Bedtime Story (31/10/2018)

How could I post a story on this date and NOT have it be about Halloween?!  This is all about the REALLY scary things in life...

To listen to this story as a podcast, click here.

What I'm REALLY Scared Of...

It's Halloween and everyone 

Is dressing up as something scary.

But I'm not scared of monsters

That are big, angry and hairy!

The things that really frighten me

Are worse than any ghost that could appear.

So here's a list of all the things

That I actually fear...

Being called to see the headmaster,

When you know he'll be cross with you.

A really difficult maths test,

When you just don't know what to do.

Missing the final step or two,

When you're walking down the stairs.

Having the same school bag as someone else

And accidentally taking home theirs.

Falling out with my best friend,

Or forgetting my school lunch money.

Telling a joke in front of my class

And nobody finding it funny.

Standing on stage to sing a song

And forgetting all of the words.

Having a root canal at the dentists 

- Because my brother says that hurts!

Forgetting my PE kit

And having to do it in my undies.

Being told to be silent somewhere important

Then doing a massive sneeze.

Jumping off the highest board

At my local swimming pool.

Trying to impress someone

And looking like a fool.

Being chased down the street

By an angry, buzzing wasp.

Being in a go-kart

And not knowing how to stop!

Standing in something wet and gross

When I'm walking with bare feet.

Getting lost in the supermarket,

Because I'm too busy looking at sweets.

All these things scare me,

But I still don't hide away.

I go out there and face my fears

Every single day.

And I'm sure you'll understand,

Now you've read of phobias like these,

Why meeting a monster or a ghost

Would frankly be a breeze!

THE END

Bedtime Story (1/8/2018)

At the time of writing, we're predicted some summer storms.  The weather is hot and heavy - you can tell we're due a downpour!  So, this story is for every British person, sweltering in the heat and feeling just a bit excited for some rain...

Having missed all of July, the podcasts are back this month!  So, you can listen to this week's story here.

The Summer Storm

"It's coming," Mum said.

"The sky is darker, overhead.

I heard the weatherman warn

We may get a summer storm.

I planned on going out,

But maybe we'll stay in, instead."

But Ted and sister Jo

Had places they'd like to go.

They didn't fancy staying in,

Waiting for storms to begin.

Eventually Mum let them out:

"You two be careful, though!"

They sat in their back garden,

As the sky continued to darken.

"Rain will feel like a cool shower,"

Jo said. "And it'll water the flowers."

Ted stared up at the black clouds,

His expression starting to harden.

It felt to hot to ever rain,

As though they'd never be cool again!

But a breeze was gently blowing now

And as Ted mopped his glistening brow,

He knew the clouds above were full

Of water they could not contain.

Sure enough, there fell a drop,

Another and another - it did not stop!

The faded grass was soon soaked through,

There was only one thing they could do:

With hands above their soaking heads,

Back into the house they hopped.

The rain seemed to last for hours,

It wasn't one of those quick showers!

And soon, a rumble of thunder came

And they saw lightning through the window pane.

Jo didn't like the storm that much,

And under her bed, she stayed to cower.

But though the wind was blowing fast

And the parched Earth had some rain at last,

The temperature didn't seem to drop!

Both Jo and Ted still felt hot.

They were hot when the storm began

And were still warm when it passed.

Then, just like that, the clouds were gone.

The rain stopped and the sun shone.

The wind died down to barely a breeze;

There was nothing to rustle the plants or trees.

Back into the garden, Jo and Ted crept,

With hats and sun cream on.

"It's not like storms in Winter, Mum,"

Ted cried out.  "Those make me glum.

Because it gets cold and we can't play,

But the sun has come back out, today!"

He told Jo: "I might go in our tree house,

if you would like to come!"

Once more, a sunny scene took form,

In the garden with Ted and Jo nice and warm.

There they played for the rest of the day,

Under a sky with not a hint of grey.

The weather had not left behind

A single trace of the summer storm.

THE END

Bedtime Story (4/7/2018)

I may not be American, but how could I ignore the fact that this week's bedtime story goes live on 4th July?!  So, this story is dedicated to my American readers.

I'd Like To Be A Firework

I'd like to be a firework,

Fizzing through the sky.

Illuminating the darkness

Whenever I pass by.

