Month: July 2021

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How to Prepare for the New School Year

How to Prepare for the New School Year

Summer is drawing to a close and soon our kids will be heading back to school. In the weeks ahead, it’s good for kids and parents to start preparing for the new school year. This is especially important this year with the coronavirus still spreading across the country and many kids remaining unvaccinated. Read on to learn how your family can prep for school in the coming weeks:

Create routines early

Routines can help your child stay on track each day. By getting up, going to school, and doing homework all at the same times each day, it’ll be easier for your child to get their work done. However, it’s important to start these routines early, preferably before school starts. That way the transition is easier on their first day of school.

Make pandemic preparations

Kids under 12 years of age are unable (as of writing this blog post) to get vaccinated. As a result, schools, parents, and children need to take extra precautions to keep everyone safe. Different school districts will have different requirements, so it’s important to be aware of your school’s rules before sending your child off for their first day. At the very least, make sure they have masks and hand sanitizer handy throughout the day.

Set realistic expectations

What would you and your child like to get out of the coming school year? Perhaps you want to get their grades up, or maybe they’re interested in getting involved in a new sport. Whatever your goals are, it’s important to set realistic expectations. For example, if your child has been getting Cs in Math, aim for a B instead of an A this year. To further encourage your child, offer rewards for a job well done.

One way you can encourage your child to do well this year is to give them a stuffable animal friend. Look through our inventory today to get started!

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How Stuffed Animals Can Ease Depression Symptoms

How Stuffed Animals Can Ease Depression Symptoms

Teddy bears and toy stuffed animals are usually our first fuzzy friends. We are given them as toys when we are small and they bring children comfort, joy and a cuddle buddy. But can stuffed animals be more than just playthings?

According to a study done by the UV University of Amsterdam, people with depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem may benefit by owning a teddy bear or two to cuddle with.

 

Stuffed animals soothe us

Sander Koole, a lead researcher from the university, reported cuddling with a teddy bear for example can soothe existential fears and can give some sense of existential significance.

It’s not just UV University of Amsterdam that believes teddy bears can help. A researcher at Boise State University has been doing research among those with dissociative identity disorder and teddy bears. Rose M. Barlow of the Department of Psychology at Boise State wanted to see if stuffed animals would serve clients equally as well as live animals.

Barlow surveyed a sample of high and low dissociative female college students and those with dissociative identity disorder (DID) about attachment to live and stuffed animals. She found that the DID women had significantly stronger attachments to both live and stuffed animals than any of the other women. She also found that those with high dissociation and those with DID reported higher levels of attachment to stuffed animals than live animals when compared to the low dissociative group.

The idea isn’t new

The idea of using stuffed animals to cure depression is not new. Stuffed dogs, cats and teddy bears have been given to children during wartime around the world.

Tel Aviv University has been using stuffed animals on children from war-torn countries with post-traumatic stress disorder to help them cope. Some children started to express themselves through the stuffed animals, which helped their teachers and parents provide better care for them. A study based on parents’ testimonies showed that 83 percent of the children suffered from stress, separation fears, aggression, excessive crying, nightmares and other issues.

Just three weeks after receiving the stuffed dogs, children showed improvement. Two month later, 71 percent had lost their severe stress reactions. This is twice as many as the children who didn’t have stuffed dogs.

A stuffed animal can bring comfort and joy to those who might need a friend but are still wary of stepping out into the world and meeting someone new. Just having something soft to cuddle with can help create a safe space for those who need a little extra help. If you’re looking for a stuffed animal for you or someone else, then look through our website here at The Zoo Factory!

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What to Do When Your Child Gets Overstimulated

What to Do When Your Child Gets Overstimulated

You’re at the grocery store trying to stock up for the week. Then, suddenly, your child starts to scream and cry. No matter what you do, they won’t stop crying, and you eventually declare defeat and head home. Sometimes our children do this when they’re stressed, but they may also do this when they’re overstimulated. By recognizing the signs of overstimulation, you can help your child calm down sooner rather than later.

What is overstimulation?

Overstimulation occurs when a child is overcome with various sounds, sensations, and activities. This typically happens in loud, crowded areas such as a grocery store, school, a party, and more. Adults can often feel overstimulated as well, but with kids, they are less equipped to handle it. As a result, kids (especially toddlers) have meltdowns from too much stimulation.

Signs of overstimulation

Different children will react to overstimulation in different ways. Some may become more hyper or aggressive, while others might begin to cry or run off to a different room. Babies and toddlers are more often to cry and scream when they’re overstimulated. School-age children, meanwhile, may start acting wild, out-of-character, grumpy, or exhausted.

How to calm an overstimulated child

If your child starts to become overstimulated, it’s best not to panic. Stay calm and try to take your child to a quiet place. Let them sit quietly while doing a calming activity like reading, playing with a stuffed animal, or cuddling up with you. Once they’ve calmed down, ask them if they’d like to return to what they were doing or if they’d like to do something else.

Find the right amount of stimulation

In the future, it’s important to find what amount of stimulation your child can handle. This can help prevent meltdowns. Over time you’ll start to see patterns, and you’ll realize what situations cause your child the most stress. This does not mean you have to avoid these situations, but it may be a good idea to limit how much time you spend in them and give your child the ability to get away to relax.

Here at The Zoo Factory, we believe in the calming effect of stuffed animals. If you think a stuffed animal friend can help your child with overstimulation, look through our website today!

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Benefits of Taking Your Child Camping

Benefits of Taking Your Child Camping

If you’re looking to teach your child about the natural world and want to slow down their fast-paced lifestyle, a camping trip may be the perfect thing to try.

Bringing your child camping during their formative years is important for their development and exposes them to areas of the world they may be unaccustomed to. Although camping may not be for every child, it’s a great learning experience and certainly something worth trying out.

They learn about the natural world

A great way to have your child connect with nature is by taking them on a camping trip. Your child will be exposed to many different plants, animals and activities that will teach them about the natural world and how we coexist with it.

Whether you take a nature walk looking for different critters and insects, discover and inspect different plants, trees or rocks, or anything in between, you’ll be allowing your child to gain a better understanding of the wild.

They become self-reliant

Although it may be years before they need to take care of themselves completely, camping instills good habits that will translate well to your child’s adult life.

By learning how to start a fire, set up a tent or even how to catch a fish, your child will improve their problem solving, learn how to overcome obstacles and more. And in the event that they are in an emergency situation in the future, they will have a better chance of staying safe with the knowledge they picked up on camping trips.

They unplug from technology

Younger generations have grown up with technology at their fingertips. While this certainly has its benefits, it’s sometimes helpful to turn off electronics to let your youngster’s imagination run wild.

Taking your child camping is a great way to shut off their tablets and other devices for a day or two. Your child will have many things to keep them stimulated and it will teach them to find entertainment in other ways.

According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, children that are 8-12 spend 4-6 hours a day looking at screens. Camping can help spark a passion for the outdoors and can cut down on screen time in the long run.

No matter how much your child enjoys their first outdoor experience, it can be natural for them to be nervous when going to sleep their first few nights outdoors. Bringing along their favorite stuffed animal can be a great way to have them feeling safe and secure while dozing off.

When your child wants a few extra buddies to take along on your upcoming nature adventure, The Zoo Factory has everything you need. View our inventory of stuffed animals to find the perfect outdoor companion for your child!