BALANCE THE TRIANGLE LABS

A Think Tank for Human Flourishing

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How YES! supports social-emotional growth

A simple guide to the themes and the “controls” each volume practices

YES! is designed as social-emotional learning in story form.

Not a curriculum disguised as a book.
A lived experience children can feel, imitate, and return to.

Across the series, Olivia and DOT practice a small set of controls (safeguards) that help kids stay human under pressure: when emotions surge, when peers pull, when fairness feels complicated, and when repair is harder than hiding.

Controls in YES! are not punishments.
They are the skills that keep kindness, courage, and belonging intact as children grow.

The five core “controls” YES! builds

These are repeated on purpose, so kids learn them as muscle memory.

  1. Pause (self-regulation)
    A story-anchored moment of breath before reaction.
  • Skill: stop, notice, choose
  • What it protects: impulsive harm, shame spirals, “everyone else did it”
  1. Name (emotional literacy)
    Giving feelings and patterns the right words.
  • Skill: identify what’s happening inside and between people
  • What it protects: confusion, misread intent, hidden resentment
  1. Boundary (self-respect + respect for others)
    A clear line that keeps care from becoming collapse.
  • Skill: say no, say stop, ask for space, ask for help
  • What it protects: coercion, people-pleasing, bullying disguised as “joking”
  1. Witness (empathy + accountability)
    Seeing clearly without joining the harm.
  • Skill: notice impact, stand with the vulnerable, tell the truth kindly
  • What it protects: bystander silence, normalization of cruelty
  1. Repair (restoration over punishment)
    Making amends and rebuilding trust after harm.
  • Skill: apologize well, fix what you can, change what you do next
  • What it protects: “I’m bad” identities, grudges, relationship breakage

These controls show up in age-appropriate ways: a pause before a choice, a name for a feeling, a boundary in a friendship, a moment of witness, a repair that leaves everyone more real than before.

Volume-by-volume guide: themes + controls

YES! Volume 1

Theme: Noticing imbalance early
Primary controls practiced: Pause + Name
What kids learn:

  • “Something feels off” is important information, not drama.
  • Feelings are signals, not commands.
  • You can slow down even when the world is loud.

Practice moments to look for:

  • IS and the power of living in the moment
  • DOT’s presence reinforces a simple rhythm: guide, pause, witness.

Caregiver prompt:
“Think about all the wonderful things that exist in the world.”

YES! Volume 2

Theme: Belonging without “them”
Primary controls practiced: Witness + Boundary
What kids learn:

  • Exclusion isn’t always obvious, but it always leaves a mark.
  • Being kind doesn’t mean going along.
  • You can stand with someone without becoming a target yourself.

Practice moments to look for:

  • A friendship test where “fitting in” conflicts with what’s right.
  • The child-reader sees how small jokes and labels can become a system.

Caregiver prompt:
“If you were there, what would ‘witnessing’ look like without starting a fight?”

YES! Volume 3

Theme: Choice, courage, and responsibility
Primary controls practiced: Boundary + Repair
What kids learn:

  • Freedom isn’t “do whatever.” It’s choosing with care.
  • Indecision can be a kind of harm when it leaves others unprotected.
  • You can make a wrong choice and still become someone trustworthy through repair.

Practice moments to look for:

  • A moment where Olivia must decide, not drift.
  • Consequences are real, but not cruel.

Caregiver prompt:
“What was the hardest part of the choice: fear, friends, or uncertainty?”

YES! Volume 4

Theme: Balance and sustainability
Primary controls practiced: Repair + Stewardship (carrying/releasing)
What kids learn:

  • Some things you carry because they matter.
  • Some things you release because they are too heavy or harmful.
  • Balance isn’t static. It’s ongoing care.

Practice moments to look for:

  • A tradeoff: convenience vs. care, speed vs. sustainability.
  • A clearer sense of “the commons”: shared spaces, shared futures.

Caregiver prompt:
“What did Olivia carry, what did she release, and how did she know?”

How to use YES! at home or in the classroom

You don’t need a lesson plan. You need a few repeatable rituals.

1) The 60-second “YES! check”

After reading:

  • What happened?
  • What did Olivia feel?
  • What did she choose?

2) The control spotlight

Pick one control per reading:

  • Where did you see a pause?
  • What needed naming?
  • What boundary mattered?
  • Who witnessed?
  • What repair happened (or needed to)?

3) The “do this next” bridge (kid version)

Turn story into action:

  • “Next time I feel that, I will pause.”
  • “Next time I see that, I will name it or ask for help.”
  • “Next time that happens, I will choose repair.”

What YES! is really training

Underneath the story, YES! is rehearsing a lifelong skill:

How to stay kind without losing yourself.
How to be brave without becoming hard.
How to repair without collapsing into shame.

Because the world children are entering will be fast, loud, and persuasive.

YES! gives them something simple and durable:

A pause.
A name.
A boundary.
A witness.
A repair.

That’s how values survive scale.

For educators: YES! supports SEL competencies in a story-native way:

  • Self-awareness (naming)
  • Self-management (pausing)
  • Social awareness (witnessing)
  • Relationship skills (boundaries + repair)
  • Responsible decision-making (choice under pressure)

Use it as a read-aloud anchor, a discussion starter, or a “reset story” after hard classroom moments.