Safety Box

Safety First!
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Hello and Welcome!

Today I've recorded the instructions for making a safety box. A safety box is a bit like a treasure box. Inside it, you can put things that make you feel safe, or that help to keep you safe. You could make one in a shoebox, a mini one in a matchbox, or you could make a safety bag, using a ziplock bag, a drawstring pouch, a purse, a toiletries bag - whatever is to hand!

Here are some suggestions for things to put inside:

• The phone numbers for emergency services, Kids Helpline, or a domestic violence helpline
• The phone number for a friend or relative who you trust
• Spare 10, 20, or 50 cent coins to use at a phonebox in case you need to make an emergency call
• A lucky or protective charm - maybe a horse shoe or angel
• A religious symbol, if you're religious
• A small soft toy
• A message or mantra  - you could choose a poem that you like, a famous quote, a psalm or part of a holy text, or something you write yourself, which could be as simple as 'everything will be okay' or 'remember I am not alone'
• A special stone
• A drawing that you've done
• A scrap of soft or comforting fabric, or a scrap off an old comfort blanket
• Sweets or a muesli bar
• A small book
• A bottle or tin of rescue remedy (don't use this without adult supervision or guidance)

You can decorate you box or bag however you like. You can use fabric scraps, glitter, pencils, pens, paint. Keep it somewhere safe. If you don't want someone at home to find it, consider making a mini one, which you could keep in your school bag, or else find somewhere safe to leave it - at a friends house, or in a locker or desk at school if you have one.

I hope this project helps you to feel safe.

Thanks, and stay safe,
Lucy.

Things To Do When You're Feeling Upset

Safety First!
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If you need to get off this page in a hurry, use the Get Me Out Of Here! tab in the top left corner, which will take you to Google.

Hello and Welcome!

Sometimes when things get too much it's good to have a few ideas for things to do, to help yourself relax and de-stress. Caring for yourself is really important, especially if you are in the middle of a stressful or scary experience. Remember, you can always call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or the police at 000 if there is an emergency. If you're frightened or need to tell someone about what's happening at home, talk to a trusted adult - this might be a relative, a teacher, a school counsellor, a doctor, the police, or the parent of a close friend. You never have to suffer in silence.
Here's a list of de-stressing suggestions - feel free to add your own! You could either choose one to do, or close your eyes and point to one at random.

• Listen to a favourite song or piece of music - put together a playlist of your favourite songs
• Talk to someone you trust about how you're feeling - a friend, your parent who is also a survivor, Kids Helpline, a school counsellor.
• Bake something
• Read your favourite book, or choose a new one to read
• Take ten deep breaths
• Light a candle, if you are old enough to do so safely
• Pray to your chosen deity, if you are religious
• Scream or cry into a pillow
• Draw how you're feeling
• Write in a journal - you could write a diary entry, or else a story or poem
• Watch a funny, uplifting movie
• Close your eyes and imagine a bubble of protection around you, keeping you safe
• Sing loudly
• Cuddle or care for a pet
• Cuddle a favourite soft toy
• Get out paper and pencils, and draw a 'protection necklace,' hung with symbols and amulets that represent things like safety, love, protection, or peace.
• Punch a pillow or punch bag
• Write a letter to your future or past self
• Write an episode of your favourite TV show
• Write 'how it should have ended' for a book or movie
• Exercise - go for a run, a walk, a swim, or just do ten star jumps
• Meditate - sit somewhere comfortable and close your eyes, clearing your thoughts
• Do a guided visualisation - you could use this one (flying like a bird) or this one (floating on a cloud)
• Make something out of craft materials or clay
• Go outside - being outdoors in nature can help you feel less stressed. Even something as simple as watering a plant, or climbing a tree is good
• Make some jewellery

I hope you find some suggestions here! If you have a new idea, please post it in the comments and I will add it to the list. If you're worried about someone seeing your name in the comments, choose 'anonymous' in the drop down menu that says 'comment as.' All comments are checked by me before being posted, so there may be a few hours - a day between entering a comment and seeing it appear.

Thanks, and stay safe,
Lucy.

No Bake Chocolate Cake

Safety First!
Are you in a safe place to read this? If you're worried about someone finding out that you've been to this site, the safest thing to do is use a computer that they don't have access to - a friend's or relative's computer, a school computer, or a computer at a public library. If this is not possible, read this article from The Hideout about deleting things from the browser history.

Remember not to bookmark this page in your browser!

If you need to get off this page in a hurry, use the Get Me Out Of Here! tab in the top left corner, which will take you to Google.

Hello and Welcome!

Sometimes a little bit of distraction is a very good thing. Baking (and eating!) something delicious can help take your mind off what's happening in your family. Maybe you could cook this with a friend or a sibling.

Mix Up A Mud Pie
This recipe for a chocolate mud pie is from The Cooking Book, by Jane Bull, published by Dorling Kindersley in 2002.

You need:
125 g castor sugar
175 g butter
250 g broken biscuits
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
125 g dried fruit
1 chocolate bar for topping

Base

1 - melt the butter. Don't get it too hot, just melt it!

2 - add cocoa and sugar. Take the pan off the heat to do this.

3 - now add fruit and biscuits.

4 - mix it all up.

