad about how you look.
(Suitable for all ages.)
I Don’t Like How I Look was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
A little boy wants to get into his toy closet, but an elephant is blocking his way.
(Suitable for all ages.)
How To Move An Elephant was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
My son has lost a lot of people in his life already, and he often asks me to call my mother on my heart-phone so he can talk with her. I do a pretty good imitation of my mother and try to imagine what she’d say. Sometimes it really does feel like I’m channeling her. This is one of those conversations.
(Suitable for all ages.)
Channeling My Son’s Grand-Mère was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
A poem for children and families experiencing loss and grief, based on my book Anchors in the Storm.
(Suitable for all ages.)
Anchors in the Storm was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Because of secret traumas we carry from being repeatedly dismissed and gaslit, many of us don’t have the skills to be able to recognize that we’re no longer in those old toxic situations. And we don’t have the skills to be able to distinguish a daily conflict from a war.
We may not realize that as adults we are safe inside ourselves now. That we can actually consider another person’s perspective without making it mean that our own perspective is invalid.”
— from ‘What Are You Carrying: A Piece For Adults’
(Suitable for adults.)
What Are You Carrying: A Piece For Adults was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
A story about what to do when other people try to give you their pain, based on my own true story of being bullied.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
What I Learned About Being Bullied was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“My name is Redmond but everyone calls me Mean Red because I’m mean. I heard a couple people whispering about me the other day. They were wondering why I’m so mean. And it got me thinking. I’ve known for a while that I’m good at being mean because I make a lot of kids cry. But I never really thought about how I got this way. So I thought about it and remembered.”
-from ‘Mean Red’
A mean boy tells the story of how he became mean.
(Suitable for all ages.)
Mean Red was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once there was a mother and a son who were having trouble connecting. They used to connect all the time. I mean that’s ALL they did. But then little things started getting in their way. And those little things stacked up, like a wall between them. It used to be they would play all day. On the floor with trains or Legos. They’d make up stories that lasted hours, sometimes even days. The mother was tired. But her boy meant everything to her, so when he wanted to connect, she was pretty good at pretending she was wide awake. But then she stopped being good at pretending.”
— from 'How To Connect When You're Having Trouble Connecting'
A story about a mother and her tween son who wanted to connect but had a wall between them.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
How To Connect When You're Having Trouble Connecting was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Katie McKeever was the new girl in third grade. Katie McKeever was perfect. She didn’t walk, she did back handsprings. She received standing ovation after ovation not only from her peers but from her teachers, some of whom skipped their lunch breaks just to watch her on the balance beam. It was at that moment I knew I had to be a gymnast. Unfortunately, a gymnast I was not. I took one fall off the balance beam and had to be rushed to the nurse’s office.”
— from 'The Girl Who Wanted To Be Someone Else’
(Suitable for all ages.)
The Girl Who Wanted To Be Somebody Else was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“This is a story about the wickedest witch in all of the land. They didn’t even make a movie about her, that’s how wicked she was. She had so many people in her dungeon, she had to hire a big company to make her a second dungeon. That’s how wicked she was.”
— from 'Farmer John and the Wicked Witch of the Central Region'
A wicked witch falls from the sky due to a broom malfunction. After landing in a cornfield, she meets a farmer and they wind up helping each other in surprising ways.
(Suitable for all ages.)
Farmer John and the Wicked Witch of the Central Region was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“I’ve noticed that a lot of times, people get triggered by each other because they’re coming from different perspectives, but don’t realize it.
When a person sees circumstances from a top floor perspective, life can be understood metaphorically or conceptually or theoretically.
When a person sees circumstances from the ground floor, they’re in survival mode.
And in these moments on the ground floor, a person’s life depends on being able to navigate what’s going on down there and being available to respond. And for good reason. They very well may be fighting for their survival—whether the battle is within or from being traumatized or persecuted by another. Or perhaps their jobs on the ground floor are about saving other people’s lives.”
—From ‘Top Floor and Ground Floor Perspectives'
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
Top Floor and Ground Floor Perspectives was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once there was a tiny boy. Well, everything about him was tiny except for the pinky finger on his left hand. By the time this little boy was 4 years old, his pinky finger was the size of his dad.”
— From 'The Heavy Pinky’
A little boy has an extra long pinky and his parents worry it’ll never fit into the world. An allegory for people who may not feel like they fit into society, but how really, there’s plenty space for everyone to be just as they are.
(Suitable for all ages.)
The Heavy Pinky was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“When unpleasant things happened to me when I was younger, my younger self diligently recorded the details of the event so that if I ever found myself in a situation even remotely similar, she could warn me that something toxic was near.”
