When a dark bedroom feels scary
A short cartoon about one dim corner, with your child as the hero. Watch it together earlier in the evening, never in bed.
An example story beginning for this moment. It is not a cartoon of your own story.
Cartoons are made with AI. You preview each one before your child sees it. Automatic checks can miss things.
Let's imagine
Example, made with AI
Leo (5) is in his room one evening with Grandpa. The corner by the closet is dim, and it looks like a tall someone. "I don't like that corner," says Leo. "Thank you for telling me," says Grandpa. "Shall we look together?" He hands Leo a small flashlight. Leo points the beam, one step at a time. A coat hangs on a chair. "It's my coat," says Leo. He sets the flashlight on his shelf. The lamp stays on.
The characters in this example are made up. Your child can be the hero, with or without a photo.
What happens in the story
In the example above:
- Leo says plainly what he doesn't like: that corner.
- Grandpa thanks him for telling, and offers to look together. He doesn't say there is nothing to worry about.
- Leo looks one step at a time with a flashlight. In this example, it turns out to be his coat.
- Leo picks where the flashlight lives. The lamp stays on, and Grandpa stays close.
Talk-after card
Here are three gentle questions to talk about after this example. Best watched together, then followed by a chat or a game.
- What did Leo see in the corner at first?
- What did Grandpa say? What helped Leo find out?
- Where would you like a little light to live in your room? You can tell me, show me, or skip it.
Use the ones that feel right. Skip any you like.
What a cartoon can and can't do
- Not for watching in bed or just before sleep. Health guidance suggests turning screens off an hour before bedtime.
- Fears are common. If fear keeps stopping your child from sleeping or doing everyday things, talk to your child's doctor.
- A cartoon can't make a dark room feel safe. It gives you something to look at and talk about together, earlier in the evening.
- Every family has its own pace.
- Each Zubby cartoon is made to be talked about together. It can't do the work of routine, patience or your child's doctor.
- If you are worried about your child's sleep, eating, fears or behavior, talk to your child's doctor, nurse or teacher.
What research says
Night-time fears are very common: in one study of 176 children aged 4 to 12, about 7 in 10 reported them. [15]
- [15]Muris P, Merckelbach H, Ollendick TH, King NJ, Bogie N. Children's nighttime fears: parent-child ratings of frequency, content, origins, coping behaviors and severity. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 2001;39(1):13–28. doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(99)00155-2
Zubby is a family storytelling tool, not a medical, therapeutic or educational treatment. Zubby cartoons have not been tested in studies.