Whatif Checks Twice
A nuanse story about checking, for kids 7 to 12 and the grown-ups who read with them.Whatif Checks Twice
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This is Leo. Leo loves hockey, pancakes, and his grandma.
Every night, Leo turns off his lamp and goes to bed.
One night, a small voice appeared. "What if the lamp is still on? What if it starts a fire?" That was Whatif.
So Leo got up and checked. The lamp was off. Phew.
Back in bed, Whatif whispered, "Are you sure? Check again." Leo checked again. And again. And again.
Soon Leo was checking the lamp, the door, the stove, and his backpack. Every check made Whatif bigger.
Leo was tired every morning. Checking was taking all his time.
Leo told his grandma. She said, "That sounds like a worry that's too loud. Let's find someone who helps with that."
They met Sam. Sam said, "Whatif only asks questions. It never knows the answer. And every time you check, it learns to ask again."
Leo and Sam made a plan: check once, then say, "Maybe. Maybe not." And go to bed.
The first night, Whatif was LOUD. "WHAT IF?!" Leo held his pillow tight and waited.
And the feeling got smaller. Slowly, Whatif got sleepy too.
Night after night, Leo checked once and waited. It got easier.
Now, when Whatif asks, "Are you sure?", Leo yawns. "Nope. Good night, Whatif."
The end.
For grown-ups
Checking brings a minute of relief and teaches the loop that checking works. Checking once and waiting, without doing it again, is the skill. A professional who does exposure and response prevention (ERP) can guide the steps.In Canada: 9-8-8 for suicide crisis (call or text, 24/7). Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868.1 of 16