Reading this aloud? This bedtime story about nightmares is told mostly in talking. Use a small, sleepy voice for Nadia and a slow, calm voice for Dad. If your child likes, they can read Nadia’s lines.
The Dream We Fixed Together
It was the middle of the night. The house was dark and still.
Then a small voice came down the hall.
“Dad? Daaad?”
Dad came in with sleepy eyes and messy hair. “I’m here, Nadia. What happened?”
“I had a bad dream.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Dad sat on the edge of her bed. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
“There was a big dark thing. It was following me down a long, long hallway. And I couldn’t find the door.”
“That sounds scary.”
“It was really scary.”
Dad nodded slowly. “You know what? Dreams are like stories. And stories can be changed.”
“Changed?”
“Yep. Let’s fix it. You’re the boss of this dream now. What color was the thing?”
Nadia thought. “Dark. Like a shadow.”
“What color do you want it to be?”
A tiny smile. “Pink. With yellow spots.”
“Pink with yellow spots. Done. And how does it walk?”
“It… bounces. Like a balloon.”
“A bouncy pink balloon with yellow spots. Hmm. Is it still scary?”
Nadia giggled. “A little less.”
“Okay. Why do you think it was following you?”
Nadia scrunched her nose. “Maybe… it was lost too?”
“Ooh. Maybe it was. Maybe it just wanted a friend to find the door with.”
“And then I turned around and said, ‘Do you want to find the door together?'”
“And what did it say?”
“It said BOING!” Nadia laughed. “That means yes.”
“Of course it does. Then what?”
“Then we found the door. And behind the door was…” She thought hard. “A pancake party.”
“A pancake party! With syrup?”
“With syrup. And strawberries. And the balloon thing ate twelve pancakes and floated up to the ceiling.”
Dad laughed. “That is a much better dream.”
“It’s a way better dream.”
Dad tucked the blanket up to her chin. “So if the old dream comes back, what will you do?”
“I’ll make it pink. And bouncy. And I’ll say, ‘Want to go to the pancake party?'”
“That’s my brave girl. Want me to stay a minute?”
“Just one minute.”
So Dad stayed one minute. Then two. And by the third minute, Nadia was fast asleep, smiling a sticky, syrupy smile.
The end. A bad dream is just a story, and you can help change how it ends.
Story by the TalesKids team · Ages 5-8 · About 5 minutes to read aloud
Try It Tonight: Fix a Dream in 3 Steps
- Listen first. Let your child tell the dream. Don’t rush to say “it’s not real.”
- Change one thing at a time. The color, the size, the sound. Silly is good.
- Give it a happy ending. Let your child choose it. Then say it out loud together once more.
Bad dreams are a normal part of growing up. If they happen very often or disturb sleep for weeks, the sleep experts at Sleep Education (from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine) explain when to talk to a doctor.
Other stories for brave little sleepers: The Brave Little Bear, The Cloud That Wanted a Hug, and The Creaking Stair.
