Charlie was making her puzzle sat at the coffee table.
When suddenly, she realised that the last piece of her puzzle was missing! Can you help Charlie look for the missing piece?
Charlie was feeling frustrated, so she started checking all around the house for the piece.
She checked in the plant pot but she couldn’t find the puzzle piece.
She checked in her toys but she couldn’t find the puzzle piece.
She checked in all the shoes in the house but she couldn’t find the puzzle piece.
Charlie decided that the last place to look was under the sofa cushions.
But the jigsaw piece...
...
was nowheretobeseen
Charlie climbed her favourite tree in the garden to calm down.
She decided to comb her hair, head off to bed and try to find her puzzle piece tomorrow.
But when Charlie finished brushing through her hair, something caught her comb...
... it was the puzzle piece!
Charlie hopped, skipped and jumped back to the lounge.
Charlie was so relieved that her puzzle was finally finished!
She added her completed jigsaw to her collection...
... and finally relaxed.
Let’s take a moment
Do you ever feel like something might be missing just like Charlie’s jigsaw puzzle piece? Join Charlie in taking some deep breaths in and out.
Can you name aloud five things you can see?
Can you notice four things you can touch like your hair or clothes?
Listen to what you can hear, can you name three things?
Can you say two things you can smell?
Can you say one thing you can taste? This could be your toothpaste!
Finally take a deep breath in for three seconds and out for three seconds... relax...
buster title Charlie and the DOG
Charlie’s new dog Buster was so cute!
Buster!
But Buster just kept growing and growing...
Charlie took Buster to school for show and tell.
It’s huge...
That’s not a dog...
Charlie and Buster did everything with eachother.
They loved cooking together.
But Buster had another meal in mind.
Do you ever feel like your worries might follow you around just like Buster with Charlie?
It helps Charlie when she writes in her diary. She tells her diary all about her day, things that are worrying her and happy things as well. It makes her feel much more in control. Could you try this too?
Charlie and the mountain
Charlie decided that she wanted to go on a mountain climbing adventure.
When she reached the top of the cliff, she realised there was a thick forest that she needed to travel through.
Charlie had to duck under branches, leap over bushes and fight her way through the thick trees. It took her all day.
When all of a sudden, she saw a break in the dense forest and light was beaming through.
Charlie glanced through the gap in the trees and she saw a bear!
When Charlie got closer, she realised the bear was playing with her cub!
So she tiptoed past, passing through the last of the trees into an open area.
Charlie walked all through the night, when suddenly she reached a large crevasse that she needed to cross.
Charlie started to think of ways that she could cross the crevasse.
No that w o n ’t work at all...
She ’ s not got a parachute!
Nope, there i s no bear thatbig!
Charlie walked further down the edge of the crevasse and spotted a rope swing at the perfect height!
Shejusthad to t ake theleap!
After travelling all through the night, Charlie finally made it to the top of the mountain!
Smell the rose, blow out the candle
Sometimes you might feel like you have lots of things to overcome, just like Charlie climbing the mountain. Doing a breathing excersise might help to make you feel calmer.
Can you picture yourself with a lovely rose in one hand and a candle in the other? Join Charlie in smelling the sweet scent of the rose and slowly breathing out, blowing out the candle.
The End
This series of short stories demonstrates childrens’ abilities to overcome and face worry and anxious thoughts through humour, courage and coping techniques. Perfect for sharing with children who are struggling with anxious thoughts or simply a reminder that bravery comes in all shapes and sizes.