— from 'Messages From Our Younger Selves'
(Suitable for teens and adults.)
Messages From Our Younger Selves was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
A story about the burden of carrying around your upsets.
(Suitable for all ages.)
The Boy With The Heavy Suitcase was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Here’s a secret: I have an elevator in my body. Yup. And it takes me wherever I want to go.”
— from 'My Elevator'
(Suitable for all ages.)
My Elevator was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“To me, an intrusive thought is any thought that interrupts what you want to be doing with reasons why you shouldn’t be doing it, reasons that make you feel bad about yourself. Throughout my life, I’ve dealt with a lot of intrusive thoughts, but because of this, I’ve been able to come up with some techniques to reframe them, diffuse their intensity, understand them in new ways, and even turn them into insights. So though I don’t expect what worked for me will work for everyone, I thought I’d share, just in case it’s useful.”
— from 'What To Do With An Intrusive Thought'
A piece about intrusive thoughts and some ideas for how to reframe them, diffuse their intensity, understand them in new ways, and even turn them into insights.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
What To Do With An Intrusive Thought was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“I have a confession.
Oh, how I wish I could keep it to myself. But the burden has grown too heavy.
You see… I… am not who you think I am.
I am… a phony.”
—From 'A Dog Called Dapper’
A very cute dog wishes his owners would understand that there's so much more to who he really is.
(Suitable for all ages.)
A Dog Called Dapper was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once upon a time there was a boy who really loved getting ice cream from this one particular store. Several times a week he went to this store and every time, he left the store with his ice cream.
Life was good.
Until one day he went to this store, to where the ice cream was, except there was no ice cream.”
— from ‘When The Ice Cream Ran Out’
When The Ice Cream Ran Out is an allegory about being attached to something that’s no longer available the way it once was—maybe a friendship that’s faded, or a favorite place that’s gone out of business—and how difficult it is to let go of what used to be, until we remember that we can shift our focus elsewhere and discover a new world of other wonderful things.
(Suitable for all ages.)
When The Ice Cream Ran Out was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once there was a little girl who loved to count.
“Mama,” she said one morning. “I’m going to count to infinity!”
“But darling,” her mother replied. “There’s no time to count to infinity!”
But the little girl was precocious and wanted to find out for herself.”
— from ‘There's No Time To Count To Infinity’
The story of a little girl determined to count to infinity.
(Suitable for all ages.)
There's No Time To Count To Infinity was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
"Sometimes I think kids imagine that grown-ups have it all together. And though many of us have worked hard to deliver the best version of ourselves out into the world, many of us grown-ups are still growing and still trying to understand what’s underneath our own behavior, while trying at the same time to be there for our kids while they develop their own best versions of themselves.
And sometimes this can get messy, especially when us grown-ups have our moments, those moments when our best selves get lost underneath our own upsets.
So I thought it might be useful to share a family drama of my own, so anyone of any age can get a glimpse of what happens when three people—me, my son, and my husband—are all having difficulty seeing each other’s concerns in the heat of a moment."
From 'Learning About Conflict From Different Perspectives: A Glimpse Into A Real-Life Drama From My Own Family'
A piece about a family drama and the insights it provided, followed by a poem based on my son’s thoughts on screen time and playing Minecraft.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
Learning About Conflict From Different Perspectives: A Glimpse Into A Real-Life Drama From My Own Family was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“To me, one of the hardest things about being a person is figuring out how to get along with other people. It seems like there’s always some problem, some conflict, some battle. It makes sense, though—we’re all walking around at the very same time with our private thoughts and our private wants and needs, our private circumstances and private memories of past circumstances.”
— From 'How To Get Along With Other People By Seeing Them Through A Different Perspective'
A conversation about shifting one’s perspective so that when other people behave in ways that are toxic to us, we don’t have to internalize the toxicity and have our days be ruined. Instead we can see the situation differently, and through doing so, find empathy for ourselves and maybe even for those most difficult people in our lives.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
How To Get Along With Other People By Seeing Them Through A Different Perspective was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Do you ever notice how you feel when someone gives you a zing?
A zing is what I call the feeling I get when someone does something that upsets me. Maybe it’s a harsh tone, maybe someone hasn’t responded to me the way I wished they would have. Or maybe someone’s being plain old-fashioned mean or rude for reasons I can’t understand.”
— From 'What To Do When People Upset You'
A conversation about why it’s so easy to get upset by other people, and how we can create more peace in our minds and in our lives by understanding the situation a bit differently.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
What To Do When People Upset You was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“One early winter morning, Emily’s mother was driving her to school, when Emily noticed the moon still up in the sky.
