When my daughter was approaching two years old, we enrolled her in ballet to help her develop social skills, interact with kids her age, and build independence through movement. Since it was a parent-and-child class, I was right by her side, excited to see her grow.
But something unexpected happened.
At home, she was bubbly and talkative, but in class, she became reserved and withdrawn. Each session started with circle time, where every child introduced themselves, shared their favorite color or favorite animal and sometimes both. Week after week, my daughter would shrink into my side, refusing to speak when it was her turn. The instructor would eventually move on, and the moment would pass.
I wasn’t worried—this type of behavior is completely normal at this age. But I wanted to help her feel more confident speaking in a group. We practiced at home with her big sister and dad, and on the way to class every time for a couple months, but once we arrived, she would clam up again.
Then I introduced her to Glow Bears.
Her Glow Bear, Luna, came with built-in vocabulary-building exercises that encouraged confident speech. Practicing with Luna made introductions fun! Instead of rehearsing with just me, she had a cuddly friend to talk to. We brought Luna along on car rides to class, and within a week, something incredible happened—when it was my daughter’s turn to speak, she introduced herself and answered the questions. I was overjoyed!
It wasn’t about pushing her to be outgoing—it was about giving her the right tools to build confidence at her own pace.
Bashfulness is natural, and every child finds their voice on their own time. As a mom, I’m always looking for gentle ways to support my kids, and for my daughter, Glow Bears provided that extra encouragement she needed.
Sometimes, all it takes is a little bear named Luna to help a child shine. Sharing my story in case it helps another mom.
It takes a village! Sharing my story in case it helps another mom. 💕