Start simple.

Let your child hold, touch, smell, and explore BE Buddy® before asking them to practice. You can say:

“This is your breathing buddy. Want to see if we can give it a belly breath ride?”

Then try one short practice for 1–2 minutes. The goal is not perfect breathing. The goal is helping your child feel safe, curious, and willing to practice again.

For most families, the best first practice is Belly Breath Ride.

Introduce BE Buddy® during a calm moment, not during a meltdown.

Keep it light and playful. Try saying:

“Let’s see if we can make your BE Buddy® gently rise and fall on your belly.”

Or:

“You don’t have to do it perfectly. We’re just noticing what happens.”

Avoid forcing, correcting, or turning it into a lesson. The more relaxed and playful it feels, the more likely your child is to use it again.

Start with 1–2 minutes or just 3–5 slow breaths.

Short and successful is better than long and forced. BE Buddy® works best when it becomes a small, repeatable habit — like brushing teeth for the nervous system.

Over time, you can build toward a few minutes a day, especially before bedtime, after school, or during quiet reset moments.

Use BE Buddy® during calm moments first.

Great times to practice include:

• before bed
• after school
• during quiet time
• before homework
• before transitions
• in a calm corner
• after big feelings have passed

The goal is to help your child practice calm before they need it, so the pattern feels more familiar during harder moments.

Not as the first step.

When a child is already overwhelmed, their thinking brain may be offline, and instructions can feel like pressure. Start by using your own calm presence, fewer words, and a gentle environment.

Once your child begins to settle, you can offer BE Buddy® as a comfort cue:

“Do you want your BE Buddy® nearby?”

The real power of BE Buddy® comes from practicing during calm moments, so the body learns the pattern before stress takes over.

Yes. BE Buddy® is especially helpful as a daily calming cue for real-life moments like bedtime, transitions, worry, after-school crashes, and big emotions.

For bedtime, it can become part of a predictable wind-down routine.

For transitions, it can help your child pause and reconnect with their body.

For big feelings, it gives your child a familiar tool to return to once they are ready.

BE Buddy® does not force calm. It helps your child practice the body pattern that makes calm easier to access over time.

That is okay.

Resistance does not mean it is not working. It usually means your child needs a softer start.

Try this:

• Let them hold BE Buddy® without doing a breathing exercise.
• Let them choose where BE Buddy® lives.
• Let them name it or make it part of their bedtime routine.
• Model the breathing yourself first.
• Keep the practice under 1 minute.
• End before it feels like work.

Connection first. Practice second.

That is actually one reason BE Buddy® can help.

Many kids naturally breathe high in their chest, especially when they are stressed, tense, or excited. BE Buddy® gives them gentle visual and sensory feedback so they can begin noticing where their breath moves.

Do not force the belly to move. Instead, invite curiosity:

“What do you notice?”

“Did BE Buddy® move a little?”

“Can we try one slower breath?”

The goal is awareness first. Better breathing habits are built with repetition.

Practice when your child is calm, and keep it simple.

A few minutes a day is enough to begin building a routine. You can use BE Buddy® before bed, after school, during reading time, or as part of a calm corner.

Children also learn by watching us. When parents and caregivers model slow, steady breathing, kids are more likely to follow.

The most important thing is consistency. Small daily practice helps the body learn, “This is what calm feels like.”

BE Buddy® helps make breathing visible, tangible, and easier to practice.

It supports your child by helping them:

• notice their body
• slow their breath
• lengthen their exhale
• build mind/body awareness
• practice calming routines
• develop a familiar regulation cue

With repetition, your child begins to learn that they can use their breath and body to feel more calm, safe, and connected.

Many sensory tools provide comfort, but they do not always teach a skill.

BE Buddy® combines sensory comfort with breathing practice.

It is:

• Visual — feathers help kids see their breath move
• Weighted — gentle weight helps the body feel grounded
• Scented — lavender supports present-moment awareness
• Tactile — soft textures help kids connect with their senses
• Practical — it gives kids a concrete way to practice low + slow breathing

BE Buddy® is not just a calming object. It is a breathing companion that helps kids practice a body-based regulation skill.

Breathing is one of the fastest ways we can communicate safety to the body.

When kids are stressed, their breath often becomes faster, higher, or more shallow. Low + slow breathing, especially with a longer exhale, helps the body shift toward a calmer state.

Better breathing can support:

• calmer thoughts
• a more settled body
• better focus
• easier transitions
• bedtime wind-down
• emotional regulation
• body awareness

Like any skill, it works best with practice.

BE Buddy® is ideal for children ages 3–10, but older kids, children with additional sensory needs, classrooms, therapists, and even adults may benefit from the practices.

Younger children may use it more playfully. Older children may use it as a calming tool, breathing cue, or comfort object.

Always use your judgment and supervise young children during practice.

BE Buddy® is made with soft, textured fabrics and filled with flaxseed and dried lavender.

Each buddy includes feathery hair to help make the breath visible and braided cord loops for carrying or hanging.

The combination of texture, gentle weight, scent, and visual feedback helps make breathing practice more engaging and multisensory.

BE Buddy® was thoughtfully designed in Minnesota by Stephanie Esser, a mom of four, former school teacher, and certified breathing coach.

Each BE Buddy® is handmade in Minnesota with care by skilled sewists.

BE Buddy® should be spot cleaned only.

Because it is filled with flaxseed and dried lavender, do not put it in the washing machine or dryer.

To clean it:

• spot clean with cold water
• use mild detergent if needed
• air dry completely
• do not heat

This helps protect the materials and keeps your BE Buddy® lasting longer.