Once Upon a Feeling

Once Upon A Feeling is a storytelling and parenting podcast that honors children’s emotions and the complexity of caregiving. Through thoughtful conversations and developmentally informed insights, it helps parents create emotional space—so guidance comes from presence, not pressure.

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Once Upon a Feeling

Once upon a feeling #7 "Too Loud, Too Cold, Just Right" - a story about potty sensations -Read by Annatina

May 19, 2026 • Gooshi • Season 1 • Episode 14

0:00 | 5:17

Hi!

We're really glad you're here!

In this episode, Anattina reads "Too Loud, Too Cold, Just Right" — a gentle, relatable story that walks children (and parents!) through the sensory journey of potty training, from the shock of a cold seat to the triumph of a brave flush.

Potty training isn't just about habits — it's a full sensory experience for your child. The cold seat, the loud flush, the strange smells... what feels ordinary to us can feel overwhelming to little ones who don't yet have the words to tell us what's wrong.

This story is the perfect companion to our next episode, where Rita sits down with Dr. Quiara, Pediatric Pelvic Health Specialist based in Santa Rosa, California — to unpack what's really happening in your child's body and nervous system during potty training and beyond. If this story resonated with you, what Dr. Quiara shares next will be mind-blowing.

In this episode:
🐰 Why potty training can feel scary, cold, and overwhelming for toddlers
🐰 How sensory processing shapes your child's bathroom experience
🐰 Simple tricks to make potty time feel safe and manageable
🐰 What pelvic floor health has to do with potty training struggles
🐰 Why "they'll get it eventually" isn't always the full picture

Perfect for: parents of toddlers, potty training struggles, sensory-sensitive children, moms seeking pelvic floor therapy resources, caregivers supporting neurodivergent kids.

🎧 Don't miss the next episode with Dr. Quiara — subscribe so you never miss a story.

Once Upon a Feeling is part of the Gooshi ecosystem — expert-backed stories and conversations to support your child's emotional and physical wellbeing.

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SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hi friends, welcome to this week's Once Upon a Feeling. This week we have a story about potty training. For most of us, grown-ups, older children, we probably don't remember what it was like. But it could be a very weird thing, a very foreign thing, for the little ones when they really have never done it. I hope this story will shed some light on what can actually go through the little's mind and allow us to really sit with them, meet them where they're at, and take care of them and hold them through this momentous process. Enjoy. Anatina is reading the story for us. And I will see you on the other side.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

Too loud, too cold, just right. A story about potty sensations. Read by Anatina Betzula. Ha ha ha! Come on! Bunny, it's potty time. Big bunnies use the potty even when it feels a little strange or a little different than diapers. Whoa, bunny, look at that potty. It's huge. Bunny says, It might eat me, but I know potties don't do that. We've got the special seat. Click! Now it's just the right size for bunny bottoms. Not too big. Time to sit. Plop. Yikes, it's freezing, bunny squeaks. The seat feels cold on my bottom. I grab the magic warmer. Warm seat. Now it feels better, more comfy. Flush time. Whoosh! Ah! Bunny yuck. Too loud. We car okay. One, two, three, fluff! This time we're ready. It's just the sound of water rushing fast. My belly feels funny. Maybe I need to go too. I feel a little nervous. Bunny says, try the magic warmer first. Okay bunny. Step up, sit down. Burr just like Bunny said. But I've got the hair dryer. Warm air makes the seat feel warm and cozy. That helps me relax. Sitting still, waiting, then blip plop twinkle tinkle. I did it! I went potty! Bunny claps. I'm a super brave bunny helper. There's my poop. It looks kind of squishy and smells funny, but that's just how poop is. All bodies do it. My body took what it needed from my food and this is what's left. My body knew just what to do. Time to flush the poop. Ready bunny? One, two, three. Flush whoosh! I press the handle and watch it swirl and disappear. It's too loud, but we're ready this time. I cover my ears. Bunny does it too. It goes down the toilet with the water. That's where it belongs. It doesn't bother me now. All done, ready for a clean start. Time to wash our hands! I turn the water on. Bunny says, Let's make soap mountains. I scrub and swirl. Bubbles grow big and pop. Now my hands feel clean and fresh. We did it! Learning to use the potty takes practice with warm air, brave flushes, and bunny by my side. Hi five bunny, we're not scared. We're the potty power team. The end.

SPEAKER_01 3:43

And we're back. Who knew? Who knew so many sensations can go into just making sense of the potty and how it feels like on our skin, in our ears, and on our nose. And it is extremely difficult too for the little ones not having the words to articulate it and tell us exactly what their fears are or startles them. I hope this story has shed some light on what is going through those little minds and giving all of the moms and dads, and maybe the big brothers and sisters, on what is really really going on in those little heads, since we probably have forgotten about it. All the parents, please stay tuned for the next episode Beyond the Stories, where I get to interview one of my favorite people, um, Dr. Chiara, who is a pediatric pelvic health specialist based out in Santa Rosa, California. Some of the things that she shares with you, I mean, it was mind blowing. It was mind blowing for me. So stay tuned, take care of those hearts, and I'll see you next time.