Built by a parent, for parents.
One family in Auckland, a very opinionated three-year-old, and stories that know your child.
Why we built Gently Told.
Any parent can invent a story that truly fits their child. Doing it every night is another matter.
We think the best stories are the ones that know your child: their name, their age, whatever this week has thrown at them. Gently Told helps you make those stories, and nothing reaches your child without you.
I built Gently Told because I wanted bedtime stories that were actually about my daughter: her name, her world, whatever she's going through that week. Something that helps her feel understood.
So I read the research properly: bibliotherapy, attachment theory, social narratives. Every story is built on one of those frameworks, and the guide for each one names the studies. It's just me and my wife building this, and a very opinionated three-year-old who tells us when a story isn't good enough.
Stories that fit your child, with you in control.
- Stories about themThe child is always the hero. You make it happen.
- You decideYou approve every story. Parents know best.
- Four checks before they hear a wordGuided story seeds, a research framework, a safety check before a word is written, and your own read-through.
- Grounded in researchEvery story seed is built on real child development research, and the guide for each one names the studies.
- Nothing hiddenYou see every word before it is recorded. Nothing rides along inside a story.
Built for Yoto families.
Screen-free audio is what Yoto families are already doing, so Gently Told sends approved stories straight to a Make Your Own card. Create on your phone, read every word, then listen without a screen anywhere.
No Yoto? Listen in the app, or download the MP3 and play it on any speaker or in the car. More in the FAQ.
Their first story is free.
No card needed. Make one for a real moment in their life and read it before they hear it.