When I say my kid cries- people think I'm talking about regular kid's cries that happen to everyone. No. When I say my kid cries- I mean he turns from the little angle into unreasonably screaming monster that would not quit his screams for hours. Ever heard high pitch scream for 90 minutes straight? I have :D
I also tried nearly EVERYTHING to stop it and NOTHING worked besides one thing. He would stop screaming and crying when I offer to tell him a story. For whatever reason his curiosity always beats his anxiety. This tool became my savior and I came up with over 300 stories in a pretty short period of time. Then I turned them into a storytelling app. Then I decided to give it to the rest of the world for free because parenthood is difficult enough. And if that app can save someone a night of rest - my contribution is complete :)
More info: CalmDownStories.com
In 2008 I got sick and had to stay in bed for nearly a year. I created a tribe of characters back then. It was my way to escape the illness and focus on something positive instead. 12 years later they became the heroes of the stories in the app.
If you ever tried to tell a story to the child- you know it's nearly impossible to tell the full story without any interruptions (and if you did- you are a ninja and I have no idea how you managed it). All the stories in the app are the recordings of the actual tales. And you can hear dialogs of me and my kid when he interrupts it. I kept the most fun parts and so far people who listened to is said kids love that.
I chose to keep the app adds free. There is no hidden purchases, no tricks. My idea is to have parent engage with their kids by offering them to listen to the story together in case it's a bit challenging to come up with their own. Use it as a tool to redirect their attention. All the stories are original, they are not recorded by the professional artist, nor rehearsed or scripted. They are very real, and that's what makes them special.
I created some illustrations for the stories so it can add into the experience but the main idea is no-screen time. Audio only. During this year the time we spend by the screens has dramatically increased. And that's why Calm Down Stories might also serve a purpose of keeping kids entertained but off the screens.
I was told a multiple times that I should charge for the app, or I should sell it , or that I should put adds in it and blah blah blah... No. The answer is - No. I won't. Parents are lacking sleep and rest during the regular times. You can only imagine how much harder it's gotten since we were locked up in our houses. Calm Down Stories will be free and it will be my way to spread the kindness. Because especially this year we all could use some more of it.
The app is available in App Store and Google play and it's all yours. I hope you find it helpful. Big virtual hug!
