But the most important room in the Tappy Library lies behind a thick red curtain… A soft light can be seen rolling underneath and peeking through the gaps at the edges.
Inside stood huge book cases stretching up much further than the size of the library suggests, its shelves full of books, from new small hand sized books to huge old bound books that took two residents to carry down. These kind of books are much to heavy for Arthur, the old tappy librarian, to handle on his own!
But Arthur knew that the books would never feel the same to carry twice – these books were very special. Every time a new Tappy Town baby is born – a tiny new book appears on the lowest shelf of the library with a picture of the tappy baby on the cover! Arthur loves going back to the new books, to see how many pages had been added and to see how the picture of the resident had changed. For every year the tappy resident got older, their book would get thicker and heavier because these magic Life Books write the story of the resident they belong too… All by themselves! The books would never disappear – after a Tappy Resident passes away, their book continues to shine high on the top shelves of the library. The oldest Life books belonging to the first settler residents can still be seen shining today and are often taken down to read their stories at Celebrations.
Families are often seen going to the Tappy Library together, to celebrate birthdays by taking all of their Tappy Life Books out and sharing stories from their lives.
I Am Worried
Feeling worried is normal
It is how you deal with it that matters. Here are our top tips to help you feel better:
⦁ Think positive. A great way to keep our minds positive is to allow yourself to dream, wish, and imagine the best that could happen. If something is out of your control then let it go, so you can focus on things you can change.
⦁ Chill out. The body really needs to relax — take deep a breath in through the nose for a count of 3, and slowly let your breath out though the mouth for a count of 5. Continue this until you feel calmer and more at ease. This breathing technique is very powerful and works quickly. It helps to relax a major nerve that runs from the diaphragm to the brain, sending a message to the entire body to let go and loosen up.
⦁ Get enough sleep, good food and exercise. Get the right amount of sleep about 8 hours every night — not too much or too little. Eat well: Choose fruit, vegetables, meat, rice and pastas for more energy. Don’t eat too many sweets and sugary food. Exercise to send oxygen to every cell in the body, so your brain and body can operate at their best.
⦁ Have fun with good friends and family. Having fun and spending time with others allow us to feel happier and less upset about things. If you feel worried or nervous about something, talking about it with someone who listens, and cares can help you feel more understood and better able to cope. You’ll be reminded that everyone has these feelings sometimes. You’re not alone.
⦁ Talk with mum, dad or a trusted adult. It is important to tell your mum, or dad a teacher or another grown up you trust how you are feeling.
⦁ Speak to someone now on Tappy Twins. Go to the chat on the bottom right of each page. We are here to help you feel better.
What you can do
If your friend is feeling worried, then you may help by:
⦁ Be a good friend
⦁ Be a good listener
⦁ Help your friend to feel good
⦁ Say nice things
⦁ Let them know if you are feeling worried about something, so that they know they are not the only one
I Feel Sad
Feeling down? Got the blues? You’re not alone. Everyone feels sad at times. Sad feelings can be mild or strong or in between. How sad you feel can depend on the situation that’s causing the sadness and how you’re coping with it.
Sadness is a natural human emotion. Like other emotions, sad feelings come and go. Some sad feelings last only a moment, some last longer. When sad feelings ease away, a happier mood can take their place.
How Can You Deal With Sad Feelings?
Sad feelings don’t have to take over your mood or ruin your day. You can do things to help yourself feel better. You can do things to prevent sad feelings from sticking around too long or becoming too strong.
Here are some positive ways to deal with those sad feelings:
⦁ How do I feel and why? Knowing your emotions helps you understand and accept yourself. If you feel sad, notice it — but don’t dwell on it too long. Just tell yourself (or someone else) that you feel sad. It’s OK to feel sad.
⦁ Tell yourself that sadness will pass, and you’ll feel better.
⦁ Don’t give up. When things don’t go your way, don’t give up! Stay in the game. There’s always next time. Give yourself credit for trying. Then focus on what you need to work on and try again. Keep a positive attitude.
⦁ Think positive. Even if you’re sad, think of one or two good things about yourself or your situation. There’s always something good — look for it!
⦁ Believe in yourself. Think about what you can do and how things can get better. If you didn’t get something you wanted, think of something else that can make you happy.
⦁ Think of solutions. Coming up with ways to solve a problem or cope with a situation can help you feel strong, confident, and good about yourself. It’s hard to stay sad when you’re feeling so powerful!
