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My kids have been besties since the day my daughter came home from the hospital. Since then, they’ve done everything together.
Parties, play dates, field trips, playing at the park, watching movies, potty training, picking veggies from the garden, preschool at home, games and toys and puzzles and camping and messes… You name it, they’ve been partners in crime.
Until just a few weeks ago.
My little guy started kindergarten.
Now, my daughter and I face entire afternoons, just the two of us. The first few days were fine because she was so excited to watch a princess TV show that her brother would never agree to if he were home. But soon the excitement wore off, and she started to feel a little lonely. I knew I had to figure out how to help her transition. 
How to help your child transition to being the only one at home
It took some time, but we’re working on helping her transition to being the only one at home.
1. Make her feel special. Something as simple as going to the store can make her feel special if I say, “Hey, let’s go to the store, just you and me. What do you think?” She’ll get all excited and think it’s an adventure rather than just an errand.
2. Pay attention to her. She’s used to having a friend to entertain her. All the time. Now she has no little people. Just her. So when she asks if I can read her a book or do a puzzle with her, and I need to get some work done, I take a deep breath, step away from the computer, and sit on the floor. It takes five minutes to read a book. Five more minutes to do a puzzle. I can say, “I’ll do one puzzle with you, then you do one on your own while I work.” That sets up the expectation that I’m focusing on her now, but I’ll be working in a minute. That works just fine for her, and she’s able to self-entertain for half an hour. Don’t forget to instigate! It’s totally fine to say, “Hey, I’m going to take a break from working. Can I read you a book?”
3. Set up play dates. It doesn’t have to be every week, but occasionally she needs time to spend with other people her age. It’s also good for mommies to get out and spend time with people our own age too.
4. Have something that’s just for her. When my son started Kindergarten, he also started music classes and soccer. My daughter was left on the sidelines watching. A few weeks after all of her brother’s activities started, my daughter was enrolled in ballet class. It’s so good for her confidence to have something that just she is good at. She really shines knowing that ballet is hers. She’s happier cheering on her brother at soccer, knowing he’s cheering her on at ballet.
#Reach #littleballerina #doesitgetanycuterthanthis A photo posted by Deborah Andreasen (@deborahandreasen) on
5. Give her a something to smooth the transition. I knew that it would be comforting for my son to have a picture of his family in his backpack while he was at school. So why not have something similar for my daughter while her best friend is away all afternoon?
We headed to Walmart and found these awesome CloudPets™ – a new, one of a kind toy that helps loved ones keep in touch. Exactly what we needed!
This cuddly new toy is found in select Walmarts, but they’ll be available nationwide soon. We saw them in three different displays, so you’ll be able to find them at your Walmart easily.
(Don’t forget the Energizer batteries, conveniently located RIGHT NEXT TO THE CLOUDPETS!)
I let my girl choose the one she wanted, and of course she chose the Unicorn – exclusively at Walmart.
We got Uni home (that’s her name), and set up. It took us a while to find the right app. The one we found in the app store wasn’t the right one. We ended up tracking it down on their website after we watched their tutorial. Unfortunately we didn’t read the fine print, and our phones weren’t compatible with the new app.
But, luckily, we have an iPad! We easily found the free app. When Abigail was tucked away in bed, we set up our account and connected Uni to the free app.
We had Seth record a message for his sister, and he went to bed. The next day, when he was gone at school, she pressed Uni’s blue paw, and out popped the surprise message!!
She was thrilled!
She hugged Uni and snuggled in with her to watch a princess show. Every so often, I hear her press Uni’s paw, just to hear her brother’s voice.
What else can Uni do? Uni can play Abigail a lullaby for 5 – 15 minutes. She can also read to her! There are games and other fun things to do with Uni through the CloudPets™ app.
Now whenever Abigail misses her big brother, all she needs to do is reach out for a hug and a squeeze. Thanks to the Uni the Unicorn CloudPets™, Abigail never feels very far from her brother, no matter where he is.
Which CloudPets™ do you love? Who do you know that could really use this to stay close to a loved one?
JanetGoingCrazy
Friday 18th of September 2015
What a special bond your kids have! I think I would have picked the unicorn as well. I love these CloudPets! [client]