The Very Worst Thing Once upon a time,
In a cheerful little town on the edge of a nature reserve,
And surrounded by the sea,
There lived a boy named Guy.
Guy was curious about everything.
He loved adventures – climbing the tallest trees,
Exploring the fields behind his house,
And discovering new bugs and flowers.
Guy was full of energy and excitement,
But sometimes,
When something new or tricky came up,
Guy's brain would start to feel noisy and busy.
It was like a little storm inside his head that made him feel nervous or scared.
One evening,
Guy was about to do something he'd never done before.
His friend Bebe had invited him to a sleepover at her house,
And Guy was both excited and worried at the same time.
He wasn't sure what to expect.
What if he didn't sleep well?
What if Bebe's dog scared him?
What if he got lost on the way home the next day?
His tummy felt tight like a knot,
And his mind was spinning with all kinds of what-ifs.
Guy's mum noticed that he seemed quiet and a little tense as they sat together in the living room.
What's on your mind,
Guy?
She asked softly.
Guy looked up and said,
I'm nervous about the sleepover.
I keep thinking about all the things that could go wrong.
What if I can't sleep?
What if Bebe's dog scares me?
What if I get lost on the way home?
Mum smiled kindly.
Those are all normal worries,
Guy,
She said,
Ruffling his hair.
Everyone feels that way sometimes,
Even grown-ups.
Our brains like to think about what could happen,
And sometimes they think about the worst things first,
To try and keep us safe.
But sometimes those worries can feel too big and scary,
Even if the chances of them happening are really very small.
Guy nodded slowly.
But what if they do happen?
What do I do then?
Mum took his hand and said,
Let's play a little game.
It's called,
What's the worst that could happen?
We'll think about each worry,
And then talk about what you could do if that thing actually happened.
You'll see it's not as scary as your brain is making it out to be.
Guy's eyes got a little brighter.
Okay,
I'm ready to give it a go,
He said.
What if I can't sleep?
Guy thought hard.
If I can't sleep,
I might feel really tired the next day,
And then I won't have fun.
Mum nodded.
That sounds tough.
But what are some things you could do if you can't fall asleep?
Guy thought some more.
Uh,
I could hug my pillow really tight.
Or maybe I could ask BB if I could sit with her until I feel sleepy.
That's a great plan,
Mum smiled.
And if you still can't sleep,
You could always call me and I'll come and get you.
Guy felt a little better.
He liked having a plan.
But what if BB's dog scares me?
Guy scrunched his nose.
BB's dog is big and loud.
What if it barks at me?
Mum chuckled softly.
That's okay to be worried about.
Dogs can be a little scary if you're not used to them.
But what could you do if the dog scares you?
Guy thought and said,
I could stay in my sleeping bag,
Or ask BB to keep the dog in another room while I sleep.
Perfect,
Said Mum.
You can even practice taking slow,
Deep breaths if the dog's barking makes you jumpy.
That helps calm down your body.
Guy took a deep breath to try it out.
He felt his body relax immediately.
But what if I get lost on the way home?
Guy's eyes grew wide.
What if I can't find my way back home after the sleepover?
Mum gave him a reassuring hug.
That's a very grown-up worry,
But it makes sense to think about it.
If that ever happened,
What could you do?
Guy thought hard.
I could ask BB's mum to walk me home,
Or call you on the phone.
That's right,
Mum said.
And BB's house is very close,
So you'll be safe.
You also have your phone with you,
And you know how to call me if you need.
Guy smiled a little,
Feeling safer already.
Mum gave Guy a big hug and said,
See?
Your worries are not as scary as they seem when you think about what you can do.
You're ready for this sleepover.
You have plans,
You're brave,
And I'm very proud of you.
Guy felt his tummy loosen.
Thanks,
Mum.
That makes me feel better.
That night,
Guy packed his pajamas,
Toothbrush and a small torch into a bag,
Just in case.
He thought about all the what-ifs and the ways he could handle them.
When Guy arrived at BB's house,
He saw her friendly smile and her big fluffy dog wagging its tail.
Guy felt a little nervous,
But he remembered the plan.
He could stay close to BB and take deep breaths if he felt scared.
They played games,
Told stories,
Had pillow fights and laughed a lot.
When it was time to get ready for bed,
Guy felt a flutter of nervousness,
But he hugged his pillow and remembered that his brain's worry alarm was just trying to help.
He even named that alarm in his head,
Wobbly Wally,
And whenever Wobbly Wally started making noise,
Guy took three deep breaths and told himself,
I've got this.
Guy didn't sleep right away,
But he wasn't scared.
He whispered to himself,
This is OK,
I'm learning.
The next morning,
Guy woke up feeling proud.
He'd done it.
The sleepover was fun and his worries hadn't stopped him.
On the way home,
Guy even walked part of the way by himself with BB,
His phone safely in his pocket.
He remembered,
If I ever get lost,
I know what to do.
When Guy saw his mum waiting,
He ran to give her a big hug.
I did it,
Mum.
It was amazing.
Mum smiled and said,
I knew you could.
You were brave because you knew what to do when your worries showed up.
That night,
Before Guy went to bed in his own bed,
He thought about all the times his brain had made big storms out of tiny clouds.
But now he knew how to calm those storms with a small torch,
A few plans and a bit of bravery.
Guy whispered to himself,
Sometimes my brain makes big storms,
But I have a torch to shine on them.
I'm ready for new adventures,
Even if they seem a little scary at first.
And with that happy thought,
Guy closed his eyes and dreamed sweet dreams full of trees to climb,
Fields to explore and friends to share adventures with.
The end.
