Review AND Giveaway--Kid Companions Chewelry

*Stay tuned for a giveaway of this wonderful product at the end of this post!*

Many children seem to crave oral stimulation and they often meet this need in any way that they can--chewing their shirt sleeves or collar, mouthing toys, or biting their fingers or hands. Little Bean, my five year old, is one such child. After recognizing that his need to chew wasn't just a bad habit, but an actual sensory need, I began the search for something more sanitary for him to chew on.

A little research landed me on the website for Kid Companions, a family-owned company that markets safe, bpa, phthalate, pvc, lead and latex-free chewable jewelry and fidgets for children who chew. Kid Companion chewelry is great for children with Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorders or related issues. They are also appropriate for any child who has a need to chew.

Each necklace comes with a colorful lanyard made of 100% organic cotton (or choose an un-dyed lanyard), and a built in "break away" chain, making it very safe for your child. The lanyards come in both 18 inch or 20 inch lengths to accommodate the size of your child. For children who prefer it, Kid Companions also sells their fidgets in a clip on variety rather than as a necklace.

Each fidget comes in either or a heart or circle shape and in a variety of colors to suit your child's preferences. Designed for children and teens, these attractive necklaces are very discreet and stylish, and yet very functional at the same time.

Kid Companions also offers labeling. You can list your child's name/contact information on the lanyard, allergy information, or any other important information for a small fee. You can also add cute logos to the lanyard, like a butterfly or a soccer ball. One necklace sells for $17.49 (Canadian dollars).
I contacted Kid Companions and they were gracious enough to send me one of their chewable necklaces for review. Little Bean chose a blue circle, and I chose to get the un-dyed lanyard, since he does tend to chew fabric. The necklace arrived very quickly and had his name fused to the lanyard.

We were very pleased with this product. Little Bean is able to take it on and off by himself, and it has almost completely eliminated his habit of chewing on his hands, toys, and clothing. The times that I have seen him chewing on other things, I am able to easily redirect him to the necklace. We couldn't be more satisfied with this product. It makes me feel good to know that the Kid Companion chewelry is completely non-toxic and safe for him to chew on. A bonus is that his necklace is stylish and discreet, so he can wear it in public and not draw attention to himself. Often, he slips it into his shirt and only takes it out when in use, but it does look like just a piece of jewelry, so this isn't necessary. I highly recommend this product and most likely will be buying more in the future.

Now for the exciting part! Kid Companions has agreed to a giveaway of one of their great products! YOU get to choose the color and style yourself--either a necklace or clip-on fidget, and your desired color and shape!

Here's how to enter:

1) Mandatory entry: Visit the Kid Companion website and decide which color and style you would choose if you were to win this giveaway. Come back and leave a comment telling what features you would choose. Be sure to leave your contact information (email) in your comment.

2) For a second optional entry, blog about this giveaway, directing your readers back to this post. Come back and leave the direct url to your post about this giveaway. If you do not blog, but want a second entry, post about this giveaway on a message board that you frequent, directing them to this post. Then come back and leave a comment with the direct link to the post you have made about my giveaway. If you do not know how to do this, contact me and I will help you! Be sure to leave your contact information in this entry as well.

This giveaway will run from December 8th, 2010 to December 15th, 2010. Up to 2 entries per person. I will close the comments on the night of the 15th and choose a random winner the following day. I will contact you if you won the giveaway and then send your order and address information directly to Kid Companions who will ship directly to you. I will also post on my blog about the winner. If you fail to leave contact information in your comment, I will choose a different winner. If you fail to respond to me within 3 days of my contacting you, I will choose a different winner. If you do not leave a direct link (link to your exact post) for your second entry to either your blog post or message board post, I will not include that entry in the giveaway.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are mine.