Ant and Dec release book to help children be 'proper happy'
'This is all about resetting, making them feel proper happy again' - ITV News Entertainment Reporter Rishi Davda reports
Comedy duo Ant and Dec have released a book aimed at improving and maintaining children’s happiness after coping with a tough time over the Covid pandemic.
Called Proper Happy, the book has been described by the pair as a “self-help” guide that offers tips on how to look after their mental health and happiness as well as their friends’ and family’s.
“It’s lots of challenges, games, and fun activities for kids to help them feel more positive about themselves,” Ant told ITV News.
One page in particular is, they believe, a useful tool for young children to incorporate into their daily lives – the ‘Proud Cloud.’
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The idea is to write something in that cloud every day, filling it with a list of things they’re proud of.
“It was inspired by the pandemic, predominantly, we’ve all had a rough time over the past couple of years but specifically children have had a very, very tough time,” Dec said.
“So this is all about resetting, making them properly happy again.
“And there’s a chapter on it even when you’re not feeling it and you’re not feeling proper happy, there’s a chapter on why that is, what are your feelings, why do you feel like that and ways of getting out of it.
“Or recognising when your friends feel like that, so it’s a bit of a self-help book for children, for families, for friends. It’s a lot of fun, so hopefully we’re spreading lots of positivity.”
Dec said he believes people are now more aware of their mental health than ever before – and why it’s important to look after yourself that way.
“Sometimes it’s OK not to be OK,” he said, adding the book helps children to understand why that is and what can be done about it.
“It’s important to practice things that make you feel positive, because that will in turn help you to do more positive things on a daily basis,” Ant said.