‘Cheers for checking in’: R U OK? is an ‘any day’ question for Harold

Hey there, friends! It’s me, Healthy Harold the giraffe, and I’ve got a story to share about my buddy Arty. Now, Arty’s full name is Arthur, but everyone calls him Arty because he’s super talented at drawing. He’s got this amazing imagination, and he’s always sketching the coolest pictures.

Usually, Arty is like a burst of sunshine. He’s the one you can count on to bring energy to the playground. Whether it’s playing handball at recess or kicking the footy around at lunchtime, Arty’s always the first to join in. And let me tell you, he’s got the best sense of humour too. His funny jokes and silly stories can make anyone smile, even on a rainy day.

But today, something was different.

It all started this morning when Arty arrived at school a little late. Now, Arty is usually super excited for literacy groups — one of his favourite lessons — but today, he showed up halfway through. When he finally walked into the classroom, he wasn’t smiling as usual. He just slipped into his chair quietly and put his head down.

I thought maybe he didn’t see me, so I tried to catch his eye and give him a thumbs up. But Arty didn’t even look up. He just sat there, staring at his desk. I could tell something was bothering him but I wasn’t sure what.

As soon as the bell rang for recess, I decided to go check on him. Normally, Arty would be the first one out the door, ready to play handball, but today he just slowly walked to the playground. When I finally caught up with him, I asked, “Hey, Arty, are you OK?”

He sighed and shook his head. I asked if he wanted to talk about it. He slowly lifted his head and said, “It’s just been one of those mornings, Harold. Everything’s gone wrong.”

Arty told me how his alarm didn’t go off, so he woke up late. Then, he spilt his breakfast all over his school uniform and had to change, which made him even later. To top it all off, he forgot his homework, and by the time he got to school, he felt like the whole day was ruined.

I’m glad I asked Arthur if he was OK. He felt comfortable talking to me, so I listened carefully and then said, “Arty, we all have tough mornings sometimes, but it doesn’t mean the rest of your day has to be bad. You’ve got friends who care about you. Let’s make the most of recess and see if we can turn things around.”

And you know what? We did. We played handball, shared some laughs, and by lunchtime, Arty was back to his cheerful self, telling funny stories like he always does.

R U OK? Day on September 12 is all about checking in with your family and friends and learning how you can talk to them if you think they might be worried, stressed, upset, or just not feeling themselves.

The theme for 2024 is Ask R U OK? Any Day. That means that we shouldn’t just wait for one day of the year to check in, but we can and should ask R U OK? any day.

So remember, even if your day starts off rough like Arthur’s, it doesn’t have to stay that way. There’s always time to turn things around, especially when you’ve got good friends by your side.

Keep smiling and stay healthy!

Your friend,

Healthy Harold

Access the new Life Ed and RU OK? interactive journey and classroom resources at ruok.org.au/education#PRIMARYSCHOOLRESOURCES

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