A caption reads "TVO Kids and Riverbank pictures original."

[laughter]

(music plays)

Wearing a mask, Akin walks in his room.

Akin is in his early teens, with slightly long braided brown hair and wears jeans and a yellow sweater.

Akin's room is full of colourful furniture, has different colour walls, a black and white checkered floor, pink curtains, and a neon sign that reads "Feelings" behind a couch.

He says OH HEY, IT'S ME AKIN.
THE HOST OF HOW DO YOU FEEL?
I'M SURE YOU'RE FEELING A LOT
THESE DAYS.
WE ALL ARE, AND THAT'S OKAY.
I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT MY
FRIENDS AND I FILMED THE SHOW
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, SO EVEN
THOUGH WE'RE NOT WEARING MASKS,
OR PHYSICALLY DISTANCING, IT'S
STILL VERY IMPORTANT.
SO IF YOU'RE IN A SITUATION
WHERE YOU NEED TO
PHYSICALLY DISTANCE, BUT YOU
CAN'T, PUT ON YOUR MASK.
IT'LL HELP KEEP YOU AND YOUR
FRIENDS SAFE.
WHICH FEELS GREAT!
ENJOY THE SHOW!

In animation, the opening of the show rolls.

As the sun comes up between the mountains, colourful letters with different mood facial expressions form the name of the show. It reads "How do you feel?"

A song goes SOME DAYS YOU MIGHT BE HAPPY
AND SOME DAYS YOU MIGHT BE MAD
OTHER DAYS THEY START OFF
RIGHT
BUT THEN YOU WENT UPSET
BUT IT'S OKAY
CUZ WE WANNA KNOW
HOW DO YOU FEEL?
YEAH, HOW DO YOU FEEL?

Akin stands in front of a board with colourful notes showing different emotions.

Akin says HMMM, WHEN I'M EXCITED I GET
LITTLE SHIVERS ALL OVER.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
I'M WORKING ON AN EXPERIMENT TO
SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN MY BODY
WHEN I EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT
EMOTIONS.
BASICALLY I WANNA SEE WHAT
FEELINGS FEEL LIKE.
HMMM, I NOTICE WHEN I'M
EMBARRASSED
MY CHEEKS FEEL HOT.
AND WHEN I'M MAD MY STOMACH
CRUNCHES UP.
AND IT MAKES IT HARD FOR ME
TO EAT.
SEE WE ALL EXPERIENCE EMOTIONS
DIFFERENTLY IN OUR BODIES.
I HAVE A FRIEND WHO CANNOT STOP
LAUGHING WHEN SHE'S SCARED.
IT'S UNSETTLING.
OHHH, HERE'S ONE.

He lifts a note from the floor and continues DISAPPOINTED.
DISAPPOINTED IS WHEN YOU FEEL
SAD BECAUSE
SOMETHING DIDN'T GO YOUR WAY.
IT REMINDS ME OF A STORY MY
FRIEND JOE TOLD ME.

An animation rolls as Akin tells the story.

Akin says RECENTLY JOE AND HIS MOM WERE
OUT SHOPPING
WHEN JOE SAW A VIDEO GAME HE
REALLY WANTED.
HE ASKED HIS MOM TO BUY IT FOR
HIM BUT SHE SAID NO.
HE OFFERED TO PAY HER BACK BY
DOING CHORES AROUND THE HOUSE.
BUT SHE STILL SAID NO.
JOE FELT DOWN AND REALLY
DISAPPOINTED.
MOM IS SO STRICT SOMETIMES.
LOVE ME YOU'D BUY ME THE GAME'.
AND JOE'S MOM SAID, 'SOMETIMES I
DON'T BUY YOU THINGS
BECAUSE I LOVE YOU'.

Akin walks into the backyard and says IT'S HARD WHEN YOU WANT
SOMETHING SO BADLY
AND YOU CAN'T GET IT.
I'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE.
OH HEY DUANE!

Duane is in his thirties, with short straight black hair and wears jeans, and a red plaid shirt over a gray T-shirt.

Duane says HEY AKIN.

Akin says SO WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF
JOE'S STORY?

Duane says WELL I'M REALLY SORRY TO HEAR
THAT JOE FELT DISAPPOINTED.
PARENTS AND GUARDIANS ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR
MAKING DECISIONS THAT THEY
FEEL ARE IN THE
BEST INTEREST
OF THEIR KIDS.
UNFORTUNATELY WHAT PARENTS
AND GUARDIANS DECIDE
MAY NOT ALWAYS BE WHAT KIDS
WANT OR LIKE.

