‘Slumberkins’ Teaches Social-Emotional Health To Kids

Callie Christensen and Kelly Oriard, co-founders and co-CEOs of “Slumberkins,” a children’s education and emotional wellness brand, want to help Austin families understand when and how to begin supporting positive emotional wellness in little ones. They joined Studio 512 to talk about their mission during Mental Health Awareness Month.

With stories and lessons that feature cute creatures and positive affirmations, “Slumberkins” wants to make it easy for families and children to connect, reflect and grow through challenges, big and small.

Callie and Kelly say that “noticing, naming and welcoming our feelings impacts our choices and behaviors, and we believe unlocking these skills individually is the key to coming together collectively. Mental health for kids can be about many things, including healthy bedtime routines, and it can be influenced by learning skills to problem solve or cope with those big feelings or worries.

“Mental health is also about our inner sense of well-being and our connections with others. It’s important to think about mental health like any other type of health. There are genetic factors and environmental factors that influence mental health, but there are also skills we can learn and routines we can practice that support positive mental health throughout our lives.

“Affirmations are a great way to support emotional wellbeing – for all ages. Affirmations are empowering messages that can transform a child’s confidence and feelings of self-worth. When infused in engaging stories and lessons, affirmations play a major role in helping kids connect with their feelings and to the important adults in their lives. Slumberkins offers free digital affirmations.

“To recognize and celebrate our teachers and students during Mental Health Awareness Month and Teacher Appreciation, we are coordinating 100 teacher/classroom giveaways across the U.S., and we would like to surprise an elementary school teacher and their students in Austin with one year of emotional learning curriculum for teachers, books and creature characters. In fact, to thank teachers in Texas, we’re giving the gift of emotional learning to 10 classrooms! Enter below to win a Classroom Kit & matching class set!”