BFC SOCIAL STORIES - Mind Plants - How Reactions Change Others' Behaviour (PDF Download)

Some behaviours bloom.
Some behaviours spike.
And the difference, most days, comes down to the tiny moment right before we react.

Mind Plants is a gentle social story that teaches children how their attention helps behaviour grow - for better or for pricklier. Using an easy-to-understand plant metaphor, this story follows two siblings as they discover that everyone carries two “mind plants”: a Kind Plant that grows from calm, connecting moments… and a Prickly Plant that bursts to life when we react with frustration.

Through relatable family moments and warm, expressive artwork, children learn:

• how teasing gets bigger when we feed it attention

• how kindness grows stronger when we notice it

• that everyone - siblings, parents, teachers — has mind plants

• how small pauses and small choices can completely change the day

This story gives families and educators a shared language for emotional regulation, sibling harmony, and positive behaviour support. Kids don’t just hear the lesson — they see it, feel it, and start using it right away.

A simple idea. A powerful metaphor.
A tool children will carry long after the book is closed.

Ideal for:
✔ emotional regulation
✔ sibling conflict
✔ classroom behaviour support
✔ therapy sessions and social-emotional learning
✔ helping children understand the impact of their reactions