January 16th, 2010 | 2 Comments

Shark Tank Kicks Biz Into High Gear

AS SEEN IN WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR

Lori Lite hopes to reach millions with her line of books and CDs aimed at overcoming kids’ stress.

By: Eve Gumpel | 01/15/2010

During a successful appearance on Shark Tank last August, Lori Lite secured a deal from investor Barbara Corcoran to expand her growing business. But the founder of Stress Free Kids, a company designed to help kids, teens and adults overcome anxiety and stress and promote peaceful sleep, is hardly an overnight success.

Lite became an accidental entrepreneur 15 years ago, when she was trying to cope with a 5-year-old son, Austin, who was hyperactive. “Every night, it took two hours to put him to sleep,” Lite recalls. It was an exhausting way for her to spend each evening, and eventually she became sick from stress. As did her 7-year-old daughter, who developed stress-related night terrors.

To cope with her stress, Lite learned relaxation techniques. “Those techniques had an immediate effect on me,” Lite recalls. Then she had a brainstorm.

She created a story, Angry Octopus, that incorporated diaphragmatic breathing. “[Austin] started to follow the characters along, did the deep breathing and fell asleep,” Lite says. “My husband had noticed how quiet it was in the room for a change, and he was listening in from the hallway. When I came out, he hugged me and said, ‘You need to write that down; that can help thousands of parents and kids.’ I wrote it down. And that’s how it all started.”

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January 13th, 2010 | 0 Comments

Overweight Kids are Often Stressed-Out Kids

Being an overweight kid isn’t easy. In fact, it can be downright stressful. Consider the following scenario: You are a 10 year old girl, overweight, can’t run very fast as a result and you are in P.E. (Physical Education) class. The coach has picked two captains and they in turn are picking their teams for soccer. You stand there knowing you will be the last kid picked. The bell isn’t going to ring. Nothing is going to save you from the next 3 minutes of humiliation. Finally, one of the captains says. “I’ll take her.” The hit on that little girl’s ego continues, because she knows no one wanted her, even though she truly feels she could help the team.

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January 11th, 2010 | 1 Comment

Author Lori Lite Teaches Children How to Relax

Helping Families Through Stress Free Kids and Indigo Dreams Series

Written by Andrea Coventry – Featured Arts & Entertainment Contributor Associated Content

Lori Lite is the creator of the Stress Free series for kids. I requested the books Sea Otter Cove and Bubble Riding to review on my children’s book reviewing blog. Both books teach children ways to reduce their stress.  Sea Otter Cove teaches children about relaxation breathing. Bubble Riding focuses on the power of color.

Lori Lite has also worked on numerous other titles and products that are designed to help children and families to be stress-free. Here, she discusses her Stress Free Kids and Indigo Dreams series for children and adults.

 
How did you get involved in writing children’s books?
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January 11th, 2010 | 1 Comment

How to Minimize Stress in Your Child’s Life

We live in an extremely competitive world, one that poses challenges and problems for not just adults, but also for children. From the moment a child is born, he or she is subject to a host of expectations, first from their parents and then from the rest of the world. As long as they are unaware of these expectations, they don’t feel any stress, but the minute they begin to realize their feelings and that of others around them, they are subject to both peer and parental pressure. If stress is a killer for adults, it’s worse for kids because it destroys their childhood and makes them grow up into temperamental and frustrated adults. The best you could do for your child is to help minimize the stress in their life by: 

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January 8th, 2010 | 0 Comments

Marietta entrepreneur’s Stress Free Kids update on ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’

Marietta’s Lori Lite, who was rewarded $250,000 from an investor last year, gets some additional love from ABC’s “Shark Tank” during this Friday’s episode at 9 p.m. on WSB-TV.

The show, in a 70-second clip about one-third through the episode, updates her success with Stress Free Kids since she received the money. She has a line of CDs and books that help kids to reduce stress through stories.

The biggest breakthrough: national distribution at Borders’ bookstores. The report shows her reading one of her books to a group of children at a Border’s book store in California, taped about a month ago.

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January 6th, 2010 | 0 Comments

Can you parent too much?