’Look at the moon, Mommy!’
’Wow, look at that. What a beautiful moon, honey.’
’I bet it must be cold up there.’
’Oh, I’m sure it is!’
’You think the moon ever gets cold, Mommy?’
’No, dear. The moon doesn’t get cold.’
’How do you know?’
’I just know, darling.’
’But did you ever ask the moon if she gets cold?’
’Yes, I did.’
’Did you really, Mommy?’”
— from 'The Backside of the Moon'
The story of a little girl who wanted to know if the moon was cold, and wouldn’t give up until she found out, even when all the grown-ups insisted her question was ridiculous.
(Suitable for all ages.)
The Backside of the Moon was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
"Welcome to What’s Your Upset…
What’s you’re upset? You’re on the air!
Hi. I just had a big drama with my mother.
Uh huh. What happened?
Well, I found an icky blueberry in my bowl and I threw it across the room and it accidentally hit her in the face.
I’m sorry to laugh. It’s really not funny.
My mom didn’t think it was funny either.
I bet not. So, uh, why the big upset over an icky blueberry?
Because it was disgusting.
So you chucked it across the room?
Yeah. I didn’t want it near me.
Did you feel it was an emergency situation?
It WAS an emergency situation!”
—from 'The Icky Blueberry, or How To Find Out More About What's Really Bothering Us'
A conversation with a boy who had a very big upset after finding an icky blueberry in his bowl. But he discovers, by going deeper inside of himself, that his upset was about much more than an icky blueberry.
(Suitable for all ages.)
The Icky Blueberry, or How To Find Out More About What's Really Bothering Us was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once there was a girl who wanted to be a hairdresser. All growing up she would style her hair, her friends’ hair and even her grandmother’s hair. She had a gift for making people sparkle. She loved how they looked at themselves in the mirror when she was through, as if their best selves had emerged and were waving hello.”
—from 'How To Find Your Anchor When You're Feeling Swept Away’
When a girl becomes flooded by intrusive thoughts, a friend teaches her how to find an anchor.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
How To Find Your Anchor When You're Feeling Swept Away was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Hello. I’m a flower. A beautiful, one-of-a-kind flower. If you saw me, you would have to stop and look. Even if you were running late, you would have to just look for at least a second. You might even want to snap a photo.”
— from 'The Anxious Little Seed'
The Anxious Little Seed is a story about one little seed in the garden who refuses to be happy, because she's too busy wanting to be a flower.
(Suitable for all ages.)
The Anxious Little Seed was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
The Land Of I’m Better Than You is a poem about a boy who wants to be better than everyone else, until he realizes he’s made a mistake.
(Suitable for all ages.)
New episodes every Wednesday!
The Land Of I’m Better Than You was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“I once knew a little boy who had a lot of fears. During the day, he wasn’t scared of much—he’d run around feeling pretty great—but once the sun set, his fears would wake up.” —from ‘Fact-Checking Your Fears’
Fact-Checking Your Fears is a conversation about understanding where our fears come from, and how to use our brains to decide if something is dangerous or not.
(Suitable for all ages.)
Fact-Checking Your Fearswas written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
No Joking About Choking is a very short poem based on true events. For some odd reason, when I’m upset with my son, I often rhyme inadvertently.
(Suitable for all ages.)
New episodes every Wednesday!
No Joking About Choking was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
Tip Tapping is a guided meditation for kids, that requires a bit of assistance from a grown-up.
It's a story I tell my son when he can’t sleep at night, when he’s scared or anxious or just has an abundance of maniacal energy.
There’s a lot of room for improvisation, but I’ve shared the framework along with a recording of the story, in case you’d like to try it out.
Basically, a grown-up tip-taps their fingers as if they’re little legs, on all the parts of the child’s body that the story mentions.
It can be silly and a lot of fun and it also helps to call my son’s attention back from all his video games and friends and other worldly stuff, and back into his body where he can feel like he’s home, safe and comfortable.
(Suitable for ages 2-10.)
Tip Tapping was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“When my child is suffering from OCD behavior, one way I can help him is by helping myself first. By asking myself: Am I catastrophizing here? Am I afraid that my child’s behavior is not normal? That I have to fix it immediately? Am I in panic mode about his behavior and worrying about his future? ”
—from 'When My Child is Suffering From OCD Behavior: A Piece For Parents’
Some ideas for how parents can support themselves while their child is experiencing OCD Behavior.
(Suitable for adults.)
When My Child is Suffering From OCD Behavior was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“When I was a younger person, I actually thought the purpose of my body was to get other people to notice it existed.”