I want to zoom into the stars,

bursting with energy.

I want to paint my colours

Onto people's memories.

I'd love to dance through the night,

Sparkling like the stars.

Leaving my troubles far behind,

In that dark, grey world of ours.

I'd sprinkle rainbow flashes

As I burst into the night,

Breaking up the darkness

With colour and with light.

I'd like to soar high in the air,

Effortless and free,

With glitter trails in my wake,

As far as I can see.

I want the crowd to gasp,

As I put on my show.

I want there to be no limit

To how far I can go.

I'd like to be a firework,

That's what I'd like to be.

But I'll sparkle and be colourful,

Even just being me.

THE END

Bedtime Story (20/6/2018)

I desperately need new bedroom curtains.  This has made me realise I'd actually like to re-paint my bedroom walls and that, in turn, inspired this week's story!

Annoyingly, I won't be painting my room any time soon - I haven't the time or the finances - but I have recorded this bedtime story for you to listen to as a podcast!

"What Colour Shall I Paint My Room?"

Maisie was very excited.  Now that her older sister had been given a bedroom of her own, it meant that Maisie had their old room all to herself.  Mum had promised her she could decorate it and today, they were off to the shops to buy paint.

The trouble was, Maisie wasn't exactly sure which colour she wanted to paint her room, yet.  Her sister, Sophia, had painted hers turquoise, which all cream furniture.  It was very pretty, but Maisie wanted her room to look different.

As they entered the DIY store, Maisie gasped at the shelves, piled high with tins of paint in all the colours of the rainbow.  "So," Mum said.  "What colour shall we paint your room?"

Maisie thought for a second.  "Green!"  She exclaimed.  "Just like the trees and the fields, outside.  I like green.  It'll make me feel like my room is in a forest!"

Mum headed to the selection of green paint.  "Which shade?"  She asked.

Maisie wrinkled her nose.  "Well, not that one," she said, pointing.  "That looks like something that comes out when you sneeze."

Sophia pulled a face.  "Charming!  What about this one?"

But Maisie wasn't keen on that shade, either.  She frowned at her sister.  "What colour shall I paint my room?"

Sophia shrugged.  "What other colours do you like?"

"Blue!"  Maisie grinned.  "Then my walls will be the colour of the sky.  And if it's rainy outside, I'll still have pretty blue in my room."

They headed to the selection of blue paints.

"Oh!"  Maisie gasped.  "But my bed covers are pink.  Does that go with blue walls, do you think?"

"I'm sure it will..." Mum began, but Maisie had already darted off to look at the pink paint selection, instead.

However, by the time Mum and Sophia caught up with her, Maisie had come up with another problem.  "Pink bedcovers and pink walls...  Isn't that too much pink?!  Perhaps I should go for purple, instead?"

And before anyone could say a word, Maisie had rushed off, again.

For what felt like ages, Maisie dashed from colour to colour.  She chose everything from red to grey, yellow to black.  But she still couldn't fully make up her mind.

"I really want to decorate my bedroom,"  Maisie sniffed.  "But I can't choose.  I like all the colours."

Sophia held up a mini pot of paint.  "Why don't we get a few of these and you can paint a little bit on the walls and see which you like best, once the patches are dry?"

Maisie frowned.  "But my walls are that strange, peachy colour.  The new colours might not show up, properly.  Maybe I need to paint my walls white first and then..."  Her words trailed off and her eyes widened.  "Mum!"  She gasped.  "I'll paint my walls white!"

"Okay..."  Mum said, slowly.  "But... I thought you liked all the colours?  White's a bit... Plain."

"But what if we got some of those mini pots of paint?"  Maisie beamed.  "Then I could paint a rainbow on one of the walls!  I'd have all the colours and I wouldn't have to choose!"

Mum paused for a moment, looking like she might say no.  But it was obvious Maisie's mind was made up.  She smiled and slowly nodded her head.  "Well, I guess we're going home to paint your walls white, then.  And when the paint's dry... We'll give you a rainbow, too."

Maisie was thrilled.  She darted around the shop, collecting the mini pots of colour, as Mum added two tins of white paint to her basket.

When they arrived home, Dad was waiting.  "I've moved all the furniture and put down some sheets, so we don't get paint on the carpet," he told them.  "What colour did you choose, Maisie?"

