Holiday Gift Idea: Huggable Melodies Anti-Bullying Toys

***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

Have you noticed that bullying has become a super huge problem in recent years? It's no longer little Johnny chasing Sally around the playground like it was when I was a small child..Bullying can be a lot more serious these days. 

In fact, my 13 year old son was relentlessly bullied his whole life...From Kindergarten on, he was terrorized by his peers for being "different". Instead of sports and superheroes, my son liked art, dance, and music. Sadly, this made him an "easy target" for other kids. It broke my heart to see my sweet, compassionate, talented kid cry every single day because other kids were mean to him for no good reason. As a mom, I felt helpless in a lot of ways. 

Thankfully, the bullying has finally stopped. What did it take? Literally, it took moving to another state to a small town that is very tolerant and family oriented. This past year in my Ohio hometown has transformed my son into the happy kid he should be. He finally has friends and is accepted for who he is. 

So I know first hand that bullying can cause a lot of problems for kids. Bullied kids can become withdrawn, depressed, and suffer from low self-esteem. In extreme and devastating cases, bullying can even cost a child their life. 

So when I learned about the brand new, anti-bullying toys from Huggable Melodies, I was really excited! You see, bullying is something that can be avoided altogether. How? Well, it starts in the home! If a child is taught to be kind and show empathy, they are likely to do just that. Huggable Melodies teach kids that it's a good choice when they choose kindness. It's okay to be different, and rather than ostracize someone for their differences, we should celebrate them! 

How do these adorable plush pals accomplish so much? Well, the secret is...There's an app for that! Yes, these huggable pals are companions for digital storybooks with positive life lessons. 

Huggable Melodies, a new company formed by two moms who are also trained educators, launches Picked-On Poindexter ($0.99 iTunes/Amazon introductory price), a charmingly illustrated 26-page interactive digital book featuring original, Broadway-level tunes with uplifting messages. To enhance the story, Poindexter the frog ($19.99), a 13" plush that's huggable and comforting is the ideal companion as kids glide (or stumble) through life's early challenges.

Huggable Melodies is also releasing some more fun characters, including a puppy and a sheep! Now if only there were a monkey, too....Hmmm....

Our Review of Pointdexter :

When we received Pointdexter, Xander, my 2 year old son, immediately went and scooped him up. You see, Xander is a big fan of frogs and just dressed like one for Halloween. In his mind, this froggy friend was ALL HIS! (Is there a "let's share nicely with our sister" app?)

Pointdexter is very soft and snuggly, and is the perfect size for little ones to curl up with for story time. Speaking of stories....Pointdexter has a story of his own, which we enjoyed on our iPad! 

This is a tale of a sad, self-conscious froggie who feels like he's different. He's got blue feet, red knees, and diddles on his face, unlike his other froggy friends. He gets teased a lot about his uniqueness, and it makes him feel bad. 

On his first day of school, Pointdexter runs into Bonky, the cafeteria bully. This story tells how Pointdexter handled this tough situation, and even ended up making a new friend. It's really a wonderful tale that teaches young children the value of kindness, standing up for what's right, and accepting others just the way they are. It's okay to be different, even if you have blue feet, red knees and diddles on your face! I cannot wait to see what the other characters have in store!


Remember, while Huggable Melodies plush pals are fun to cuddle, you will need to have an iPad or Kindle to download the app that tells the characters' stories! 

How to Connect :

You can check out Huggable Melodies on their website. 

Huggable Melodies Facebook  page and stop by Twitter  to follow along and meet the new characters!