—from 'My Body is a Chariot, and Other Things I Wish I'd known as a Teenager’
A conversation about the rocky relationship I had with my body as a teenager, and how I eventually discovered that my body is sacred—a place to cherish, instead of a place to avoid.
(Suitable for teens and adults.)
My Body is a Chariot, and Other Things I Wish I'd known as a Teenager was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“I remember when I was 11, wanting to write a memoir. I had a stepmother at the time who laughed when I told her my plan. “Don’t you need to be somebody before you write one of those?”
—from ‘Am I a Somebody: Two Stories’
Two very short stories—one for adults and one for kids—about the importance of sharing the most authentic version of who we are, without shame, and without needing an invitation to do so.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
Am I a Somebody: Two Stories was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
"Most of the time when you hear a story about a cocoon, there’s a caterpillar inside. But not this story. This story is about a cocoon that had a butterfly inside. A butterfly who was afraid to fly."
— from 'The Butterfly Who Was Afraid to Fly’
A terrified butterfly is forced out of her cocoon and into the world where she meets an unexpected friend who encourages her to fly.
(Suitable for all ages.)
The Butterfly Who Was Afraid to Fly was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Robert Baker had the flu, so he stayed home from work. He was told by his wife and also by his doctor to rest. But he couldn’t. He tossed and he turned and then gave up to watch TV in the living room.”
— FROM "CHANNEL 15 ½"
Channel 15 ½ is about a man who fears the whole world is against him and discovers it’s true. Sort of.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
Channel 15 ½ was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once there was a girl who was born with glue in her brain.
At first she didn’t know about the glue. She only knew that something seemed wrong about her brain, because so many of her thoughts seemed to get stuck to it.
No matter where she happened to be, she would notice herself thinking these same thoughts, again and again. Even if she tried not to think these thoughts, there they were . . .”
— FROM 'THE GIRL WHO WAS BORN WITH GLUE IN HER BRAIN’
The Girl Who Was Born with Glue in Her Brain is about a girl with a handful of thoughts that keep her from being able to enjoy life as much as she would like to, and what she eventually decides to do about it.
Click here to purchase the illustrated book version of this story.
(Suitable for teens and adults.)
The Girl Who Was Born with Glue in Her Brain was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once there was a man who loved his flower garden.
Only red flowers grew in his garden, and he was proud of every one. ‘The finest flowers are red,’ he’d say. ‘And flowers of any other color simply don’t belong here.’”
— From 'Red Flowers'
When a man notices flowers of unfamiliar colors blossoming in his town, he worries they’ll ruin his garden and he tries to ban them.
Red Flowers is a story about how much more beautiful the world is when a person is willing to open up their perspective and let the perspectives of others become part of their own.
(Suitable for all ages.)
Red Flowers was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“I bet a long time ago, what you wanted to have happen in a day was what you needed to figure out how to make happen. If you were hungry, you had to find your food and prepare it, if you wanted shelter, you had to make it or help make it, and if you were cold you’d have to make a fire and figure out how to stay warm.”
— from ‘Thinking About School and Why Some Kids Don’t Like It’
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
Thinking About School and Why Some Kids Don’t Like It was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once, there was a man who had a secret. A pretty big secret. You see, even though he looked like a regular man, inside he was really a pigeon.” — from 'A Pigeon At Heart'
A Pigeon At Heart is a story about a man who felt it was easier to pretend to be someone he wasn’t. Until someone found out the truth of who he really was…
(Suitable for all ages.)
A Pigeon At Heart was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“I think what every upset is missing, is a bridge of understanding. There are many people who are builders of these bridges of understanding, but many of them are not building these bridges because the work is so tedious.”
— FROM 'BRIDGES OF UNDERSTANDING’
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
Bridges of Understanding was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once, there was a little girl who wanted to have tea with her mommy. But her mommy was very busy. ‘As soon as I’m done with my grown-up work, I would love to have tea with you!’”
— From 'The Tea Party'
The Tea Party is a story about the creative ideas people come up with to try to connect with each other, when they imagine they’re not enough just the way they already are.
(Suitable for all ages.)
The Tea Party was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“I remember being little and carrying the weight of all the stories I was secretly collecting about my own experiences. I wanted so badly to share these experiences with someone who might have had the time to understand and appreciate what I was going through. But I couldn’t find the right person.”
— From "Listening To Our Younger Selves”
Listening To Our Younger Selves is a conversation about the the stories we carry inside us and the important messages they have for us, if we take the time to listen.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
Listening To Our Younger Selves was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“One afternoon, Little Bird was staring up at the sky, thinking about lunch. At the same time, in the luxury apartment building next to Little Bird’s tree, a human was out on his balcony, talking on his cell phone.”