Maisie grinned.  "All of them!"

And before Dad could say anything else, Maisie had rushed upstairs, to plan exactly where her rainbow was going to go.

THE END

Bedtime Story (11/04/2018)

Lately, I've been thinking about how much of ourselves we sometimes keep hidden and how easy it is to judge someone based on only a fraction of their personality.  With that in mind, I wanted to write a story about acknowledging a person as a whole, not by only one aspect of who we think they are.  I think that's a pretty important lesson to teach little ones and I hope you enjoy this week's story.

You can also listen to this story as a podcast.

Alex Is The Bravest Boy

Alex is the bravest boy, 

Perhaps in the whole school.

He's the first to go exploring,

The first to dive into the pool.

He isn't scared of bugs or ghosts,

Or anything at all!

He's never one to shy away,

He's always standing tall.

But Alex has a big fear,

That keeps him up at night.

The thought of looking scared

Makes him quiver with such fright!

He thinks he has to be the bravest,

Because it's what his friends expect.

If he admits to being frightened,

His reputation would be wrecked!

Leila is the funny one,

She's always telling jokes!

If you sit next to her at lunch,

She'll make you giggle 'til you croak!

She never takes life seriously,

She's always up for a laugh.

When you hear a joke from Leila,

Your day improves by half!

But Leila's jokes are armour,

To protect her from the world.

"Because sometimes life is scary,"

She thinks, with her lip curled.

"And sometimes life is sad as well,

With troubles heaped on in piles.

And all you can do is tell a joke

To try to make people smile."

Then there's Chris, the quiet one.

He doesn't have much to say.

He keeps himself to himself,

Doesn't like to get in the way.

He doesn't like to take charge of games,

He's not a boy who leads.

He'd much rather sit all by himself,

In a quiet corner and read.

But Chris isn't actually quiet,

He's just ever so shy.

He'd love to really get involved;

He feels life just passes him by.

He's not sure how to leave his shell,

So he watches the others roaring,

As he peeps over the top of his book,

And hopes they don't think he's boring.

People are just like icebergs,

With only the tip above the sea.

There's more to them than meets the eye,

So much more than you first see.

So try to get to know some more:

Find out who they really are.

When a person is more than just one thing,

They become more exciting by far!

They might still be brave, or funny or shy,

But they'll have a lot more to them, too.

So getting to know your friends a bit better

Is what I encourage you all to do.

THE END

Bedtime Story (29/11/2017)

I'm a big believer in being honest with children and talking about our feelings.  We all experience different emotions at various points in our lives and we rely on those around us to help us negotiate our mood swings.  So, this story is about the importance of sharing our feelings - and about the importance of having good friends and family to help you talk those feelings out.

To listen to me read this story as a podcast, just click here!

A Mood A Minute

Feelings happen all the time,

You might not even notice.

But some day you'll be feeling fine,

The next you're at your lowest.

So, when Milly, Anthony and Bo

Met with their friends, Susanne and Bennett,

It will be no surprise to know

They experienced a mood a minute!

First off, Milly wanted to play

A game she'd invented herself.

You had to pretend it was Christmas Day,

And you were Santa's chief elf.

But Anthony said it sounded dumb,

And Bo and Susanne weren't keen.

Bennett shook his head and said "no!"

Which Milly thought was mean.

Milly felt sad and a little ignored,

To think that her game had been mocked.

She sat down alone, looking bored,

But around her, her friends soon flocked.

They explained they just wanted to play something else,

They hadn't meant to hurt Milly's feelings.

With that, Milly's heart began to melt,

And her bad mood soon started healing.

As the friends began a different game,

Bo wanted to be the leader.

But it turned out that Bennett wanted the same;

He couldn't wait to succeed her!

That made Bo feel terribly cross.

"I said it first!" She cried.

When Bennett sneered that she couldn't be boss,

It made Bo feel angry inside.

She stamped her foot and felt rather hot,

As her cheeks flushed a fiery red.

But as she stood there, glued to the spot,

Susanne said: "We'll take turns, instead!"

Bennett said sorry for making his friend

Feel so mad when he hadn't intended.

And sure enough, that helped Bo's feelings to mend

And soon the commotion had ended.

Then Susanne suggested they play

With the new toy she had just got.