By Marygrace Taylor

As seen in KIWIMAGONLINE.COM

When meeting her kids’ babysitter at the park one afternoon, Marie Anne Mastrovito tried to squeeze herself into a tot-sized slide—but it wasn’t because she loved playground equipment, or because she was attempting to channel the carefree fun of her childhood. Instead, it was to make sure her then three-year-old daughter, Maya, would make it to the bottom safely—until the sitter pointed out that Maya was a pro at going down the slide on her own. “It suddenly occurred to me how silly it must have looked to see a grown woman squishing into this tiny space to go down the slide with her perfectly capable toddler,” says the New York City mom of two.

Certainly, Mastrovito’s devotion to her children is undeniable—but when it comes to doing and caring for kids, how much is too much? The line might be blurry, but at some point, (maybe at the top of a too-small playground slide) parenting becomes overparenting. Sometimes also called helicopter parenting, “it’s making sure to buy deluxe and organic everything. Jumping up when a toddler is still two feet away from maybe bumping her head. In short, treating a kid like he’s in bubble wrap,” says Lori Lite, a childhood anxiety expert and founder of Stress Free Kids. Here, why moms and dads do it, the ways it affects kids, and how to break the cycle.

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December 30th, 2009 | 2 Comments

Helping Children Avoid Holiday Meltdowns

As seen in SheKnows.com Pregnancy & Baby

Tracy McGinnis December 29, 2009

The holiday season brings with it family, traditions and memories that last a lifetime. It can also bring unwanted stress, added responsibilities to an otherwise already busy schedule and for children it can mean meltdowns.

Lori Lite, a childhood anxiety expert and creator of http://www.stressfreekids.com says it is important to keep children on regular schedules to avoid holiday meltdowns.

“Tired children, late nights, cramped kitchens, argumentative relatives, crowded malls, overwhelming hosting duties, stretched budgets and high anxiety.  These are just some of the stressors that quickly replace the visions of feasting, exchanging gifts, and gathering with family and friends over the holidays.”

With so much added to your to do list this season – how can you prevent and deal with those dreaded meltdowns when they occur?

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December 22nd, 2009 | 0 Comments

The Story on Self-Esteem

Why Self-Esteem Is Important

Self-esteem isn’t like a cool pair of sneakers that you’d love to have but don’t have to have. A kid needs to have self-esteem. Good self-esteem is important because it helps you to hold your head high and feel proud of yourself and what you can do. It gives you the courage to try new things and the power to believe in yourself. It lets you respect yourself, even when you make mistakes. And when you respect yourself, adults and other kids usually respect you, too.

Having good self-esteem is also the ticket to making good choices about your mind and body. If you think you’re important, you’ll be less likely to follow the crowd if your friends are doing something dumb or dangerous. If you have good self-esteem, you know that you’re smart enough to make your own decisions. You value your safety, your feelings, your health — your whole self! Good self-esteem helps you know that every part of you is worth caring for and protecting.

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December 22nd, 2009 | 0 Comments

Helping Children Conquer Stress

as seen in USA Today

Your daughter “knows about terrorist attacks and school shootings. She talks about it more than you are comfortable with. . . . Is she becoming the nervous type or is this simply a symptom of stress?”

Your child is having another melt down in the middle of your kitchen. You were just about to implement your highly developed multi-tasking skills of starting dinner while cleaning up this morning’s breakfast crumbs and arranging car pool for tomorrow. The phone rings and caller ID lets you know that it’s your teenager’s teacher. Your six year old is sitting at the table crying and screaming for no apparent reason. He is refusing to do his homework and has ripped the paper to shreds. His nails are bitten and he has announced that he isn’t going to school tomorrow.

Most of us don’t have to imagine this scene. It hits close to home for most American families. How do you handle this scenario? Do you scream and threaten him? Do you put him in time out? Do you secretly wonder if Ritalin would help? Do you bribe him with ice cream or do you decide he is having a cranky day… again?

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December 18th, 2009 | 1 Comment

Travel Tips to Eliminate Stress for Kids and Parents

Nothing is worse than realizing that the screaming child on the plane is your own! The restrictive space and criticizing eyes of other passengers puts parents at an extreme disadvantage. Most children realize that you will most likely not discipline them in public. So how can you avoid this challenge and set yourself up for a Stress Free trip?

 Airplane Tips:

  1. Pack an activity bag. My secret ingredient was Crayola modeling magic. Bring a few different colors but only give your child one color at a time. Whenever they grow tired of the color surprise them with another color. Bring a few sculpting tools like plastic fork, spoon, q-tips. Don’t be surprised if the adult passengers want to join in on the fun. (Even young children enjoy watching the parent work the clay.)
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