Our first-ever episode for kids told the story of Elsa and Clio Moock, 10-year-old twin sisters at an unexpected crossroads. Both were enrolled in the Girl Scouts. Elsa wanted to leave to join the Boy Scouts, a sudden possibility because of major changes the organization was making. Clio wanted to stay in the Girl Scouts.

In the episode, recorded in the family’s home outside Boston, we spent time with Elsa and Clio’s father and friends and explored social expectations, gender identity, self-discovery and the courage required to really be yourself.

For our second kids’ episode, which you heard on Sunday, we took on the theme of courage again. Our producer Julia Longoria talked to Ella Maners, a 9-year-old from Nashville whose fears of tornadoes and vomiting had become debilitating. So, at the urging of her mom, Ella did something even scarier than her fears: She confronted them.

Ella told us about going to a special summer camp that helps kids learn to cope with their anxieties. She named her obsessive-compulsive disorder “Ocie,” who she described as “a bubble inside my brain.” And then, with the help of camp counselors and jelly beans, she learned how to talk to Ocie.