It was shiny and new, the best toy of the day!

Susanne had one - the others did not.

Anthony sighed; that toy was his dream!

All he wanted was one of his own.

His eyes were practically turning green,

He was envious right down to his bones.

Why did Susanne have such a cool toy,

When he didn't have one as well?!

Anthony was so jealous, he felt annoyed.

And the others?  Well, they could all tell.

"I'll always share it when we play together,"

Susanne told her envious friend.

And though it's mine and you can't keep it forever,

You can play with it 'til our playdate ends."

Outside, the rain had started to fall,

And so inside the house the friends stayed.

As the weather erupted into a storm,

It made poor Susanne feel afraid.

She pressed her hands over her ears

and her whole body trembled with fear.

She could hardly wait for the storm to clear;

She didn't want those grey clouds to come near!

But "the weather can't hurt you,"

Anthony said, giving his friend a hug.

"And it's bound to pass, soon,"

Bennett added, as they sat on the fireside rug.

Having her friends to make her feel better

Soon put the smile back on her face.

Susanne wrapped her arms around her pink sweater 

And stayed huddled by the fireplace.

Once the rain had stopped and the sun came out,

The friends went rushing outside.

They wanted to build a den, somewhere,

In which they could camp out and hide.

But Bennett had spotted a spider,

Whose web had been spun on a bush.

As Bo stood with it beside her,

Bennett dashed off in a rush!

He was suddenly terribly nervous

And hung back, not daring to look.

He stared at his feet on purpose,

And his whole body shook.

Then, his friends helped him edge a bit nearer,

Showing him that it wasn't so bad.

And when Bennett saw the spider clearer,

He found himself feeling glad.

His friends had gently encouraged him

To see that he needn't be scared.

And so Bennett, with another grin,

Entered the den they'd prepared.

As they sat in their den, outside,

The friends thought about how they were feeling.

From sadness to anger, jealousy to fright,

And nerves; emotions had left them all reeling!

But they knew it was okay to feel things,

And to share how you're feeling inside.

And the best thing that friends bring,

Is the knowledge you don't have to hide.

It's normal to be sad or feel cross.

And we all feel jealous, now and then.

It's okay to be scared or nervous of

The things that you fear in your head.

But good friends and family will help you,

To share those feelings out loud.

It helps when you talk your emotions through:

"We'll always do that," the friends vowed.

So, next time you feel an emotion,

Don't feel you must keep it inside.

There's no need to cause a commotion,

Just share your feelings with pride.

THE END

Bedtime Story (15/11/2017)

Readers of my "regular" blog posts might know that the last year has been rather tumultuous in terms of friendships.  But having come through the other side of all the heartache, I am strangely grateful for everything that happened.  It taught me many things - lessons I carry with me, every day.  One of those lessons was the realisation that I had other friends I never knew I could be so close to, and through those friends, I'm doing so much more than I ever did, before - from nights out and planning holidays, to joining exercise classes and singing groups, my life is full of rich experiences, made all the more special by the friends I'm having those experiences with.  Sometimes, we don't see what's right in front of our noses, until life forces us to take a closer look.  

This story is dedicated to each and every one of my wonderful mates.

As always, you can also listen to this story as a podcast.

Billy No-Mates

Billy didn't really have any friends.  He sat on a table with other kids at school, but they were just people who happened to be in his class.  They sometimes sat together at lunchtime, too, but Billy was sure that was only because he always shared his crisps with everyone.  

Billy didn't mind, at first.  He was very shy and talking to people - even his classmates - made him feel a bit nervous.  So, he kept himself to himself.  He helped Polly with her maths and he always shared his coloured pens with Timothy, because Timothy always forgot to bring any, but besides that, Billy was pretty quiet.

When it came to PE and the teacher asked everyone to get into pairs, Billy would simply wait to see who the last person without a partner was, then offer to join them.  He didn't have a friend to rush to right away, after all.

At playtime, Billy listened to everyone else planning what games they were going to play and he'd just slot right in, if there was a space for him.  He didn't like to take charge - besides, nobody would listen to someone as quiet as him, anyway.

Billy went on living his quiet life and he figured that was the way things would stay.