Akin says DO YOU THINK TALKING TO
HIS MOM WOULD HELP?

Duane says THAT'S A GOOD IDEA!
COMMUNICATION CAN OFTEN BE A
USEFUL TOOL.
I WONDER HOW JOE WOULD FEEL
ABOUT ASKING HIS MOM
WHY HER ANSWER WAS NO.
SOMETIMES EVEN IF WE DON'T
LIKE A DECISION, IT MIGHT BE
EASIER TO ACCEPT IF WE
UNDERSTAND WHY IT WAS MADE.
AND MY HOPE IS THAT JOE'S
MOM WOULD BE WILLING TO
EXPLAIN HER DECISION
A BIT FURTHER.

Akin says WHAT SHOULD JOE FOCUS
ON WHEN HE'S FEELING DOWN
OR DISAPPOINTED?

Duane says JOE COULD FOCUS ON SAFE AND
HEALTHY WAYS TO CHANNEL
HIS EMOTION.
FIRST OF ALL, ACCEPT THAT
SOMETIMES WE'RE GONNA
FEEL DISAPPOINTED.
THEN HE CAN FIND POSITIVE WAYS
TO DISTRACT HIMSELF
LIKE SPENDING QUALITY TIME
WITH FRIENDS,
OR DOING AN ACTIVITY THAT HE
REALLY ENJOYS.

Akin says THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE JOE
COULD DO TO FEEL BETTER?

Duane says WELL I KNOW THAT JOE DIDN'T
GET THE VIDEO GAME
THAT HE WANTED BUT IT MAY HELP
HIM TO REMEMBER THAT HIS
MOM'S GONNA MAKE DECISIONS THAT
ARE IN HIS BEST INTEREST
BECAUSE SHE LOVES HIM.

Akin says OKAY SO, NOT GETTING MAD
WHEN YOU DON'T GET YOUR WAY.
OKAY AKIN, REMEMBER THIS FEELING
THE NEXT TIME YOU
GET DUNKED ON.

Akin shoots a basketball ball.
[Buzzer]

Akin says YEAH!

[fanfare]

Akin searches for something in the basement.

Akin says ARRRRRGHHH.
MAYBE IT'S...
IT'S NOT THERE EITHER...
OH I THINK I REMEMBER
SEEING IT...
OHHH...
ARRGGHHHH!
YOU GUYS HAVEN'T SEEN MY REMOTE
CONTROL ROBOT HAVE YOU?

Nikita says NO.

Akin says I GOT IT FOR MY BIRTHDAY.
I THINK I LOST IT.
I KNOW IT'S JUST A
He air quotes TOY.
He continues STUFF COMES AND GOES.
IT'S NOT WORTH GETTING SO
UPSET ABOUT.
SPEAKING OF TOYS AND
FEELINGS,
WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK OF
JOE'S STORY?

Lilly is around 12 years old. She has long blond hair and wears a lilac sweater.

Lilly says I CAN FULLY RELATE TO JOE'S
STORY BECAUSE FOR A REALLY,
REALLY LONG TIME, I'VE
ALWAYS WANTED A PUPPY.
BUT I ALREADY HAVE A CAT, SO I
CAN'T REALLY HAVE A PUPPY.
BUT I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT HOW I'M
LUCKY TO HAVE MY CAT.

Nikita is around 11 years old. He has black hair and wears a blue plaid shirt.

Nikita says I THINK JOE'S MOM DIDN'T BUY
THE VIDEO GAME
FOR HIM BECAUSE MAYBE SHE
THOUGHT THAT HE DIDN'T NEED IT.

Akin says DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE
TO NOT GET SOMETHING YOU WANT?

Mahika is around 11 years old. She has black hair in a bun and wears a pink sweater.

Mahika says I KNOW, ONE TIME I WANTED
A PHONE AND I COULDN'T GET IT
BECAUSE MY PARENTS TOLD ME THAT
IT WOULD, THAT I WOULD HAVE TO
PAY FOR IT.
I DECIDED NOT TO GET IT, I
UNDERSTAND
WHAT THEY MEANT.

Akin says WHAT ABOUT YOU LILY?