⦁ Get support. Even the most capable kids need support. The people in your life who believe in you and care (like parents, friends, and teachers) can comfort you when you feel sad. Sometimes, just listening and understanding what you’re going through is enough. Sometimes they can help you work out a problem or help you think of happier things to get your mind off sadness or disappointment.
⦁ Put yourself in a good mood. Shake off a sad mood by doing things that put you in a more positive mood. Play a game or sport, ride a bike, dance or run, take a walk, make art or music, read, or spend time with someone you like. Relax, have some fun, and feel better.
⦁ Talk to us. We are always here to help you feel better. Just click on the Chat in the bottom right hand side of this page.
Learning to deal with sad feelings takes practice. But when you do things to take care of sadness, you make room for more positive feelings. That means a happier you!
Say No to Bullies
Are you a young person who’s being bullied? Or maybe you have seen others being bullied? Either way there are ways around it. It doesn’t matter what colour hair you have; how you speak; how you walk; how you talk – it is not your fault if you get bullied.
We are all different in some way and that’s what makes us amazing. Whether you are a boy or a girl, old or young, big or small – bullying makes you feel rubbish and it’s okay to be upset about it. The important thing is that you tell someone about it.
How to stop it:
⦁ Act Confident. If a person who bullies feels that they don’t have any power over you, it takes the “fun” out of it for them.
⦁ Don’t react. People who bully want a reaction from you – don’t give it to them.
⦁ Tell an adult you trust. If you feel you can, talk to a teacher you trust or your parents, brother or sister.
⦁ Keep a record. Write down what happened, when it happened, and who was there.
⦁ Screenshot any messages. If the bullying is online, keep the evidence – save or copy any photos, videos, texts, emails or posts.
⦁ Stay with others. Hang around with friends or an adult at times when you feel most in danger of being bullied.
⦁ Only hang around with people that make you feel good. If someone constantly puts you down, they are not a real friend and not worth your time.
⦁ Be kind to others. Remember to be kind to other people! Just because someone is different to you – that doesn’t mean you are better than them or have a right to make them feel bad.
⦁ Talk to us. Come and visit the chat on the bottom right hand side of this page. We are here to help you feel better.
You are not alone! Together we can make bullying stop.
Eating Healthy
To stay fit and healthy throughout your life it is important that you eat a balanced diet every day. That starts with breakfast. Make sure you eat a good breakfast to start your day the right way to set you up for a good day.
Too little food and you won’t have enough energy, too much food and you will have too much energy – just the right amount of the right kind of food is all about balance.
What’s balancing?
⦁ Just have a small amount of sugar and salt each day. Try to swap fizzy drinks for water, and don’t have pop before bed because it isn’t very good for your teeth and it can keep you awake all night!
⦁ Try to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day – or more if you can. Top tips: one portion is about a handful, and juice can only count towards one of your five a day.
⦁ Foods like potatoes, bread, cereals, rice and pasta should make up about a third of the food you eat each day. These are a great source of energy. Try to include them at each of your three main meals each day – breakfast, lunch and evening meal.
⦁ Milk, cheese and yoghurt are great sources of calcium which make teeth and bones strong. You need to make sure you have some every day.
⦁ Meat, fish, eggs and beans give us protein, vitamins and minerals which help us grow strong and healthy – you need some of these every day too. Try to eat these foods at your two main meals each day and to try to have two helpings of fish a week.
Sleep Well
It is one of the things that gives us the energy we need to get through the day – to have fun, to play, jump, run and make new friends. That’s why sleep is so important.
Not enough sleep means you can struggle to concentrate and struggle with your emotions:
⦁ You can feel cross and short tempered
⦁ Over emotional
⦁ Or just like you want to crash out and lie down
Everyone needs a different amount of sleep and this changes as you grow up
⦁ if you are in primary school you should be getting 10-11 hours’ sleep a night, so probably going to bed between 7 and 8 every night.
⦁ Once you get to 10 years old you may need a little less, maybe 8 ½ to 9 ½ hours a night.
So how can I get to off to sleep?
1. Set up a bedtime routine. Do the same thing every day. Like take a bath, clean your teeth, read a story and go to bed the same time each night before lights out.
2. Relax before bedtime You could listen to your favourite relaxing music, read your favourite book or practice breathing to help you relax. – pretend that your lungs are balloons filled to the brim and then slowly let the air out of your mouth and see how relaxed you feel.
