Giving Kids Tools for Success – Kidlutions Preferred Product Awards Are One of a Kind

We’ve all heard how damaging such and such game or toy will be for your child but it’s rare when we hear about toys that can actually help children’s development.  

Wendy Young, LMSW, BCD, an award-winning child and family therapist, has created Kidlutions Preferred Product Awards, the only awards that recognize toys and games for helping children develop what Young believes to be the most important elements in human life – social and emotional skills.

You can be a genius who is homeless or a high-school drop out who is a millionaire, based on your social and emotion maturity, Young tells Family First. If you don’t learn the way to deal with large emotional issues early in life, you cannot cope with life’s issues later.

Family Talk Around the Table

This is where Kidlutions Preferred Product Awards come in. Young had a brainstorm one night in a hotel room while the rest of her family was sleeping. She decided she would start awarding toys based on their ability to help kids develop their social and emotional skills because no other awards recognize this specific aspect of a child’s development. 

Her social work includes working with children who have had serious challenges in their short lives – parental drug addiction, physical abuse, neglect and much worse so she really knows what toys can be effective. The toys that win the Kidlutions awards have been tested by not only Young but also at least two other parents, a group that is scattered across the country. The product winners can help kids like the ones she works with as well as kids in more typical households.

Scare Me Nots

She has developed a proprietary criterion for the toys and games she tests. Not every toy wins, she says and there’s no fee for entry. The awards are on-going and once a toy wins, they have the option of adding the Kidlutions seal on their site.

In the toy testing, she’s looking for toys that help with conflict resolution, dealing with feelings and expressing those emotions, problem solving, and critical thinking skills. They look for toys that help kids “play well with others” in life.

Listen & Learn

Categories for submissions include:  Toys, Board Games, Card Games, Books, Magazines, DVD’s, CD’s, Mixed Media, Software, Video Games, Websites, Parenting Products, Prenatal Products, and Lactation Products.

A couple of examples of past Kidlutions Preferred Product Awards include:

“Baby, Toddler, and Preschool Sign Language” DVD

Baby, Toddler and Preschool Sign Language

Developed by licensed psychologist Louise Sattler. Sign language helps with social emotional development by helping children express themselves without frustration and as many temper tantrums.

Worry Woos™ Monsters that Matter

WorryWoo

Adorable stuffed animals with accompanying books that help children of all ages and even adults explore and express their emotions.

Pocket Referee

Bottom line: Young says she is looking for toys that put the “fun” in functional and makes a difference in a child’s life. Check out all the products she has awarded and see which ones can help your family be healthier both socially and emotionally at Kidlutions Preferred Product Awards.

About Wendy Young

Wendy Young

(from her Kidlutions website) Wendy Young,  LMSW, BCD, founder of Kidlutions™, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Michigan State University’s Clinical Social Work program and is a Board Certified Diplomate.  Her children are ages 10, 13 and 15.  She maintains a private practice in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and consults to various programs. Learn more about Kidlutions at their website.