5 - put foil in the tin. (20 cm diameter round cake tin)

6 - pour in the mix.

7 - press it down (with the back of a wooden spoon)

8 - place it in the fridge. Leave it for about 2 hours.

Topping
The topping uses hot (boiling) water, so get and adult to help

1 - melt the chocolate. Pour some very hot water into a bowl and place another bowl on top of it. Break up the chocolate and place it in the top bowl. Let the heat melt it.

2 - pour it onto the base.

3 - spread the topping out.

I hope you enjoy cooking and eating this!

Thanks, and stay safe,
Lucy.

Encouragement Quotes

Safety First!
Are you in a safe place to read this? If you're worried about someone finding out that you've been to this site, the safest thing to do is use a computer that they don't have access to - a friend's or relative's computer, a school computer, or a computer at a public library. If this is not possible, read this article from The Hideout about deleting things from the browser history.

Remember not to bookmark this page in your browser!

If you need to get off this page in a hurry, use the Get Me Out Of Here! tab in the top left corner, which will take you to Google.
Hello and Welcome!

I thought I'd share some quotes for encouragement in a tough situation. All quotes are taken from BrainyQuote,  the Official Amelia Earhart Website or KeepInspiring.Me.

"Find a place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain."
Joseph Campbell

"Change your thoughts and you change the world."
Norman Vincent Peale

"Believe you can and you're halfway there."
Theodore Roosevelt

"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light"
Aristotle Onassis

"The most effective way to do it is to do it'
Amelia Earhart

"When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another"
Helen Keller

"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any"
Alice Walker

"The truth. It is a beautiful and terrible thing and must therefore be treated with great caution"
J.K Rowling

Thanks, and stay safe,
Lucy.

Caring For Pets in Domestic Violence Situations

Safety First!
Are you in a safe place to read this? If you're worried about someone finding out that you've been to this site, the safest thing to do is use a computer that they don't have access to - a friend's or relative's computer, a school computer, or a computer at a public library. If this is not possible, read this article from The Hideout about deleting things from the browser history.

Remember not to bookmark this page in your browser!

If you need to get off this page in a hurry, use the Get Me Out Of Here! tab in the top left corner, which will take you to Google.

Hello and Welcome!

Thank you for joining me. This blog is a safe space for child survivors of domestic or family violence. For more information, go here or here.

When domestic violence is happening in your house, it can make you feel very worried for yourself, your family, but also for any pets that you might have. You might worry about your pet getting hurt, or having to leave them behind if you leave in a hurry. Here are some things you can do to help look after your pet:

• Make a safety plan - talk to someone you trust who is willing to look after your pet, maybe a grandparent, aunt or uncle, older sibling who doesn't live at home, or a close friend. Together make a safety plan for your pet - include things like what your pet eats and what time of day, whether your pet needs to be walked or let outside, and how you would get your pet to this 'safe person' if there was an emergency.
• Talk to your local veterinarian - they might board pets, or be willing to temporarily care for your pet in an emergency.
• The NSW RSPCA has a program called Safe Beds For Pets. (Safe Beds For Pets ). Contact your local RSPCA to see if they have a similar program.
• You could keep a notebook with a list of emergency supplies for your pet, as well as details on how to care for them.
• Animals feel stress too - give them lots of hugs and care! Playing with or cuddling a pet can also help you feel less stressed.

If you need to use a phone and can't use the home phone for whatever reason, there are a number of options. The first is to use a mobile phone, if you have one. You can then delete the phone call from your call log. The second is to use a friend or relative's phone. If you ask, your school may allow you to use a phone there. Local libraries often have phones on the premises, which they may allow you to use if you ask. There are still some public call boxes around, although these are few and far between - if there is one you know of, you can use that.

Knowing that your pet can be safe and cared for in an emergency will help you to feel less stressed.

Thanks, and stay safe,
Lucy.

Welcome!

Safety First!
Are you in a safe place to read this? If you're worried about someone finding out that you've been to this site, the safest thing to do is use a computer that they don't have access to - a friend's or relative's computer, a school computer, or a computer at a public library. If this is not possible, read this article from The Hideout about deleting things from the browser history.

Remember not to bookmark this page in your browser!

If you need to get off this page in a hurry, use the Get Me Out Of Here! tab in the top left corner, which will take you to Google.

Hello and welcome!

This blog is a safe space blog for child survivors of domestic violence.
On the Better Health website, they say that "Family violence can mean lots of different things – it’s not just being hit. There are different kinds of violence that can happen in the home. The violence may be directed at one of your parents, at you or your sisters and brothers or at other people who may be living with you." (Family violence is the same thing as domestic violence).
Go here for more information. If this is happening to you, there are many ways you can get help. You can:

• Talk to a trusted adult - this might be a family member, a teacher, a doctor, a school counsellor, or a friend's parent.
• Talk to the police - if it is an emergency, you can call 000
• Call Kids Helpline- 1800 55 1800
• Call the Domestic Violence Hotline in - 1800 65 64 63 in NSW
• Call Lifeline - 131 114

Remember that you don't have to deal with this alone!

The aim of this blog is to provide resources, fun projects, and encouragement to children who are survivors of domestic violence. I hope that this blog is helpful to you.

Thanks and stay safe,
Lucy.