get her boots on”
~ Josh, Child
“I like Sparky’s hearts…I have hearts inside of me too.”
~ Katie, Child
About us
Whose idea was this, anyway?
Linda: It was really Shannon's idea to start with. She had a routine of asking her young sons affirming questions before bed, and found that it really helped everyone to gear down.
Shannon: Yes, plus it gave me a chance to take a few minutes to appreciate them for the delightful people that they are. Linda got involved when I was trying to figure out the best way to translate what I realized was a valuable bedtime ritual into a parenting tool that would help others create their own easy, "no pressure" bedtime ritual.
Linda: Yes, I loved Shannon's concept right away, as I'm no stranger to the feeling of being exhausted at the end of the day but still wanting to help my kids feel secure and loved when they go to bed. I thought that using appealing little characters to introduce the questions would work for the 3-6 year old group. The questions and the characters work together to make it easy for kids to open up and talk in a "no wrong answers" context. The characters are very non-threatening and "fuzzy" so that it's easy for kids to identify.
How do you find that adults are using the cards with the kids in their lives?
Shannon: Adults are able to tailor the use of the cards to the child's experience. If they're struggling with a particular issue, or if they need a little encouragement, or just a little affirmation, the adult can choose a particular card to help start that dialogue. Or sometimes the parent can just drop the questions if they - or the child - want it to be more open-ended. The conversations that the cards help start can lead in all kinds of directions. Ultimately, it's a "no wrong way to do it" parenting tool.
Linda: Yes, it's pretty flexible. I think it can really help someone who's struggling a bit with a "reluctant sleeper" - or just help make the day/night transition - which is sometimes hard for this age group - a little easier. It also offers an easy way to tap into a child's thoughts around a particular issue. Do they feel confident about accomplishing something - like learning to identify letters, for example - or is there some anxiety around that? Do they feel cozy and safe going to bed, or is there something else that would help them? It's a very safe way to bring topics up without putting any pressure on. You can also use the cards over and over again - some kids find it very comforting to return to certain cards.
Shannon: Ultimately, it's all about helping parents - or any significant adult in a child's life -make bedtime better.