A story
Kenz and the Little Star Nightlight
Kenz loved bedtime. She loved her warm bath with bubbles, her soft pink pajamas, and the story that Mama or Baba read to her every night. Most of all, she loved her bunny, Arnoob, who had long floppy ears and a tummy that was perfect for hugging.
But there was one part of bedtime that Kenz did not love at all. It was the moment after the story, after the kisses, when Mama turned off the big light and closed the door halfway.
Then the room was dark.
In the dark, Kenz's room looked different. Her chair by the window looked like a crouching animal. Her dressing gown on the hook looked like a tall person standing very still. And sometimes, when the wind blew, a soft tap-tap-tap came from the window.
One night, after Mama turned off the light, Kenz lay very still with Arnoob pressed against her cheek. Tap-tap-tap went the window.
"Mama!" she called. "Mama, come back!"
Mama came and sat on the edge of the bed. "What is it, habibti?"
"The dark is full of strange things," whispered Kenz. "The chair looks like an animal. And something is tapping."
Mama did not laugh. She stroked Kenz's curls. "Shall we be explorers?" she said. "Let's find out what those strange things really are."
Mama turned on the little lamp. Kenz held Arnoob tight and climbed out of bed.
They walked to the chair. In the lamplight it was just a chair, with Kenz's pink dress folded on its seat and her pink shoes underneath.
"In the dark, the dress makes a bumpy shape," said Mama. "Look." She turned off the lamp for a moment. There was the crouching animal again. She turned it back on. Just a chair.
Kenz giggled, a tiny bit. "Silly chair."
They walked to the hook. Mama lifted the dressing gown and put it in the cupboard. "No more tall person," she said.
Then they went to the window. Mama pulled back the curtain. Outside, in the moonlight, a little branch from the lemon tree was moving in the wind. Every time it swayed, its leaves brushed against the glass. Tap-tap-tap.
"It's the lemon tree saying goodnight," said Mama.
Kenz pressed her nose to the cool glass and looked out. The sky was deep blue, and a thin silver moon was smiling like a slice of melon. All around it were tiny stars, twinkling.
"The night is pretty," Kenz said in surprise.
"It is," said Mama. "The dark isn't empty, and it isn't scary. It's the same room, the same garden, the same world, just with the light turned down so everyone can rest. The birds are asleep in the trees. The butterflies are asleep under the leaves. Even the sun is resting, so it can shine for you tomorrow."
They went back to bed. Kenz snuggled down with Arnoob. But when Mama stood up to go, her tummy still felt fluttery.
"Mama, I know the chair is a chair now. But I still feel a little bit scared."
"That's okay," said Mama. "Feeling a bit scared is normal. Even grown-ups feel it sometimes. Being brave doesn't mean you never feel scared. It means you feel scared and you find ways to help yourself feel safe."
"What ways?" asked Kenz.
Mama thought. "Well, what helps you feel safe in the daytime?"
"Hugs," said Kenz at once. "And Arnoob. And singing."
"Then let's use those," said Mama. "Arnoob can be your night guard. Whenever you feel fluttery, give him a big squeeze. And you can sing your song very softly, just for you and Arnoob."
The next day, Kenz and Baba went to a little shop and found a special nightlight. It was shaped like a smiling star, and it glowed soft and golden, not bright like a lamp, but gentle like a candle.
That night, after the story and the kisses, Mama turned off the big light. The little star glowed on the bedside table.
The room was not black anymore. It was a soft golden color. Kenz could see the chair, which was just a chair. She could see the cupboard, with the dressing gown safely inside. She could see the window, where the moon was peeping through the gap in the curtains.
Tap-tap-tap went the lemon tree.
"Goodnight, lemon tree," Kenz whispered.
Her tummy fluttered a tiny bit. So she squeezed Arnoob tight. Then she sang very quietly, the song Teta always sang to her:
"Sleep, little star, the moon is near,
the night is soft, and love is here."
The flutters got smaller and smaller, like butterflies landing on flowers.
Kenz looked at the star nightlight. She looked at the moon. She thought about the birds asleep in the trees and the butterflies asleep under the leaves. She thought about the sun, resting so it could shine for her tomorrow.
"We are all resting together," she whispered to Arnoob.
Her eyes felt heavy. Her breathing got slow and deep.
When Mama peeped in a few minutes later, Kenz was fast asleep, with a smile on her face and Arnoob tucked under her chin.
In the morning, Kenz bounced into the kitchen.
"Mama! Baba! I slept all night by myself, and I was brave!"
"Did you feel scared at all?" asked Baba.
"A little bit," said Kenz honestly. "But I squeezed Arnoob, and I sang Teta's song, and I said goodnight to the lemon tree. And then the scared feeling went to sleep too."
Baba laughed and lifted her up high. "That's my brave girl!"
From then on, bedtime had a new last part. After the story and the kisses, Kenz turned on her star, hugged Arnoob, and said goodnight to the moon, the lemon tree, the sleeping birds, and the sleeping butterflies.
And the dark did not feel strange anymore. It felt like a soft blanket, wrapping up the whole world.