— From 'The Bird Who Swallowed the Cell Phone'
When Little Bird swallows a cell phone, he inadvertently offends all the other birds in the neighborhood with his new chirp. The Bird Who Swallowed the Cell Phone is a story about the trouble that can happen when people assume they understand the reason for other people’s behavior, instead of asking them questions to find out for sure.
(Suitable for all ages.)
The Bird Who Swallowed the Cell Phone was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“If you or someone you know has OCD behavior, please do not refer to this behavior as an OCD monster. Why did anyone come up with the idea that having a monster in your brain would help make anything better?”
— from 'OCD: You Do Not Have a Monster in Your Brain’
OCD: You Do Not Have a Monster in Your Brain, is a conversation about Intrusive thoughts and reassurance-seeking OCD, with some ideas for understanding these types of behaviors, and some ideas for how to shift to more creative, self-affirming behaviors.
(Suitable for teens and adults.)
OCD: You Do Not Have a Monster in Your Brain was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“From what I’ve noticed, we communicate-to-be-heard in moments where we feel threatened. Maybe because of a dangerous situation, but more often, I think it happens when we’re triggered by someone who did something that upset us. Or when we’re trying to avoid getting triggered by someone who might do something to upset us.”
-from 'Communicating-To-Be-Understood'
Communicating-To-Be-Understood is a conversation about understanding why we feel triggered by other people’s behavior and why they feel triggered by ours. And how we can still share who we are and create more fulfilling connections with the people in our lives.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
Communicating-To-Be-Understoodwas written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once there was a boy who mostly said ‘no.’ He’d said ‘yes’ before, but then all sorts of things happened that he wasn’t quite ready for. After the word ‘no,’ nothing happened. And for him, nothing was good.”
— from 'The Boy Who Said No'
The Boy Who Said No is a very short story for kids who say ‘no’ a lot to avoid potentially bad experiences, but also for kids who might like some encouragement to be in the world again, in a way that feels healthy and enjoyable.
(Suitable for all ages.)
The Boy Who Said Nowas written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
A Friend Named Bob is a very short story about a little boy in quarantine who builds himself a friend.
(Suitable for all ages.)
New episodes every Wednesday!
A Friend Named Bob was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“I smiled and said hi and she stopped what she was doing, but only to glare at me. ‘I will not be responding or smiling to anyone,’ she explained. ‘I am at this retreat for peace.’” —from ‘What I Learned About Anger’
What I Learned About Anger is a conversation about meeting a very angry person at a meditation retreat, and the unexpected way she was treated.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
What I Learned About Angerwas written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Once upon a time in a town called Thornling, sass and backtalk were taking over. Kids wouldn’t lift a finger and the moms were going gray from stress…”
— from 'The Shears of Thornling’
The Shears of Thornling is a story about how one town discovers that their old-fashioned ways of solving behavior problems aren’t necessarily the best ways.
(Suitable for all ages.)
The Shears of Thornling was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
“Sometimes I like to think of my mind as an ocean and myself as someone fishing.”
-from ‘The Sea of Associations’.
It’s easy to get bogged down by our reactions to everyday upsets. Whether those upsets are coming at us from the world, or in our homes, or in our own heads. The Sea of Associations is a conversation about what happens to us in these moments of upset, and offers some suggestions for how to reframe our perspective, so our upsets don’t keep us feeling let down, disappointed and unexpressed.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
The Sea of Associations was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
An Introduction to Once Upon an Upset, a podcast of stories and conversations to help make sense of difficult times, for kids and their parents.
Written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.
I created Once Upon An Upset to share stories and conversations with kids who might be having difficulty coping with life’s challenges, expectations and disappointments.
Maybe they feel disconnected or misunderstood. Stuck or lost or afraid. Maybe they communicate differently or think differently or learn differently.
And I also created this podcast for parents who might have had very difficult childhoods and are learning to reparent themselves while also parenting their children with the kind of love and empathy they wish they’d grown up with.
My intention for Once Upon an Upset is to share some of the tools that have worked for me and also for my own son, to help us both learn to reframe our perspectives and try to understand the stuff we can’t control, rather than making it mean something negative about who we are.
Because no matter what any of us are going through, who we are, is a gift. Our perspective, and our ideas and concerns are not only valid but valuable.
And when we connect with each other just as we are and just as we aren’t, we get to understand each other, and the experience of being understood and connected is the stuff that makes life fulfilling.
I really hope that you and your family will enjoy listening to this podcast. And please, don’t hesitate to be in touch!