(music plays)

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?

(music plays)

Akin walks in the room with a blanket around his shoulders and headphones on his ears.

He approaches his keyboards and says HEY GUYS!
THANKS FOR COMING.
I'VE GOT A LOT OF
FEELINGS TODAY.
ON ONE HAND, I'M FEELING
KIND OF SAD.
[SAD CHORD]

He plays a sad chord.

(music plays)

Akin says BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, I
FEEL PRETTY GOOD.

He plays a happy chord.

(music plays)

Akin says IT'S LIKE A ROLLERCOASTER.
HAVE YOU EVER FELT SAD AND HAPPY
AT THE SAME TIME?
WELL MY FRIEND MACY HAS.
HERE, LET'S HAVE A LISTEN.

An animation rolls as Akin tells the story.

Akin says WHEN MACY'S PARENTS GOT
DIVORCED,
THEY BOTH MET NEW PARTNERS
WHO ALSO HAD KIDS.
MACY WAS EXCITED TO HAVE NEW
BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
SHE'S ALWAYS WANTED SIBLINGS,
BUT SHE'S BEEN FINDING IT HARD
LEARNING TO SHARE HER PARENTS.
ESPECIALLY HER DAD WHO SHE
DOESN'T SEE AS OFTEN.
SOMETIMES SHE'S HAPPY TO HAVE
OTHER KIDS TO PLAY WITH,
BUT OTHER TIMES SHE FEELS
JEALOUS AND ANGRY.
SHE WISHES SHE AND HER DAD GOT
TO SPEND MORE TIME ONE ON ONE.
THE WAY THEY USED TO.

(music plays)

Holding a basketball, Akin walks in his backyard and says MACY, THAT'S A LOT OF THINGS
TO FEEL AT ONCE,
BUT YOU'RE HANDLING IT
REALLY WELL.

He shoots a hoop and says DON'T YOU THINK DUANE?

Duane is in his thirties, with short straight black hair and wears jeans, a pink T-shirt and an unbuttoned gray shirt.

Duane says DEFINITELY.

Akin says WHEN MACY TOLD ME ABOUT HER
PROBLEM WITH HER FAMILY
I WANTED TO CHECK IN
WITH YOU.

Duane says WELL AKIN, BLENDED FAMILIES
CAN BE VERY CHALLENGING.
THERE ARE NEW PEOPLE TO
GET TO KNOW,
THERE ARE NEW ROUTINES
TO ADAPT TO,
AND SOMETIMES IT'S A NEW
ENVIRONMENT
THAT PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO
GET USED TO.
SO MACY IS NOT ALONE.

Akin says SO IT'S MADE HER FEEL
HAPPY, JEALOUS,
AND LONELY ALL AT
DIFFERENT TIMES.
I GUESS THAT'S WHAT THEY MEAN
WHEN THEY SAY, 'ALL THE FEELS'.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU
GIVE HER?

Duane says FOR STARTERS, IT CAN BE VERY
DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE
TO GUESS WHAT WE THINK, WHAT
WE FEEL, OR WHAT WE NEED.
SO I WOULD ASK MACY, 'HOW
WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT
CHECKING IN WITH YOUR
DAD SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE
A LITTLE BIT MORE ONE ON ONE
TIME WITH HIM'?

Akin says IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE IN HER
FAMILY THAT SHE CAN TALK TO?

Duane says IT'S A GOOD QUESTION!
I MEAN IT IS A BLENDED FAMILY,
MAYBE THERE'S A NEW SIBLING
THAT THEY MIGHT FEEL COMFORTABLE
TALKING TO ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS.
SOMETIMES IN BLENDED FAMILIES
THERE ARE SIBLINGS
WHO ARE EVEN THE
EXACT SAME AGE.
I WONDER IF MACY HAS A NEW
BROTHER OR SISTER
WHO MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING
SIMILAR FEELINGS
ABOUT THE TRANSITIONS,
THE NEW ENVIRONMENT,
THE NEW FAMILY MEMBERS
TO GET TO KNOW,
IT MIGHT HELP HER TO KNOW
THAT SHE'S NOT ALONE.

Akin says SO IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I
COULD TELL MACY AS HER FRIEND?

Duane says YOU CAN ENCOURAGE HER TO
BE PATIENT WITH HERSELF.
ANYTIME WE DEAL WITH CHANGES
OR TRANSITIONS IT TAKES TIME.
MY HOPE IS THAT SHE REMAINS
POSITIVE THROUGHOUT
THAT WHOLE PROCESS.

Akin says THANKS DUANE.

Akin throws the basketball backwards and scores.

Duane says YAY!

Akin does a happy dance and says YEAH.

(music plays)
[FANFARE]

(music plays)

In the basement, Akin says IT'S HARD WHEN YOUR FRIEND IS
GOING THROUGH
A TOUGH TIME, LIKE MACY.
BUT TALKING ABOUT IT CAN BE FUN.
IN FACT, I'LL DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
[PHONE RINGING]

On the phone, he says GET ME MY FRIENDS.

In the basement, his friends say
HI AKIN!

Akin says OH, HEY GUYS.
WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT
MACY'S STORY?

