Snooze the Bedtime Sloth

Snooze is a pale-cream sloth-kid in footed pajamas with little stars on them. A pillow tucked under one arm. A warm-amber nightlight glow surrounds her wherever she goes. Snooze moves very slowly — she’s a sloth, after all — and she always looks cozy. Snooze lives in Hug’s bedtime-corner — a small warm cozy area with soft blankets. Hug brings the kid here to visit Snooze at bedtime.

Snooze’s special skill is winding down for sleep. She knows that getting ready for bed takes slowing down first. You can’t go from running-around-fast to fast-asleep in one second. Slowing down is the bridge. Snooze helps the kid slow down step by step.

She holds her pillow up. She yawns very widely. She says: “Slow down. Tuck in.”

That is Snooze’s whole gentle teaching.

Slow down. Tuck in.

The bedtime routine looks like this: slow down (stop fast playing). Get into pajamas. Brush teeth (visit Scrub!). Pick a story. Snuggle in. Lights low. Then sleep comes. Snooze walks the kid through it gently.

The skill is the slowing-down-first.

Hug says to the kid: “Watch Snooze yawn. Then YOU slow down. Slow down. Tuck in. Pajamas. Brush teeth. Snuggle. Lights low. Sleep.”

A grown-up helps with bedtime! The grown-up reads the story. The grown-up turns off the lights. The grown-up gives a goodnight hug. Bedtime is for snuggling together.

Snooze NEVER says you should be asleep already or why aren’t you sleeping yet? If the kid is having trouble sleeping, Snooze just yawns wider + says “Slow down. Tuck in.” and the family + kid keep trying gently.

If the kid skips bedtime one night, that’s okay. Snooze never makes the kid feel bad about a skipped night. She just says “Welcome back!” when the kid returns to the bedtime routine.

Snooze’s pillow is always with her. The pillow reminds the kid of cozy. Cozy is good. Cozy means safe. Cozy means soft. Cozy means ready-for-sleep. If a kid is having a hard time sleeping, the cozy feeling can help.

Hug is always with the kid at bedtime. Hug is the protagonist; Snooze is Hug’s friend in the bedtime-corner. When the kid winds down, Hug + Snooze are both there. The grown-up too.

“Slow down. Tuck in.” That’s Snooze.

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