Children love seeing their own names displayed proudly on their favorite possessions, but there are also lots of fun and practical uses for kids furniture. Not only will your child feel special and more in control of his own belongings, but you may also use personalization to prevent conflict involving kids and to enforce non-confrontational discipline strategies.
A smart way of making use of personalized products is to help youngsters with the concept of sharing. It is normal for kids to stake their claim on valued property during play dates. Nevertheless, as we all know, children who don’t learn to share are not much fun to play with and you may have a difficult time getting parents to bring their kids back to your home if their small one departs in tears after each visit. The remedy? Get your child his own personalized toy box.
You can also add your youngster’s name to these products to help infuse a sense of belonging. Seeing his or her name prominently placed on chairs, benches, and some other items gives them a reminder that their place in the family is long lasting and significant.
Personalized furniture helps avoid misunderstandings when multiple young children have the same product. This is true both for classes where there are dozens of kids sharing the same classroom and for home for settling conflicts over which thing belongs to whom. Let kids pick out their own toys and personalize any of them that may become a source of distress for kids (and yourself…). That way, the next time there is an discussion, you can point to the name on each toy and say “See, this one belongs to you, and this one is your brother’s.” Trouble solved.
You can employ this same strategy when correcting children by having a “naughty” box, bench, or stool. For boxes, you can personalize it by adding the word “naughty” or your child’s name. Use them for putting toys, games, and other revoked privileges. Viewing the visual reminder of having his toys taken away is frequently more successful than putting them away somewhere sight unseen (out of sight, out of mind…just get a lock for the box if there is not one already).
Just before any play date, have him put his favorite toys inside the box and then close the lid. Tell him that all toys inside don’t have to be shared simply because they are in his own special box, with his name right on front. (If you want to get REALLY fancy, you might also have a box labeled “Sharing Toys” or something similar.) Let him know that any toys NOT inside his special box have to be shared with his friends. Most children will comply knowing that their feelings have been respected and that their favorite things are safely tucked away.