Lesson: It's normal to feel a little scared. Being brave means finding gentle ways to help ourselves feel safe and calm.
But there was one part of bedtime that Kenz did not love at all. It was the moment after the story, after the kisses, when Mama turned off the big light and closed the door halfway.
Then the room was dark.
In the dark, Kenz's room looked different. Her chair by the window looked like a crouching animal. Her dressing gown on the hook looked like a tall person standing very still. And sometimes, when the wind blew, a soft tap-tap-tap came from the window.
One night, after Mama turned off the light, Kenz lay very still with Arnoob pressed against her cheek. Tap-tap-tap went the window.
"Mama!" she called. "Mama, come back!"
Mama came and sat on the edge of the bed. "What is it, habibti?"
"The dark is full of strange things," whispered Kenz. "The chair looks like an animal. And something is tapping."
Mama did not laugh. She stroked Kenz's curls. "Shall we be explorers?" she said. "Let's find out what those strange things really are."
Mama turned on the little lamp. Kenz held Arnoob tight and climbed out of bed.
They walked to the chair. In the lamplight it was just a chair, with Kenz's pink dress folded on its seat and her pink shoes underneath.
"In the dark, the dress makes a bumpy shape," said Mama. "Look." She turned off the lamp for a moment. There was the crouching animal again. She turned it back on. Just a chair.
Kenz giggled, a tiny bit. "Silly chair."
They walked to the hook. Mama lifted the dressing gown and put it in the cupboard. "No more tall person," she said.
Then they went to the window. Mama pulled back the curtain. Outside, in the moonlight, a little branch from the lemon tree was moving in the wind. Every time it swayed, its leaves brushed against the glass. Tap-tap-tap.
"It's the lemon tree saying goodnight," said Mama.
Kenz pressed her nose to the cool glass and looked out. The sky was deep blue, and a thin silver moon was smiling like a slice of melon. All around it were tiny stars, twinkling.
"The night is pretty," Kenz said in surprise.
"It is," said Mama. "The dark isn't empty, and it isn't scary. It's the same room, the same garden, the same world, just with the light turned down so everyone can rest. The birds are asleep in the trees. The butterflies are asleep under the leaves. Even the sun is resting, so it can shine for you tomorrow."
They went back to bed. Kenz snuggled down with Arnoob. But when Mama stood up to go, her tummy still felt fluttery.
"Mama, I know the chair is a chair now. But I still feel a little bit scared."
"That's okay," said Mama. "Feeling a bit scared is normal. Even grown-ups feel it sometimes. Being brave doesn't mean you never feel scared. It means you feel scared and you find ways to help yourself feel safe."
"What ways?" asked Kenz.
Mama thought. "Well, what helps you feel safe in the daytime?"
"Hugs," said Kenz at once. "And Arnoob. And singing."
"Then let's use those," said Mama. "Arnoob can be your night guard. Whenever you feel fluttery, give him a big squeeze. And you can sing your song very softly, just for you and Arnoob."
The next day, Kenz and Baba went to a little shop and found a special nightlight. It was shaped like a smiling star, and it glowed soft and golden, not bright like a lamp, but gentle like a candle.
That night, after the story and the kisses, Mama turned off the big light. The little star glowed on the bedside table.
The room was not black anymore. It was a soft golden color. Kenz could see the chair, which was just a chair. She could see the cupboard, with the dressing gown safely inside. She could see the window, where the moon was peeping through the gap in the curtains.
Tap-tap-tap went the lemon tree.
"Goodnight, lemon tree," Kenz whispered.
Her tummy fluttered a tiny bit. So she squeezed Arnoob tight. Then she sang very quietly, the song Teta always sang to her:
"Sleep, little star, the moon is near,
the night is soft, and love is here."
The flutters got smaller and smaller, like butterflies landing on flowers.
Kenz looked at the star nightlight. She looked at the moon. She thought about the birds asleep in the trees and the butterflies asleep under the leaves. She thought about the sun, resting so it could shine for her tomorrow.
"We are all resting together," she whispered to Arnoob.
Her eyes felt heavy. Her breathing got slow and deep.
When Mama peeped in a few minutes later, Kenz was fast asleep, with a smile on her face and Arnoob tucked under her chin.
In the morning, Kenz bounced into the kitchen.
"Mama! Baba! I slept all night by myself, and I was brave!"
"Did you feel scared at all?" asked Baba.
"A little bit," said Kenz honestly. "But I squeezed Arnoob, and I sang Teta's song, and I said goodnight to the lemon tree. And then the scared feeling went to sleep too."
Baba laughed and lifted her up high. "That's my brave girl!"
From then on, bedtime had a new last part. After the story and the kisses, Kenz turned on her star, hugged Arnoob, and said goodnight to the moon, the lemon tree, the sleeping birds, and the sleeping butterflies.
And the dark did not feel strange anymore. It felt like a soft blanket, wrapping up the whole world.
Lesson: It's normal to feel a little scared. Being brave means finding gentle ways to help ourselves feel safe and calm.
