Hey there sleepyheads it's Steph here and you've made it to my favorite time of the day.
It's bedtime with the sleepytime crew.
So snuggle in,
Get nice and cozy under your blanket.
Let your arms and legs go floppy like spaghetti.
We're going to take a big deep breath in through our nose and out through our mouth.
Tonight's story is about a bunch of our favorite sleepytime crew friends who've all had a big day of big feelings and there's one very special grown-up quokka named Q.
Sometimes days like this happen and when they do it helps to know how to borrow a little calm from someone safe.
So come on come with me let's go and find out what happens.
It all started in the jungle schoolyard.
It was Tuesday or maybe it was Wednesday.
No one could quite remember but what they could remember was that everyone was feeling a bit off.
Like their calm had just gone missing.
Who knows maybe it was a full moon.
Ollie the otter was hiding under the slide.
His tummy felt twisty and tight.
Someone had changed the lunch plan without telling him and now there were tomatoes in his wraps and he hated tomatoes.
Yuck!
He was trying to be so brave but the day already felt too hard.
That's when Quasimodo the quokka noticed him.
Quasimodo is quite a mouthful for the sleepytime crew to say so we call her Q for short.
Q crouched down beside the slide and she waited quietly.
After a moment she whispered,
Want to breathe with me Ollie?
Ollie nodded just a little.
Q reached into her pouch and pulled out a smooth blue stone.
Let's hold it together while we breathe she said.
In two three,
Out two three.
In two three,
Out two three.
As they breathe together Q hummed a little tune.
One that Ollie's mum used to sing to him at bedtime when he was little.
And just like that some of Ollie's calm came back.
Nearby Koda the koala was pacing.
His brain was doing that thing again.
Zooming like a rocket ship full of thought.
Did he hand in his homework?
What if it was wrong?
What if everyone saw it was wrong?
What if he never got anything right ever again?
Koda,
Q said gently holding out a tiny jar.
Can you help me with something?
Koda blinked.
Oh okay maybe.
It's my calm glitter jar Q said but it needs some shaking but only the right kind of shake will do.
Koda took the jar and gave it a swirl.
The glitter swirled like his thoughts but slower and a little softer.
They watched it together.
No talking just breathing and watching.
I think it's okay if some of your thoughts move fast Q said.
You're still safe Koda.
Koda's shoulders dropped and relaxed.
He handed her the jar back with a quiet smile on his face.
At the monkey bars Una the unicorn was stuck.
Her foot was caught on the rung.
She'd been trying to do a flip like Ziggy the zebra but now she was upside down and farting uncontrollably from the stress of it all.
Oh no not again Una thought.
Kids were laughing not really in a mean way but it still made her cheeks hot.
Q popped up like magic.
Hey there flippy McFarticus do you need a hand?
Una giggled in spite of herself.
Q helped her down then gave her a tickle under the chin.
You've tried something new that's amazing Una.
I hope you're feeling proud of yourself and also everyone farts.
Una's laughter turned real.
Q handed her a little lavender scented wipe from her pouch.
For your sparkly hooves you've earned it Una.
Una took a deep breath and breathed the scent of the lavender deep into her lungs.
Her world felt okay again.
Koops the capybara was sitting near the water fountain biting the nail on his paw.
Something wasn't right.
Someone had moved the sports cones 3.
7 centimeters to the left.
Now the obstacle course was all wrong.
Koops hated when things were changed.
He started to count out loud one two three four five.
Q sat beside him and began tapping gently on her knees.
Want to tap with me Koops she asked.
It can help your brain feel a little bit less itchy.
Together they tapped left knee right knee and they breathed.
Change is weird Q said softly but you're not alone in it okay.
I am right here beside you.
Koops closed his eyes and felt a rush of relief cover his whole body.
In that moment he felt safe and seen.
Isla the tiger was growling at a bush.
A kid had pushed past her in line earlier that day and hadn't even said sorry.
Her stripes were all out of order and her roar was stuck in her throat.
Q wandered over and pulled two squishy balls out of her pouch.
You want to smash these Isla she offered.
Isla raised an eyebrow.
Seriously?
Q nodded.
Go for it I've got lots of backups.
Isla took the balls and she smashed the squishies once twice a third time.
Then she threw herself on the grass and she roared.
Q roared back but it was just a teeny tiny one.
You can be strong and need help Isla Q said stroking Isla's ear.
Both can be true.
Isla huffed then let herself lean into Q's furry side.
She felt better already.
Noah the Nimbus dragon was floating above the jungle gym.
His clouds were extra puffy and fluffy today and little sparks of lightning were buzzing around his wings.
I feel stormy he called down and I don't know why.
I've got just the thing Q said holding up a teeny tiny umbrella.
She jumped into her hot air balloon that she pulled out of her pouch.
It holds a lot in there.
And she flew up to Noah.
She handed him the umbrella and let him sit in the basket of her hot air balloon for a while as they drifted for a bit.
They gently floated above the jungle schoolyard.
No talking just sitting in the clouds.
Thanks Noah whispered.
I don't feel like zapping anymore.
You're welcome Noah remember you don't have to feel everyone else's emotions as well as your own.
Meanwhile Oscar the Owl was hooting angrily into his feathers.
The handball game had ended badly.
Someone had said he wasn't playing fair and someone else had laughed when he got out.
His chest felt tight.
His feathers were puffed.
He felt like flying far far away.
But Q landed beside him and said want to tell me about it with your wings Oscar?
Oscar blinked huh?
She showed him how to flap his wings slow and heavy and then fast and then still.
Oscar flapped and then sat and then he sighed.
They didn't mean to hurt you Q said gently but that doesn't mean it didn't hurt you.
Oscar nodded yeah it did.
You matter even when a game doesn't go your way.
Oscar leaned into her side.
He felt better already.
Q was magic like that.
That afternoon as the sky turned peachy pink and all the crew gathered under the big fig tree.
What a great day we've had my wonderful friends.
We felt all of our big emotions and for that I am so incredibly proud of each and every one of you said Q.
You know what?
Our calm never really goes missing.
It just hides when our feelings get too loud and big.
Ollie nodded I felt scared but when I have a safe adult around to help I didn't stay scared for too long.
Koda agreed taking a few deep breaths really helped me calm my brain down and Una added it's okay to try something new and not be great at it the first few times and then Coop said I let go of the plan and nothing bad happened to me.
I know it's okay to feel two different emotions at the same time said Isla.
I can be strong and still ask for help.
Noah agreed and then he said I'm holding just my feelings now.
I'm feeling still a tiny bit sad said Oscar but I'm ready to play another game of handball.
Q looked around full of love.
See your calm never went missing guys.
It was just waiting for someone safe to share theirs with you.
Yeah we can borrow some calm from someone safe like you Q Ollie said.
Exactly Ollie and one day you'll be someone else's calm too said Q.
They all curled up around her.
Una farted one more time everyone giggled and so the calm returned not all at once but slowly and gently with love with deep breaths and the odd bum and fart jokes of course because in the world of the sleepy time crew all feelings are welcome calm is catchable and nobody ever has to feel them alone.
Q the quokka smiled at all of them.
You've all had some really big feelings today she said and you all let someone help you.
That's what real strength looks like.
The kids looked around at each other no one was perfect but no one was alone either.
So it's time for sleep now my little loves.
Let's take one big deep breath in and blow it out like a feather on the wind.
Let your body rest and remember you are allowed to borrow calm whenever you need to.
The stars twinkle quietly and the sky sighs in sleep and you just like all of our animal friends are already halfway to dreamland.
Good night my little ones.
Sweet dreams.
Sleep well.
We'll talk again tomorrow.
