"Weighted Hugs"

My sister Jennifer Alvarado and I are launching our new business:

"Weighted Hugs".

 

The following story is shared with my daughter's permission.

It all happened "by accident" when I tried out a weighted lap pad--that I had made--on my daughter Hope. She was struggling with sitting and concentrating during school. (She is home-schooled.) Her schooling was taking way too many hours, so I put a weighted pad on her lap as an experiment to see how she did with her classes.

Obviously, Hope didn't know about the experiment. She just knew I gave her a "comfy pillow" to hold on her lap. The school days were put to the test, without coercion from me for Hope to complete her school work.

During my five-day experiment, the days Hope did not use her weighted lap pad, she accomplished between 1½ to 1¾ pages of work during her school hours.

On the days she used her weighted lap pad, she finished between 16 to 17 pages of school each day--with beautiful handwriting!!!

I was a believer! How I wish I had known about sensory processing issues and weighted pads earlier! School days would have gone A LOT smoother!

So, I began researching sensory processing difficulties, weighted products, and experimenting further.

Hope's weighted lap pad for school is simple with no distractions on it. Her lounging pad is portable and has sequences on it that she can "draw" and "write" on. She keeps her pads near her at most times and even sleeps with them most nights. She says: "They feel so good!"

Hope with her "thinking pads" (as she calls them):

With such great results, my sister and I began making weighted lap pads and weighted lounging pads for others to experiment with. Positive results were continually reported back to us.

For example, one result came from a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who does mental health therapy with her clients. She wrote: "I tried two [5-pound] pads with a sixth grader today who is 11.... The boy is autistic, bipolar, and suicidal with extreme anxiety. He has never sat through a session in the two to three years I have had him. He is constantly spinning in his chair, rocking, or moving around in some capacity. He's always rushing to be finished with the session and cannot focus for more than a few minutes. I tried the pads on him this afternoon, and he gave me 45 minutes of undivided attention, did not rush the session, and did not move from his chair or spin the chair the entire time. Praise God!" 

Another report came from a preschool teacher who wrote: "I find the blanket* to be soothing, enabling the child to calm down and be comforted. The weight acts as a warmth of a cuddle. My student kept it on for a while and thus was the stimulus for academics. Thank you for allowing me this luxury."

*Lounging pad

So, why weighted products?

"[D]eep pressure from weighted products can be beneficial in calming and modulating the brain's ability to filter the overwhelming stimuli from the senses. Pressure through the use of weighted materials has been effective in helping people achieve that 'just right' state of being calm and alert." (http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Archives/Article-Archives/Benefits-of-Weighted-Products-for-Managing-Sensory-Processing-Disorder.aspx)

We have seen the results first-hand, and therefore, we wanted to help other children, teens, and adults who are struggling with anxiety, restless leg syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorder, sleep issues (falling asleep and/or staying asleep), post-traumatic stress disorder, Asperger's Syndrome, ADD/ADHD, etc., or who simply need help concentrating.

Thus, we have decided to launch our line of "Weighted Hugs" in the form of weighted lap pads and weighted shoulder wraps.

Weighted Lap Pads

7-pound pads shown:

Sammy with a 2-pound "choo-choo train" lap pad:

Weighted lap pads range from 7½" x 18" to

11" x 20" depending on the weight.

Weighted Shoulder Wraps

1½-pound wraps shown:

Shoulder wraps are up to 36" long depending on the desired weight.

**We also sell matching sets.**

Available in soft, snugly fabrics which include

PRINCESSES:

CHOO-CHOO TRAINS:

PRETTY KITTY WITH HEARTS:

RACE CARS:

BOWS WITH GLITTER:

BUSY VEHICLES:

RESTING OWLS:

KALEIDOSCOPE:

BLUE CAMO SHARKS:

FLOWERS, BUTTERFLIES, AND BUTTONS:

GREEN CAMO:

 BRIGHT OWLS:

BE-YOU-TIFUL:

PLANETS:

BELIEVE IN YOUR DAYDREAM:

BLUE ANGELS CAMO:

FLORAL CIRCLES BROWN:

COFFEE, TEA, LATTE:

Pricing for our weighted lap pads:

2 pounds = $24.00

3 pounds = $29.00

4 pounds = $34.00

5 pounds = $39.00

6 pounds = $44.00

7 pounds = $49.00

Pricing for our weighted shoulder wraps:
1½ pounds = $14.00

E-mail us at WeightedHugs@yahoo.com for shipping prices.

Our weighted lap pads are hand-washable as we use clean, smooth pebbles for lots of texture for busy hands, and our weighted shoulder pads are machine washable on cold and dryer-friendly on delicate, since we use Polypropylene Pellets for softness around the neck and shoulders and to provide uniform density.

Each weighted lap pad and weighted shoulder wrap is made individually to order.

The best weight for therapeutic results is 10% of one's body weight--so that the weight is felt on one’s deep pressure points. However, since weighted lap pads that are too heavy are not very portable, our maximum weight is 7 pounds. However, the pads and wraps can be combined for greater weight.

If you would like to place an order or if you have additional questions, please contact us at WeightedHugs@yahoo.com. Thank you!

Disclaimer: Jennifer and I are not professional Occupational Therapists. We are simply wanting to help others achieve the sense of able-ness and calmness that our children have experienced. These pads and wraps are not for infants or babies who may not be able to crawl out from under them. In addition, the shoulder wraps are not meant to be heated in the microwave.

UPDATE:

For all those who have ordered weighted products: thank you for trusting us! We are now caught up on orders and wanted to let you know that we now accept credit cards. If you or someone you know needs weighted products, you can search for us on Facebook: Weighted Hugs

A sampling from this week...

2-pound weighted lap pad:

4-pound weighted lap pad:

4-pound weighted lap pad:

7-pound weighted lap pad:

7-pound weighted lap pad:

3-pound weighted shoulder wrap:

How the lap pads fit:

We truly hope and pray our customers find the help they need through these products. Help can, indeed, be "benign"--as our pediatrician calls our products. Here's to joy with no negative side-effect!