Mental wellness is important for everyone, but we tend to forget this when it comes to children. Regular exercise and eating right can help with your child’s physical health, but what can you do to make sure they are just as fit mentally? As pressure increases and the world evolves quickly, positive reinforcement, attentiveness, independence and meaningful friendships help, but we also have additional tools to help with the same. Whimsy and You is a brand launched with the aim of bringing happiness and peace to young churning minds.
Shruti Bansal and Charushree Gupta, both young mothers, are the driving force behind Whimsy and You, which has thoughtfully designed products to spark positivity in young minds and old. We sat down for an interview with Shruti and had a wonderful conversation about all things Whimsy. Edited excerpts follow...
My Kolkata: What inspired you to create Whimsy & You, a mindfulness brand for children?
Shruti Bansal: As mothers, we saw a real need – both in our own children’s lives and in those around us – the need to learn to regulate feelings and emotions. We frequently heard stories of young children and teenagers struggling to manage their emotions and their consequences were scaring us. We felt parents around us were not prioritising the social and emotional values for the children to feel safe and confident in a world that was so chaotic and fast paced outside.
On our travels abroad we came across many products and classes which were prevalent in the West but not in India. The buzzword of mindfulness and mental well-being for children is doing the rounds there but it is missing on dinner tables back home. The tools to keep them grounded and true to themselves are missing. This got us thinking about creating a brand in India which bridges this gap.
Co-founders of Whimsy and You – Shruti Bansal and Charushree Gupta
What is the story behind the name Whimsy and You?
The word ‘whimsy’ reflects playfulness and we wanted to incorporate a word that resonates with childhood and the creativity, imagination, and joy that kids naturally have. As we started developing our first product, we decided to keep Whimsy the Owl as our mascot. Children often resonate with an animated, cartoon figure more than a real person.The reason we chose Whimsy to be an owl is because owls are wise, old, clever and yet calm and peaceful. Owls can see clearly in the dark, symbolising the ability to find light even in darker times.
What research or expertise informs your content creation? Do you collaborate with educators, therapists, or psychologists to develop your products?
Our products are backed by research of various tools which promote emotional wellbeing. Our co-founder Charushree Gupta is an Art Therapy Practitioner and insights from her course are valuable in the inception of our many products. For every product, we have researched art therapy material, read several articles and books and also had conversations with educators. We have shared our initial product ideas with them and worked on their feedback. Going forward, we would like to collaborate with experts in this field to make our journey more meaningful.
Art is not just a visual stimulus, but also an anchor for emotional connection and self-expression Shutterstock
Could you signify the importance of art in your products?
Art has been an integral part of our lives. It is not just a visual stimulus but also an anchor for emotional connection and self-expression. We feel children respond deeply to visuals, so our cute illustrations and soothing colours are designed to spark a sense of curiosity and calm, making our products more desirable for a generation that craves constant stimulation.
How do you make mindfulness fun and engaging for kids?
We ensure that our products are visually appealing while remaining simple and easy to use. The best way to do that is to make them playful and enjoyable, by turning them into games, or adding fun elements like stickers, doodling or colouring activities.
We believe journalling helps children become more self-aware, express themselves freely and reduce stress or anxiety. It’s like when you write your worries, or your problems, you feel like a load has been lifted off you, that’s the emotional regulation journalling provides
What advice would you give to parents who want to introduce mindfulness to their children but don’t know where to start?
When it comes to adapting a practice in our lives to improve the wellbeing of our children, we as parents wish to absorb everything that the topic has to offer. In that process, we tire ourselves and then blame ourselves for not doing enough. The trick to succeed here is to start small and make it easy. Parents can practise a few minutes of mindful breathing or daily affirmations with the children. Another fun way to introduce the concept is through storytelling. Make it a part of their bedtime ritual so that they look forward to it. Some other things that are easy to implement are gratitude, make it a part of their daily habits, play games with them that hover around emotions and feelings. Make the process fun, simple and creative.
Did journaling or affirmations help you in your journey, could you share the positive impact that it’ll have on kids?
Yes! 100 per cent. Journalling has been an integral part of our lives, in fact that’s one of the foundations that led us to create Whimsy and You. On this journey of our parenthood, we realise that people fail to understand that the power of journaling is not in the process of writing, but it is in the process of taking a pause, sitting with your own thoughts and then putting it down on paper. We believe journalling helps children become more self-aware, express themselves freely and reduce stress or anxiety. It’s like when you write your worries, or your problems, you feel like a load has been lifted off you, that’s the emotional regulation journalling provides.
What are some challenges you faced while creating a mindfulness brand for children, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge was to keep it simple. When we become aware of the science and data behind certain exercises, it can be very overwhelming and as creators we want to put it all in one product. But kids have shorter attention spans and they want to do things that are simple and attractive, so the most challenging thing has been to share our message while keeping it light, fun and visually appealing.
How do your products cater to different age groups? Are there specific tools for younger kids versus older children?
We firmly believe it's very important to start the practice of mindfulness when the kids are young. It could be a simple habit of giving a “Thank you” or a “Get well soon” card, or to pray and practise thankfulness before sleeping or just understand the importance of being kind to people around them.
We design our products with different age groups in mind. For younger kids, we have simple engaging activities like affirmation cards, kindness dashboards to get them started on their mindfulness journey. For older kids, we have some products like our “Letters to the future self”, or our “Whimsical Wonders Journal” where we touch upon complex concepts like anxiety, anger management, stress management, and goal setting by trying to make it fun for them.
The Whimsical Wonders Journal helps with emotions like anxiety, anger and stress in a playful way
Our products are versatile and we have something for children from 4 years till 16 years, well in fact some can be used by adults as well. We’ve had so many adults saying that they’ve kept the affirmation calendars for themselves and it’s really great to hear that !
Are there any upcoming product launches or initiatives you’re excited about?
We have a lot of products in the pipeline and are constantly working on what more we can offer. We try to keep up with the trends and also different festivals and seasons to make it more relatable for our customers. Like we recently launched our Self Love Box for February keeping in with the month of “Love”.
Another new product which we hope to launch soon is our “Digital Detox” journal which is designed for tweens and teens, and aims to support in developing healthier offline relationships. We’re also launching a special product - our “Jar of Awesomeness” for younger kids, to help them boost their self-esteem , and encourage good behaviour. We are currently researching other concepts like Vision Boards and Mindfulness Games, and we can't wait to share them with you soon.
Find Whimsy and You on Instagram.
The author is an economist and full-time millennial mother, struggling to cope with daily chores.