3. Make sure you feel safe at night
Avoiding scary TV shows, movies and computer games can help too. Some children with bedtime fears feel better when they have a night light.
4. Check noise and light in your room. Turn off all screens about 1 hour before bedtime. A quiet, dimly lit space is important for good sleep.
5. Avoid the clock If you check the time often, maybe move it to where you can’t see it.
6. Eat the right amount at the right time Feeling hungry or too full before bed can make you more alert or uncomfortable. This can make it harder for you to get to sleep.
7. Get plenty of exercise during the day. This helps you feel wide awake during the day and sleepy towards bedtime.
8. Avoid caffeine. Caffeine is in energy drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate and cola. Avoid these things in the late afternoon and evening as they keep you awake.
Taking charge of my Anger
Have you ever lost your temper? Did you yell and scream or want to hit someone? Maybe your little brother got into your room and played with your toys without asking you. Or maybe your teacher gave you too much homework. Or maybe a friend borrowed your favourite video game and then broke it. That made you angry!
Everyone gets angry. Maybe you “lose your cool” or “hit the roof.” Anger can even be a good thing. When kids are treated unfairly, anger can help them stand up for themselves. The hard part is learning what to do with these strong feelings.
What Is Anger?
You have lots of emotions. At different times, you may be happy, sad or jealous. Anger is just another way we feel. It’s perfectly OK to be angry at times — in fact, it’s important to get angry sometimes. Never getting angry is impossible. Instead, remember that how you act when you’re angry can make the situation better or worse.
It is better for you if anger is released in the right way. Otherwise you’ll be like a bottle of pop that has been shook up. When the lid comes of it explodes everywhere. When that happens to you, it’s no fun for anyone.
Beat that Anger
⦁ Talk to a friend you can trust
⦁ Count to 10
⦁ Get or give a hug
⦁ Do jumping jacks or another exercise
⦁ draw a picture of your anger
⦁ Play a video game
⦁ Run around the outside of the house five times as fast as you can
⦁ sing along with music
⦁ Pull weeds in the garden
⦁ Think good thoughts
⦁ Do something active – take a bike ride, go skateboarding, play football
⦁ Pretend that your lungs are balloons filled to the brim and then slowly let the air out of your mouth, and see your anger go away.
⦁ Come and speak to us on the chat – find it on the bottom right hand side of this page. We are here to help you feel better.
Don’t let anger be the boss of you. Be the boss of it instead. You will feel so much better
Stay Safe Online
You can do so many amazing things online and then email or text your best friend about it. That’s why the Internet is amazing! But it also has some things you need to watch out for
Stay on Safe Sites. Your parents and teachers can guide you to the best sites for you. Some sites have age restrictions, so you might be tempted to lie about your age. It’s safer to tell the truth and avoid those sites until you’re older.
Guard your passwords. Don’t share your passwords with anyone except your parents as you never know what they could do with it.
Don’t share things about you. Never tell a stranger where you live or your phone number. If you’re not sure if you should share something, ask a parent. Remember that anything you put online or post on a site is there forever, even if you try to delete it.
Be kind to other people online. Just like you, there’s a real person attached to that screen name who has feelings too.
Always tell if it makes you feel uncomfortable. Tell an adult right away if someone says something to you that makes you uncomfortable. Also tell an adult if you see anyone bullying or saying strange stuff to other kids.
Be choosy about your online friends. Some sites let kids make lots of friends with people they don’t know. But online friends are not the same as real in-person friends. Never agree to meet an online friend in person or give out personal information about yourself.
If you want to talk about something that has happened online, Click on Chat on the right-hand side of this page. We are here to help you feel better.
Have fun but always stay safe!
I Feel Scared
Everybody is afraid of something. It is normal for you to feel scared so don’t worry. Some children are scared of the dark, nightmares, something scary on tv, noises at night, insects, spiders and trying new things. The list goes on and on.
Fear is a feeling that everyone has, and it is inside all of us. This is a good thing because fear is there to protect us. We’re born with a sense of fear, so we can react to something that could be dangerous.
Our body is very clever. When you feel scared then your body lets you know. It lets you know that you feel unsafe, like when your hair stands on end or parts of your body might feel wobbly like a jelly. These are called Early Warning Signs of feeling scared.
How can I feel Better?
- Do something, like playing outside, listening to music, or watching TV.
- Share how you feel with mum or dad.
- Talk to a friend.
- Think I am in control of how I feel.
- Don’t watch anything scary on TV.
