In the warm and welcoming Green home, as the evening sky turned orange and purple, Ellie’s parents decided it was time for a special story. They wanted to show Ellie why it’s good to do different things, not just watch TV or play on the phone. They planned to tell a fun and exciting story to make their point.
“Ellie, we have a story about a girl named Elara, who’s a lot like you. She went on a big adventure to a place called Habit Land,” Mrs. Green said, sounding excited.
Ellie, feeling curious, got comfy in her bed, ready to listen. In the story, Elara was gearing up for her big adventure.
In the story, Elara was gearing up for her big adventure.
Elara, who enjoyed her screen time just like Ellie, found a map on her device one day instead of her usual games. This map took her to an amazing place known as ‘Habit Land’, where people’s daily habits and routines made up the world.
Feeling both excited and a bit nervous, Elara followed the map to a lively place called ‘Ticker-Town’. The people there were always on time because they followed a strict schedule.
In Ticker-Town, Elara met a friendly boy named Timmy Ticker who had a big pocket watch. He was worried because the town’s main clock, which kept everything running on time, had stopped. This caused a lot of problems, like missed meals and overgrown gardens.
Elara wanted to help Timmy. They set off to find the Winding Key, needed to fix the clock, believed to be in the Procrastination Jungle.
The ‘Procrastination Jungle’ was a strange place with paths that looped back and signs suggesting to visit places like ‘Maybe Later Waterfall’. Elara and Timmy kept going in circles, finding it funny but also a bit annoying.
The ‘Procrastination Jungle’ was a strange place with paths that looped back and signs suggesting to visit places like ‘Maybe Later Waterfall’.
They had lots of funny slip-ups, like taking a wrong turn to ‘Nap Nook’ and having a silly chat with ‘Tomorrow Toucans’. Elara then realized the jungle’s paths were confusing were because they were not focusing properly. With this new understanding, she led Timmy with confidence, keeping their goal in mind.
At last, they found the Winding Key, watched over by a slow-moving Sloth of Second Thoughts. The sloth gave them a riddle to solve before they could take the key. They worked together, using clever thinking and a sense of humor to answer the riddle. The sloth, keeping its promise, gave them the key, though very slowly.
Feeling victorious, Elara and Timmy hurried back to Ticker-Town and fixed the main clock with the Winding Key. Time started moving correctly again, and everyone in town was happy, celebrating with dances that were all in sync.
As a thank-you, Timmy gave Elara a special hourglass that could stop time for a bit each day, suggesting she use that time to do something that makes her truly happy.
Back in Ellie’s room, she was fascinated by the story. “What did Elara do with the hourglass time?” she wondered out loud, her imagination taking off.
“That’s a story for another time,” Mr. Green said with a smile. “But just like Elara, you can find time for your own adventures, not just on screens.”
Ellie nodded, excited by the idea. She was eager to hear more about Elara’s story and started thinking about what adventures she could have herself.
With the story of Elara and Ticker-Town, Ellie’s parents planted the idea of trying new things and not just sticking to screens, showing her that life is full of adventures waiting to be had.