Children may be thrown off by a change of schedule, especially during uncertain times. Social-emotional skill-building is key at this age, but it’s even more important when they need to put those skills to work. When school is not meeting and playdates are canceled, how can children acquire the right skills to cope?
New social-emotional skill-building tools offer parents a method for supporting their kids early on by giving them better school experiences. One of these tools is Slumberkins, a product line that uses affirmations, skill-building storybooks, and plush stuffed animals – “snugglers” – to teach coping skills for anxiety, stress, and family changes. Whereas affirmations and skill-building storybooks are longtime social-emotional skill-building tools, Slumberkins’ snugglers represent a newer advancement. Many parents read a children’s book with their kids every day, talk about the skills taught by the book, and work on relevant affirmations together. With Slumberkins’ snugglers, kids get a physical reminder of their new skills and their bonds with their parents.
Consider the Slumberkins Bigfoot snuggler as an example. The snuggler comes with Bigfoot’s storybook, and Bigfoot’s tale teaches kids all about self-esteem and acceptance. The included affirmation card reminds kids that they’re kind, strong, brave, unique, and loved by others and – perhaps most importantly – themselves. After parents read Bigfoot’s story to their kids and repeat the affirmation together several times, the Bigfoot snuggler serves as a reminder to kids that the world is better because they’re in it.
Slumberkins’ Bigfoot offering is part of its popular Creature Offerings line, which includes a Fox snuggler for family changes, an Alpaca snuggler for stress relief, and a Yeti snuggler for mindfulness. As with Bigfoot, the Fox, Alpaca, and Yeti include a story and affirmation that the snuggler eventually comes to symbolize for kids. Slumberkins’ snuggler options can help parents navigate kids through times of uncertainty, or difficult family changes such as divorces or death, without blaming themselves or feeling unsafe. Slumberkins encourages kids to articulate, name, and share their worries and fears, and show kids how connecting with the world around them can help them to regulate their emotions.
Parents can trust Slumberkins since two mothers with relevant professional backgrounds founded the brand. Founders Callie Christensen and Kelly Oriard come from family therapy and early education backgrounds, and both mothers have long promoted early emotional learning as vital to kids’ childhoods (though both would insist that Slumberkins is a supplement to, not a replacement for, any therapy and professional support that kids receive). The duo’s deeply meaningful set of social-emotional learning tools has earned praise from esteemed publications including Forbes, New York Magazine, and Glamour – and with such adorable snugglers, Slumberkins makes a lasting impression with kids, too.
Parents interested in Slumberkins can find an easy starting point with the brand’s creature collections. Slumberkins is committed to sharing hope and providing support to parents during these times and so, for a limited time, they’ll be featuring their creature collections at a special price each day.
Slumberkins is offering Busy Mom Blog readers 10% off their first purchase with code: BUSYMOM
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