Leo was a bouncy, busy boy! He loved to zoom around, build tall towers, and play with his toy cars. But when Mama said, “It’s almost bedtime, Leo!” Leo would frown. Bedtime felt…boring. He didn’t want quiet time; he wanted *more* time to play!
One night, Leo told his Mama, “Bedtime is yucky! I don’t want to be quiet.” Mama smiled and said, “Quiet time isn’t yucky, Leo. It’s a special time for your brain to rest and dream. Let’s make it a cozy adventure!”
Mama dimmed the lights and gave Leo a soft, fluffy blanket. She read him a story about a little firefly who loved to blink his light slowly, slowly, slowly. Leo tried to blink slowly too, and it *did* feel a little bit calmer.
Then, Mama gave Leo a small box of colorful building blocks. “You can build a quiet castle,” she whispered. “A castle for sleepy dreams.” Leo carefully stacked the blocks, making a small, peaceful castle. It wasn’t zooming or crashing, it was…still.
Next, Mama turned on a little nightlight that showed stars on the ceiling. “Let’s find the sleepy bear in the stars,” she said. Leo pointed and giggled, finding shapes in the twinkling lights. He felt his eyelids getting heavy.
Leo realized that quiet time wasn’t about *stopping* the fun, it was about a *different* kind of fun. It was about cozy blankets, gentle stories, and peaceful building. It was about getting ready for sweet dreams.
He snuggled close to his Mama and whispered, “I think…I think I like quiet time now.” Mama kissed his forehead. “I knew you would, my little Leo. Sweet dreams.” And Leo, feeling calm and happy, drifted off to sleep, dreaming of fireflies and sleepy bears.