- Say good words – “I can do this” “It’s not a big deal” “I will be fine”.
- When you feel scared breath slowly – pretend that your lungs are balloons filled to the brim and then slowly let the air out of your mouth, and see your fears go away.
Come and talk to us as we are here to help you – click on the Chat at the bottom right of this page.
Feeling Homesick
There might be times when you have to stay away from home and your family.
It should be fun shouldn’t it spending time with friends and other family?
Not always, instead staying away from home can make you feel homesick.
This is perfectly normal, and many children feel this way until they get used to it. The more you do it the better it should feel. Try shorter visits 1st and build it up so you can get used to not being at home.
When you feel homesick, you may feel kind of sad in your stomach. It just means you miss your family. But the feelings go away after a day or so. It’s just a feeling, and it won’t hurt you.
What can you do to help?
- Take deep, slow breaths, picturing a relaxing scene.
- Imagine fun activities and experiences you will be doing.
- Tell yourself good stuff like “I am safe, and even though I am someplace different than usual, it is a good place and someplace where I can have fun.”
- Speak to mum or dad and let them know all the fab things you have been doing
- Take your pillow and favourite toy with you that will things feel more like home.
- Talk to someone where you are staying and let them know how you are feeling.
- Have fun – the more fun you have the better you will start to feel.
- You can talk to us – click on Chat on the right- hand side of this page. We are here to help you feel better.
Making Friends
When you meet someone, you don’t know whether that person is going to become a good friend, so you have to be a bit careful at first. As you get to know each other it can then develop into best friends. Really good friends are fantastic to have. So how can you make sure you make good friends?
Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Hang out with people you would like to have as friends.
- Sometimes you may not agree with what they want to do and that is fine. Just make sure you say so in a positive way, “I like this bit but maybe we could…”
- Accept people as they are. You don’t have to agree with everything they say or do to still like them.
- Be a good listener so that others can tell that you are really interested in what they are saying.
- Get to know people well by sharing ‘safe’ thoughts with them first. It might be something about school or TV or your favourite footy team. It isn’t always safe to tell someone you don’t know very personal things about you, like things you might be worried about or afraid of.
- Ask them about themselves.
- Be a positive person; talk about the good things in your life.
- Don’t be a cruel gossip or tell tales… “He said… and I don’t think he likes… and she doesn’t want to be your friend.”
If you’re lucky the person you meet may become a regular friend or even, after a long time, a best friend.
Getting along with brother and sisters
If you have brothers and sisters (your siblings) you will have someone who belongs to you, who has shared memories with you, and who can help and support you.
Sometimes you might not feel like this is a good thing. You may seem to be always fighting and arguing, leaving you feeling really fed up.
Try to follow these tips to avoid getting into a fight with your brother or sister:
- Take a deep breath and think a bit before you say anything.
- Remind yourself that everyone is different, and things would be boring if we were all the same.
- You are better at somethings and they are better at other things. That is OK as everyone is special.
- Say well done to them if they do something really well and share their happiness.
- Listen to each other.
- Talk things through with them, when you are both feeling calm.
- Respect each other and your things.
- Only use good words to make them feel good.
- Never say anything you will feel bad about later.
- Agree some time apart with your own friends or doing your own thing.
- Love each other.
When you get older you may even be the best of friends. A very special bond that no one can break.
I Want What They Have
It is normal for you to want things that other people have. This is known as “envy”. It means that you want something another person has and feel it is “not fair that they have it and you don’t. This can make you feel unhappy.
Jealousy, however is when you feel bad because of what someone else has done or is doing. You can feel jealous about anything and it can sometimes feel like it takes over your life. It is also known as the green-eyed monster that really affects who you are and how you feel.
Feeling jealous can bring all sorts of bad feelings with it.
- Anger or even hatred.
- Rejection as you can feel that you are not wanted or not good enough.
- Wanting to ‘get your own back’ in some way.
Choose to feel positive about it instead! Here are our tips to help you to stop feeling jealous:
- Look at the good things instead- for example if a friend has a new friend. You can look forward to getting to know them too and still have set times to spend with your friend
- Ask yourself why – When you understand your feelings, it’s often easier to change your actions and get help instead
- Talk things through with an adult you trust – like mum, dad or your teacher
- Work to build up your trust – If you can’t trust someone, it might not be a healthy friendship or relationship
- Set yourself a goal – What can I do to make myself feel good about myself?
- Come and talk things through with us as we are here to help – click on Chat on the right-hand side of the page.
