Once upon a time there lived a very busy princess who never had trouble falling asleep. Until one night, when a pesky pea changed all that! Without sleep, the princess feels cranky, and clumsy, and filled with worry that she’ll never sleep again. Will this tossy-turny princess ever be able to calm her mind, relax her body, and finally get some rest?
This riff off of The Princess and the Pea teaches children relaxation skills to use before bed when they are having trouble feeling sleepy (including stretching, taking deep breaths, and doing a mindfulness exercise of placing worries on stars and watching them twinkle and disappear). It’s a fun, well-written read, and it easily leads into a child practicing the relaxation skills along with the Princess. Adults might benefit from joining in as well!