But after a while, Billy started to feel a bit sad about not having any friends.  He wondered what it would be like to to have lots of mates who wanted him around.  One Friday afternoon, after school, he started thinking about how he could make some friends.  He was watching a cartoon on TV, about some friends who hung out in a treehouse, when he had a brilliant idea.  There was a big tree in the back garden!  Maybe, he could build a treehouse of his own?  Surely, everyone would want to be his friend then, just like in the cartoon!

Billy grabbed some old blankets, a handful of twigs and some rope.  Then, very carefully, he climbed up the tree in the back garden.  The trouble was, Billy didn't have a clue what he was doing and it had been raining, meaning the branches were rather slippery.  He quickly gave up and began trying to climb down the tree again, but he couldn't quite find a safe way down and before he knew it, he'd slipped and... Crunch.  Billy's arm was broken.

Billy's mum rushed him to hospital, where a nice doctor x-rayed his arm and showed him a picture of the broken bone.  She put a plaster cast on Billy's arm and told him to be careful, from now on.

On Saturday morning, Mum and Billy went to the shops.  They saw Mum's workmate Sandra and told her all about what had happened.  Sandra told Mrs Green from the Post Office and she told Gregory Thompson from the bakery.  Before long, it seemed like everyone knew about poor Billy and his broken arm.

Billy and his mum went back home.  Billy was feeling rather sorry for himself, so he decided to go up to his room and try reading a comic book.  Mum tried to cheer him up by writing him a little message on his plaster cast.  "You can get all your friends to sign it, when you go back to school," she told him.  But that just made Billy even sadder.

Just then, the doorbell rang.  To Billy's surprise, it was Polly from school.  "I came to see how you are," she told Billy, when Mum brought her up to his room.  "Can I sign your plaster cast?"

Billy was puzzled, but he held out his arm for Polly to scribble her name.  "Why do you want to sign it?"  

Polly frowned at him.  "Because you're my friend, silly!"  She replied.  "You're always so kind and you never let me get stuck with my maths.  You always help!"

Before Billy could answer, the doorbell rang again and, seconds later, Timothy arrived in his room.  "Hey mate,"  Timothy called.  "I was so worried when I heard you'd broken your arm!  Are you okay?"

"Am I really your mate?!" Billy exclaimed.

Timothy burst out laughing.  "You're so funny," he chuckled.  "You always share your pens with me at school.  Of course you're my mate!"

Within seconds, the doorbell rang again and, when it opened, Harvey and Leon, the twins from Billy's class, headed straight up to Billy's room.  "How are you feeling?"  Harvey asked.

"Um..."  Billy began.  "A bit surprised to see you all, to be honest..."

"Well, we couldn't not come over," Leon replied.  "You have to be there for your friends.  You know, like you always are.  I never get picked first for PE, because I'm just not very sporty, but you always come and offer to be my partner."

"And you're always so great when we're playing games, too," Harvey added.  "You're really good at slotting in exactly where we need someone.  We don't even have to ask.  It's like you just know.  You're a great friend to us, so we wanted to come and be here for you."

Billy opened his mouth to reply, but the doorbell rang yet again and the next thing he knew, Rhiannon, who always sat with him at lunch, had arrived.  "I bought you some crisps," she said with a smile.  "Since you're always such a kind friend, sharing yours with everyone at lunchtime.  I figured it was the least I could do!"

Billy gazed in stunned silence at the people stood around his bed.  Polly, Timothy, Harvey, Leon and Rhiannon.  He thought he had always been so quiet and shy, they must have barely noticed him.  And yet, here they all were, telling him that he was their friend.  Billy didn't know what to say.  "Thank you..."  He whispered.  "Thank you all so much for being here."

"What are friends for?" Rhiannon smiled.

Billy grinned back at her.  "I thought I was just sort of... Well, just there," he confessed.  "I didn't think I had any friends."

"Are you kidding?!"  Leon laughed.  "I'd be lost without you.  We all would!"

"Just because you're quiet, it doesn't mean nobody notices you," Polly added.  "You've been a friend to us all without even realising it.  But it's about time we all told you how much you mean to us."

They scribbled their names on Billy's plaster cast and they all talked and laughed, until it was time for everyone to go home.

Later, when the sky was dark and it was time to sleep, Billy lay in his bed, staring at the cast on his arm.  He smiled at the names scrawled on it.  

The names of all his friends.

THE END