Catching zzz's (and monsters) with the vigilant cuddle of the Meekle Mate

We called them security blankets. That’s right. Security. From Linus’ baby blue number to Kenny’s woobie in “Mr. Mom,” these loyal linens were like Downey-fresh secret service, on the job 24/7. With their brazen portability and iron curtain-like shield, to bullies and bogeymen alike they sent a clear message: “not this kid.”

At some point these sidekicks were renamed “comfort objects,” and the new moniker rendered them more passive. Taking more diverse forms, from Gloworms to bear-bears, they became less cop and more companion; more buddy than bodyguard. They were sweet and cute and, yes, comfortable. Maybe a little too comfortable.

When Michelle Shelderfer’s four year-old son began showing a consistent pattern of sleep troubles, she took a closer look at the problem. Not only was he waking up in the middle of the night as a result of bad dreams, those nightmares were making him fearful of going to bed in the first place. Concerned and exhausted, the Daniel Island mom and her husband, Chris, tucked in little Mason every evening with a different comfort item, but the night would always end the same: child awake, parents awake, then an uncomfortable configuration of co-sleeping in an attempt to grab a few more winks before daylight.

“We tried every ‘fix’ we could find: nightlights, a noise machine, a bed full of stuffed animals, a glow turtle,” Shelderfer recalls. “We had a glowing moon and earth on his wall. All of these items failed once he woke up with a bad dream.”

Getting her older son, Jayden, then eight years-old, to hit they hay was no picnic, either. The entire family was sleep deprived. And since sleep is a human necessity, and necessity is the mother of invention, this human mother went to work.

The family had moved to Daniel Island in the spring of 2014 from just outside of Philadelphia, where Shelderfer had worked in IT software support and training. She had the background of neither a seasoned seamstress nor a child psychologist, but she did have two key attributes: a desperate desire for a rested household and the honest feedback of an anxious child.

“(Mason) was able to tell us he was having bad dreams and he also told us that he kept having them even with all the special items we bought him,” she relates. “He needed a reason as to why he had a bad dream even though he had his safe item.”

It was in that moment that Shelderfer knew she had to devise something that gave him peace of mind, but wouldn’t leave him feeling let down or even more vulnerable the next time a nightmare occurred. She made a trip to the craft store, and a few hours later had created her first Meekle Mate, a colorful plush pal with a large mouth that captures monsters and bad dreams. It was named after Shelderfer’s childhood term for monsters: meekles. The best part? Mason could “empty” the menacing contents of Meekle Mate’s belly into the trash before bed.

To Shelderfer’s overwhelming relief, Mason’s nightmares became more infrequent, and when they did find him, he would simply empty out his Meekle Mate and go right back to sleep.

“When he did have a bad dream, Meekle Mate didn’t fail to work; he was just full and needed to be emptied,” Shelderfer explains. “This helped with getting him back to sleep and believing his Meekle Mate would protect him for the remainder of the night.”

It worked so well, in fact, that Shelderfer determined she could not keep the concept to herself. Knowing there were scores of other parents going through similar trials with their sleep-challenged kids, she decided to manufacture and market the Meekle Mate.

Mason gave her idea an enthusiastic nod, saying: “All the kids in the world should have a Meekle Mate to take away all the bad dreams.”

The original Meekle Mate had a pocket on the front with a little plastic jar that was removed for emptying into the trash. To make the toy more comfortable and safe, Shelderfer later removed the jar and turned the pocket into a big Velcro-closed mouth to collect bad dreams. Mason helped his mom come up with the Meekle Mate design that would ultimately go to market, down to the number of teeth the buddy brandished, and what color combinations would be offered.

Now sold on the company website, www.meeklemates.com, as well as locally at the Wonder Works toy shop locations in Mount Pleasant and West Ashley, the current iteration of the Meekle Mate is available in four different patterns. The toy will be available on Amazon within the next few weeks. Measuring 17 inches top to toe, the Meekle Mate is recommended for ages three and up. Shelderfer has plans to develop other products in the Meekle Mate lineup, likely starting with an accompanying bedtime book.

The ability to thwart nightmares is a noble one, indeed, but can the Meekle Mate help kids with more generalized anxiety about bedtime or other worries? Shelderfer says absolutely: “He is made to protect kids from all scary things.”

Sounds like security has been restored.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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