My Day Out Last Friday Being Like...

My Day Out On Saturday Being Like...

The VLOAZIOU Technique

Hi! The name's Kipper. Kipper the dog. If you don't know that by now, where in the name of Slipper have you been? Today, I'm going to show you a technique that'll help you maintain life balance and make you think about high self esteem. And it's all because of one word: 'Vloaziou'.

V - Value.

Value your uniqueness and qualities, because being unique is what makes me and you who we are today. Like Arnold for instance - his uniqueness comes from doing things no other toddler his age can ever do, such as doing yo yo tricks or refusing eagerly to touch any trick sweets Tiger offered him.

L - Listen.

Listen with kindness to your inner voice. Sometimes when I have adventures on my own, I listen to an inner voice tuning in inside me - it might be my own emotions talking to me, or some voice from another person which inspired by adventures, like Gene Kelly or Aesop.

O - Own.

Embrace every step on the journey through the circle of life. I do, and I do it with ease - even through things that aren't pointed out on my many adventures, such as flying via an umbrella to the moon, the Bleepers using a remote control to examine everything, a scary dragon on the moon and a whole mountain made of candy! Can you believe it? You better.

A - Affirm.

Acknowledge every small victory during your life balance. My victories are small, but they're big in accomplishment - especially Arnold's, his accomplishments mean he's fitting into the big kid crowd. Growing up, they say. He may be a toddler piglet, but inside, he's a 9-year-old boy.

Z - Zero.

Notice the parts of yourself that shine the brightest when doing a task, like colouring, or doing the dishes, or writing in your journal. I do it in all my tasks, like making glasses of lemonade to serve to Arnold and myself while watching him paint a bus using red paint, or making funny faces with Sock Thing. Even a boring task like watching classic films on the telly can seem accomplishable.

I - Ignite.

When things feel hard, you have to be patient on myself. Things sometimes become hard for me, like the time when Tiger and I solved the mystery of the Purple Park Monster, and it's actually Arnold in disguise, and later, when we played at being monsters, Arnold used the box we used to trap the monster to make a little campout for himself and eat all the berries we've laid out for this - ahem - monster.

O - Overcome.

There are dark, evil voices in your head that whisper that you are not enough. Don't let them overtake you! Remember the dragon Tiger and I encountered on the moon when we found this magical bicycle lamp? Think of it as the dark, evil demon that says bad things inside your head. By saying positive affirmations while looking into the mirror almost every day, you're turning this dragon into a colourful blue, pink and yellow creature out of a GMTV Kids' show who says positive things.

And finally,

U - Unleash.

Don't be afraid to unleash your courage - this takes you a step forward to what's true in your heart, such as writing or baking. Tiger and I went on a hedgehog watch once, and while we were waiting for one to show up right under our noses, one was sneaking into the house just like in the story of Goldilocks & The Three Bears. It ate our doughnuts and slept in my bed - all while I was editing photos of real hedgehogs on my computer and watching boring classic Westerns with Tiger on the telly! And later, at the end, we did manage to capture the hedgehog itself - the exact hedgehog who caused havoc in my house! It just wanted a place to eat and sleep, that's all.

So by using the VLOAZIOU technique, you're heading your way to high self esteem. So after the first few hours on your laptop, put it down, go out and do some chores. Big rewards will be waiting for you if you do!