EDITOR’S NOTE: Slumberkins is offering Busy Mom Blog readers 10% off their purchase with code: BUSYMOM
As my husband John and I were starting our family, I wondered whether my kids would have the same early-childhood sibling rivalry I did with my sister. My five-year-old Sam and my three-year-old Leo indeed fight pretty often, and to stop them, I tried changing play locations, determining which toys led to conflict, and even time-out if it got really bad. I know sibling rivalry is normal, but how can I get them to stop fighting in a way that doesn’t involve discipline or taking things away?
Slumberkins gave me an easy answer. Started by a family therapist and educator, Slumberkins makes adorable plush creatures called Kins and Snugglers that come with board books that help kids identify feelings and learn crucial life skills. Among the Kins and Snugglers is a Hammerhead set that teaches kids how to resolve conflict. It proved to be the calming tool we all needed; a story about conflict with an affirmation that the kids can say that teaches how to repair.
In the months since we’ve started using Slumberkins, Sam and Leo have gotten so much better at problem-solving, taking deep breaths, and finding the words they want to say instead of screaming, hitting, and running to me or my husband. The cute hammerhead shark certainly brings these important lessons to life, but I credit Sam and Leo’s biggest improvements to the board book and affirmation that helps them practice communication and emotional regulation. The kids love that the affirmation rhymes – they clearly have fun when we say it out loud together!
The message to replace angry shouts with calm words has definitely gotten across. I saw this in practice a few weeks ago when Sam and Leo were having a fun Lego face-off but wanted the same Lego figure. Pre-Slumberkins, Sam and Leo would have shouted and cried. Of course they began to quibble over the toy, but Leo didn’t cry this time around. Instead, he said, “Can I have it after? I really wanted it.” Then, Sam said, “After we’re both done, you can have it,” and he stuck to his word. I was so proud to see these important life lessons in action!
Our other parent friends have noticed Sam and Leo arguing less often, and when they asked how I taught the kids to stay calm, I told them about Slumberkins. The Hammerhead set has proven a great jumping-off point for Sam and Leo’s social emotional-learning, and you too can use Slumberkins to help your kids grow. Visit Slumberkins now for 10% off the Hammerhead Collection using code BUSYMOM, and before you know it, your siblings’ rivalries will look healthier than ever before
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