Grown-up's Guide — Zephyr Cloud Lab

🐉 What is Zephyr Cloud Lab?

Zephyr Cloud Lab is a free, gentle worry-sorting tool for children aged 5–10. A scientist dragon called Zephyr helps children sort their "worry clouds" into three zones — things they can fix, things they can help a bit, and things they need to let float away.

It takes about 5 minutes. It requires no account, no download, and stores nothing. It works on any device.

It is a self-help tool, not a clinical treatment. It is designed to help children practise emotional literacy and develop healthy thinking habits — not to replace professional support.

☁️ The three zones — explained for grown-ups

The framework comes from Stoic philosophy and modern CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). The idea is simple: not everything deserves the same energy.

🟢 Fix It Zone

Things the child can actually do something about. Their choices, their actions, their responses. This is where energy belongs. e.g. "Practise for my test" · "Say sorry to my friend"

🟡 Help a Bit Zone

Things the child can partly influence but not control. They can contribute — then step back. e.g. "Whether my friend forgives me" · "The weather on sports day"

🟣 Float Away Zone

Things completely outside the child's control. Naming them as "not mine to carry" is genuinely healthy, not giving up. e.g. "The news" · "What other people think" · "Things that already happened"

💬 How to talk about it afterwards

You don't need to know what your child sorted — that's private. But these conversation starters can help open a gentle conversation:

"How did Zephyr go today? Did any of the clouds surprise you?"

"Was there anything that went in the Float Away zone? Sometimes that's the hardest one."

"You found something you can fix — what would be one tiny step you could take?"

"I noticed you seemed worried about something. You don't have to tell me — but I'm here if you want to."

✅ How to support your child

✓ Do

✓ Use it together at first

✓ Ask gentle questions after

✓ Validate what they sorted

✓ Let them lead the session

✓ Notice patterns over time

✓ Let Float Away be enough

✗ Don't

✗ Tell them they sorted wrong

✗ Demand to know the details

✗ Dismiss the Float Away zone

✗ Force it when they don't want to

✗ Use it as a punishment

✗ Expect it to fix everything

🚨 Safety & crisis detection

Zephyr includes automatic crisis detection. If a child types anything that suggests they might be in distress or danger, the app immediately shows a full-screen message with Childline and other support resources.

If your child shows signs of significant distress

Zephyr is not a crisis service. If you are concerned about your child's mental health or safety, please contact your GP, school SENCO, or one of the resources below. If there is an immediate risk, call 999.

☎️

Childline

0800 1111 · Free · Just for children · 24/7

→ 🧠

Young Minds — for parents

youngminds.org.uk · Advice for worried parents

→ 📞

Young Minds Parent Helpline

0808 802 0400 · Free · Mon–Fri 9:30am–4pm

→

🔒 Privacy — what we collect and don't

Zephyr is designed with children's privacy as the top priority.

✓ We DO collect

✓ Pages visited (anonymised)

✓ Time on site (anonymised)

✓ Country (not location)

✗ We NEVER collect

✗ What your child types

✗ Your child's name or age

✗ Any personal information

✗ Anything identifiable

Your child's worries are completely private. We never see them. They are not stored anywhere. When the session ends, they are gone.

🌟 For children with SEND needs

Zephyr works particularly well for children with autism, ADHD, anxiety, and other SEND needs because:

• Structured & predictable — same experience every time
• Visual & concrete — clear categories, not abstract feelings
• No time pressure — children go at their own pace
• No social interaction required — private and self-directed
• Choice-based — most activities require only tapping, not typing

Voice support — where Zephyr reads everything aloud — is coming soon, which will make it fully accessible for non-readers.

ℹ️ About Zephyr Cloud Lab

Zephyr Cloud Lab is part of Circle of Control™ — a free mental clarity tool built on Stoic philosophy and CBT practice.

It was built by a teacher during one of the hardest periods of his life. Then he built a version for his son. Now it's used by children across the UK, US, Netherlands, Sweden and Canada.

It is completely free. It always will be.

Questions or feedback: hello@circleofcontrol.co.uk

The Grown-up's Guide to Zephyr