Lily says WELL WHEN I COULDN'T GET THE
PUPPY, I FELT VERY
DISAPPOINTED BUT I KNEW THAT
BECAUSE MY DAD WAS ALLERGIC
AND THAT WE ALREADY HAD A CAT,
IT WOULD BE A BIG
RESPONSIBILITY FOR ME AND
MY FAMILY.
SO I UNDERSTAND WHY WE
COULDN'T GET IT.

Akin says WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO WHEN YOU'RE
FEELING DISAPPOINTED?

Nikita says WHEN I FEEL LIKE DISAPPOINTED
WHEN I DON'T GET SOMETHING
I THINK OF A PLACE THAT, LIKE
BEAUTIFUL PLACES LIKE
MEXICO, SPAIN, FRANCE,
PLACES THAT I'VE BEEN
WHEN IT MAKES ME FEEL
RELAXED
AND IT CLEARS MY MIND AND I
FORGET ABOUT THE THINGS
THAT I WANTED.

Akin says IS THERE ANYTHING YOU GUYS WOULD
LIKE TO TELL JOE?

Mahika says I HAVE SOMETHING, MAYBE JOE JUST
WANTED SOMETHING
THAT MAYBE THEIR PARENTS ARE
JUST TRYING TO SAVE
SOME MONEY FOR MAYBE
SOMETHING.

Nikita says I THINK IF THEY THOUGHT THAT HE
DIDN'T NEED IT AND
IT'S NOT USEFUL FOR HIM THEN THE
OTHER TOYS THAT HE HAS
ARE USEFUL.

Lily says I SEE WHY JOE WAS REALLY
DISAPPOINTED
BUT MAYBE NEXT TIME HE CAN USE
SOME OF THE STRATEGIES
THAT, LIKE WE SAID TODAY, LIKE
RELAXING IN YOUR ROOM
OR THINKING OF BEAUTIFUL PLACES.

Akin says THANK YOU GUYS FOR SHARING.
YOU GUYS ARE MORE IMPORTANT TO
ME THAN AN ARMY
OF REMOTE CONTROL ROBOTS.
AND I PINKY SWEAR THAT I WON'T
LOSE YOU IN THE COUCH
OR LEAVE YOU ON THE BUS OR LET
PATTY SLOBBER ALL OVER YOU.

They do a special greeting and say PROMISE.

Next, Akin walks into a colourful living room. Different objects sit on a table.

Akin says HELLO AND WELCOME TO AKIN'S
SENSE-SATIONAL
HOUSE OF SMELLS.
COME IN AND EXPLORE THE WONDERS
OF MY FAVOURITE
NEW FORM OF SELF-CARE.
[inhales]
AROMATHERAPY.
AROMATHERAPY IS WHEN YOU USE
YOUR SENSE OF SMELL
TO CALM DOWN WHEN YOU'RE FEELING
WORRIED OR ANXIOUS.
IT WORKS WITH ANYTHING THAT
SMELLS GOOD TO YOU.
MAYBE A TANGERINE MAKES YOU
FEEL...
[inhales]...HAPPY AND AWAKE.
WHILE LAVENDER MAKES YOU FEEL
SLEEPY AND CALM.
I LIKE SMELLING THIS SWEATER
BECAUSE...
[inhales]
IT REMINDS ME OF HOME.
SCENTS CAN RETRIEVE GOOD
MEMORIES BURIED
DEEP IN OUR BRAINS.
ALL IT TAKES IS A FEW DEEP
BREATHES
AND SOMETHING YOU LOVE TO SMELL.

He sprays the room.

Lily reads CAN'T HAVE A PUPPY.

Nikita says NOT GETTING MY NEW
TENNIS BAG.

Mahika reads NO PHONE YET.

Akin reads LOSING MY ROBOT.

[paper crumbles]
Akin says LETTING GO FEELS GOOD.
THE WORLD IS FILLED WITH THINGS
YOU WANT.
LIKE PUPPIES, ROBOTS, NEW GAMES.
DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED.
BUT MORE IMPORTANT IT'S FILLED
WITH THINGS WE NEED.
GOOD FRIENDS LIKE YOU.
THANKS FOR FEELING
WITH US.
OKAY GUYS, READY?
3-2-1.
ONE MORE!
MORE POINTS.
OH, WE ALL GOT IT!

They throw paper balls into a basketball ring.

Akin says ONE MORE, ONE MORE!
YES!

All say YEAH!

(music plays)

Music plays as the end credits roll.

Copyright 2020, Riverbank Pictures.