Izzy is around 11, with shoulder-length straight brown hair with bangs and wears floral leggings and a pink sweater.

She says I THOUGHT IT WAS SAD AND
IT MADE ME THINK ABOUT
MY FRIEND'S STORY CAUSE SHE ALSO
HAS TO SHARE A DAD
AND SHE'S NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT.

Ella is around 10, with shoulder-length straight blond hair and wears colourful chevron leggings and a blue hoodie.

She says IT MADE ME FEEL UPSET CAUSE
MY FRIENDS ALSO HAVE THAT,
TWO OF THEM, AND ONE OF THEM
HAVE TO SWITCH FAMILIES
EVERY WEEK.

Akin says A LOT OF PEOPLE GO THROUGH
THINGS LIKE THIS.
MACY'S NOT ALONE.
WHAT WOULD YOU GUYS DO IF YOU
WERE IN MACY'S SHOES?
WHO WOULD YOU TALK TO?

Ella says I WOULD TALK TO MY PETS BECAUSE
THEY'RE GOOD LISTENERS
AND THEY DON'T INTERRUPT ME, OR
MY PARENTS.

Eli is around 10, with short curly brown hair and wears beige trousers and a blue hooded sweater.

He says I WOULD TALK TO MY BEST FRIENDS
BECAUSE I KNOW
THEY WOULD HELP ME OUT.

Akin says DO YOU THINK THERE'S ANYTHING
MACY'S FAMILY
COULD DO TO HELP HER?

Izzy says WELL HER DAD COULD DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT IF
SHE TOLD HIM BECAUSE,
UM, THEN THEY COULD LIKE SPEND A
NIGHT OUT OR SOMETHING.

Ella says I THINK SHE COULD ASK IF HER
DAD'S NEW WIFE
TO TAKE THE KIDS AWAY
SO THEY COULD JUST HAVE
SOME TIME ALONE.

Akin says MACY'S NOT GETTING A LOT OF
ATTENTION FROM HER DAD.
DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT IT
FEELS LIKE
TO NOT GET A LOT OF
ATTENTION?

Eli says YES, BECAUSE AT SCHOOL I PLAY
HOCKEY AND I GET HURT
AND NO ONE COMES TO HELP ME.
AND THEN MY OTHER FRIENDS, THEY
GET HURT,
AND PEOPLE SAY 'PENALTY SHOT',
AND I DON'T GET A PENALTY SHOT
AND THEY GET A LOT OF
ATTENTION AND I DON'T.

Akin says DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY
MESSAGES
THAT YOU WANT TO PASS
ON TO MACY?

Izzy says UM...THAT YOU'RE NOT ALONE
AND TONS OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
FACE THAT SAME PROBLEM.

Akin says WHAT ABOUT YOU ELI?

Eli says JUST DON'T WORRY
ABOUT IT.
CAUSE SHE'S NOT ALONE
CAUSE A LOT
OF OTHER PEOPLE GO
THROUGH THAT.

Akin says AND WE'RE ALL THERE FOR
HER, RIGHT?

They all say YEAH!

Eli says DON'T WORRY MACY, WE GOT
YOUR BACK!

(music plays)

Back in his room, Akin writes on his journal and says AND THAT'S THE LAST TIME I TRY
TO TAKE THE CHEESE
FROM A MOUSE TRAP.
ADULTS USED TO TELL ME THAT I
SHOULD WRITE DOWN
MY THOUGHTS IN A FEELINGS
JOURNAL.
SOUNDS LIKE HOMEWORK,
RIGHT?
NO THANKS!
BUT, THEN ONE DAY I TRIED IT
AND I LOVED IT!
A JOURNAL IS LIKE A
SPECIAL FRIEND
THAT YOU CAN TALK TO WITHOUT
SPEAKING.
WRITING DOWN MY THOUGHTS HELPS
ME KEEP TRACK OF THEM.
IT HELPS ME THINK ABOUT
MY THOUGHTS
AND FEEL ABOUT MY FEELINGS.
IT'S LIKE TALKING TO YOURSELF.
I LIKE TO PICK UP MY NOTEBOOK
ONCE IN A WHILE
AND DRAIN MY BRAIN.
I ALWAYS FEEL BETTER AFTER!

He covers his thoughts and says HEY! THIS IS FOR AKIN'S
EYES ONLY.
NOW WHERE WAS I?

(music plays)

In the basement, Ella does some face painting on Izzy and Eli does some face painting on Akin.

Izzy says WHAT ARE YOU
PAINTING?

Ella says YOU'LL SEE SOON.

Eli says DONE!

Akin says LOOKS LIKE I'M GONNA
NEED TO WASH MY FACE.
SO, I'M GONNA SAY GOODBYE FOR
NOW, BUT REMEMBER,
YOU CAN FEEL WHATEVER YOU WANT,
WHENEVER YOU WANT.
THE ONLY THING YOU NEED TO DO
IS BE YOU.
AND COME BACK SOON.
BYE!

They all wave and say GOODBYE!

Music plays as the end credits roll.

Copyright 2020, Riverbank Pictures.