Hello friends. I have just finished my latest picture book story all about a very bored Badger!
This story helps highlight the challenging issue of screen and device time with our children.
Master Owl uses some mindfulness to help his friend step away from his screen and out into nature, to notice the wonders all around us.
Let me know what you think. (Its a story for ALL OF US!!)
Love
Rob xxx
The Bored Badger
The forest is a noisy place
All squawk and screech and howl
But one old bird just sits in peace
They call him Master Owl.
He perches on his favourite branch
High up among the leaves.
He loves to watch the sunlight
As it sparkles through the trees.
But then he hears some screaming
And he knows it’s time to fly.
So flaps towards the sound
And hears it changing to a cry.
He finds himself at Badgers house
And sees a sorry scene.
Badger looks so sad.
He’s just staring at a screen.
‘Hello old friend’, said Owl,
You look the worst I’ve seen in years.’
Badger said ‘I’m just so bored,
So bored, I’m bored to tears!’
‘All day I sit and watch this screen,
For hours and hours on end’.
‘No wonder you’re so bored’, said Owl,
‘That would drive me round the bend!’
‘Put down that screen’, said Master Owl
‘And come outside with me.
It’s time we sat in nature
And we took this mindfully.’
Badger looked a bit confused.
He really wasn’t keen.
But knew he was unhappy
So he parted with his screen.
They both sat down together
And the Owl picked up a stick.
He drew a circle in the soil.
This always did the trick.
‘So breathing slowly in’, he said
‘Then let the breath come out’.
Round and round they breathed
And they relaxed, without a doubt.
Badger closed his eyes and heard
The sounds of birds and trees.
He watched a dandelion
As it drifted on the breeze.
‘Master Owl, you clever bird,
I’m glad I ditched the screen.
Let’s go and see some sights
That I have never, ever seen’.
They saw some really clever bugs
Transform before their eyes.
The caterpillars went to sleep
And woke as butterflies.
They watched a thousand sunflowers
All turn to see the sun.
They noticed how a flock of birds
All seemed to move as one.
The heard the bees make honey
As they buzzed inside a hive.
The more they looked they realised
That everything’s alive.
They sat and watched the sunset
As the sky turned shades of pink.
Then saw the stars appearing
In a sky as dark as ink.
They lay upon their backs
And they gazed up at the stars.
Badger said it blew his mind,
This universe of ours.
He’d never really noticed
What was going on around
And was really quite surprised
By all the wonders that he’d found.
Master Owl saw Badger smile.
It was the happiest of scenes.
Sometimes we all need a nudge
to put away our screens!
Breathing in and breathing out.
Just resting in the Now.
It’s easy to be mindful
And now you all know how.
Copyright 2022: Rob Holmes
