For ages 8 to 12 · and curious grown-ups
Meet Your Inner Team
Why does one bit of you want to do your homework, and another bit want to hide under a blanket with a biscuit? Let’s find out!
🤔 Part 1
Everyone has a team inside
Have you ever said “part of me wants to go to the party, but part of me doesn’t”? That’s not you being weird. That’s your inner team talking!
Photo: Unsplash
Everybody has lots of different parts inside them, a bit like a team of characters. Each one has its own feelings, ideas and jobs. Grown-ups have them too (yes, even teachers!). Some grown-ups who help people with feelings call this idea Internal Family Systems. We’ll just call it your inner team.
👋 Part 2
Meet the team
Here are some of the team members lots of people have. Tap each one to see what it does!
Tap a card to meet each part of the team!
💛 Part 3
There are no baddies on your team
Here’s the big secret: every part is trying to help you, even the ones that are a bit annoying! They just don’t always pick the best way to do it.
Buster: “You felt left out at lunch! EMERGENCY! Quick, let’s play games for five hours so you don’t feel it!”
You: “Thanks Buster… but maybe I could just tell Mum how I feel?”
If you shout at a part or try to get rid of it, it usually just shouts louder. If you’re kind and curious, it can calm down.
🎮 Part 4
Game: who’s talking?
Read the thought. Which team member do you think said it? There are no wrong answers that matter, just have fun!
Round 1 of 8
Who's talking?
Remember: every part is trying to help. And the Captain (that's YOU!) can listen to all of them kindly.
☀️ Part 5
The Captain is YOU
Underneath all the busy team members there’s someone special: the Captain. The Captain is the calm, kind middle of you. It never goes away, even when the team is being really noisy. The Captain is:
Photo: Unsplash
When the team gets wobbly, the Captain can help everyone settle. A slow breath is a great way to call the Captain. Try it!
Uh-oh! The team is all jittery and wobbly. Can you help them calm down?
🎨 Part 6
Make your own part
Think of a part of you. Maybe a worried part, a grumpy part, or a silly part. Give it a shape, a colour and a name. What job is it trying to do for you?
My part
I try to help by...
"I try to help by..."
0 / 60Your part is only saved in this browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.
🧘 Part 7
Try it: say hello to a part
Next time a part of you feels big (worried, cross or wobbly), you can try this:
- Notice it. Where do you feel it? Tummy? Chest? Hot face?
- Say hello. “Hi, worried part. I see you.”
- Ask what it’s scared of. “What are you worried would happen?” Then listen.
- Say thank you. “Thanks for trying to look after me.”
- Let the Captain help. Take a slow breath, and ask a grown-up you trust if you need a hand.
Charlie: “Oh! Nobody’s ever said thank you before. I… I might take a little break.” 😊
If a part feels REALLY big
Some parts carry old hurts that are too heavy to sort out on your own, and that’s OK. You don’t have to. Tell a grown-up you trust: a parent, carer, teacher, or the school nurse.
You can also talk to Childline for free, any time, about anything: call 0800 1111 or visit childline.org.uk.
👩👧 For grown-ups
This page uses ideas from Internal Family Systems (IFS), a way of understanding the mind as made up of “parts” around a calm core “Self”. The characters are made up for children. It is not therapy and not a diagnosis. If you’re worried about a child’s feelings or behaviour, talk to their GP or school. Older children and teenagers may like Many Parts, One Self.