TOLEDO, Ohio — A northwest Ohio author is doing his part to help kids relax and unwind as they get ready for bed.
"Unthink Before Bed" is a children's book on mindfulness. Written by Kelly Croy, the piece is aimed at helping kids develop healthy routines before bed, like disconnecting from electronics and finding healthy ways to relax as some children may struggle with anxiety.
"The times that we're living in right now, every day, we're a little uncertain of what the next day is gonna look like. Our patterns and routines have been interrupted. The book tries to help young people to develop patterns before bed to develop a way to think strategically about the next day," Croy said.
Croy's motivation comes from raising his four daughters and his experience teaching seventh grade English for over 20 years.
He said he has always wanted to write a children's book and due to the pandemic, he thought now would be the ideal time to help kids release some of the anxiety they may be dealing with before bed.
"I think it's good for anybody. One of the most surprising comments that I have received is that after reading it, parents tell me it was good for them," Croy said.
This unique book has a rhyme scheme similar to Dr. Seuss, with fun illustrations based on real-life characters.
"There are over 40 illustrations. I drew them in. Jedi - who's in the book - that's my dog. He's a real dog," Croy said.
Croy acknowledged the fact that some parents might not be able to read to their kid every night. But, he has a solution for them, too.
In the back of the book, there's a code that will send the reader to a website that has a recording of the author reading the book, so nobody is left out.