Email #1
Subject line options:
[1] the perfect vacation, ruined
[2] I needed some “me” time, then this happened
[3] so much for a little peace & quiet
[4] the birth of a buckle obsession
It was supposed to be a nice, relaxing vacation…
I was going to work on my tan and enjoy a cold drink while laying by the pool…
But every five minutes my 16-month-old son, Gavin, would start wailing.
We had brought every imaginable toy to keep him occupied during our week-long vacation.
Yet, the source of all his attention was the toy his friend was playing with.
It wasn’t some fancy “game boy”. It wasn’t his parents’ iPhone or iPad.
It was a simple, plush toy with a buckle.
They would battle back and forth over who’s turn it was to play with the toy every few minutes.
I had been noticing over the past few weeks that Gavin was more and more interested in the buckles on his car seat and stroller.
The week we went on vacation he became full-on “buckle obsessed.”
In many ways I did, too.
Because the only time I had some peace and quiet on the whole trip was when it was my son’s turn to play with the toy with the buckle.
He was so happy to play with it and it kept him occupied...without staring into a screen.
Meanwhile, I thoroughly enjoyed some well-deserved “me” time….with none of the guilt!
I finally had some time to think and relax for once.
So on our long drive back home that week, all my husband and I could talk about was getting our son a buckle toy of his own.
But everywhere I looked online I couldn’t find any toy options with buckles.
So I decided to create one.
A year later, Buster, the first Buckle Toy was born.
Since then the response has been nothing short of amazing.
We have had over a thousand positive reviews praising the benefits of our toys.
Here is just a sampling of these rave reviews...:
“This is the BEST toy for getting a busy toddler to sit still. I bought it to give to my 18-month old daughter on a long flight and it was perfect. I hide it during regular days and give it to her during boring errands or times that I need her occupied and it works better than anything else.”
“My 20-month-old loves a good challenge, and this toy never fails him. He plays with it every single day and it encourages him to concentrate, focus, and appreciate the powers of cause and effect. This toy is perfect for critical thinking!”
“Honestly a lifesaver. My 19 month old is obsessed! Perfect for travel.”
Pick up a Buckle Toy for your child today by clicking the link here.
See ya next time,
Jill “finally some peace & quiet” Gomez
Email 2 testimonial story
This email is all about providing proof about how great and convenient your toys are.
Subject line options:
[1] don’t leave home without this
[2] a godsend for family travel
[3] Bentley saves us from the worst flight ever
Hi,
Today I wanted to share a story from one of our recent customers, Amy Boddorff, a mother of 2 from New York:
“As we walked down the jetway over-packed and underfed after a three hour delay, I knew this flight to Ft. Lauderdale was going to be a challenge.
My predictions came true at about 10,000 feet when my two-and-a-half year old started screaming about her ears hurting and my six-month-old son joined in the cacophony.
My husband (bless his heart) appeared unfazed and failed to leap into action. As soon as the seatbelt sign was turned off, I stood up and started to walk the little guy up and down the aisle.
Suddenly, I could see all of the other passengers’ faces. I froze. Although I strongly considered diving back down into seat 16D where I could hide behind the tray table, little man’s loud whimpers pushed me forward.
I got angry glares from businessmen, annoyed eye rolls from teenagers, unsolicited travel advice about what I should have given him before we boarded, and the gentle, (somewhat) reassuring comment: “oh honey, it gets easier, I promise.”
Well, if it was going to get easier, it sure wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. When I returned to row 16, my daughter was on the verge of hysteria. I was exhausted and embarrassed by the scene we were causing.
She had been given snacks from the stewardess, plastic wings from the pilot, and about a thousand hugs from my husband, yet nothing was working.
I needed to do something and fast. I reached for my carry-on as a kind stranger held my son and pulled out a sixteen inch, multi-colored caterpillar with 5 rows of buckles.
“Bentley!!” my daughter shouted through her tears. I could feel the flood of relief as I sat back down next to a much calmer toddler who was already scheming up ways to make her brother laugh with her favorite toy.
When I found the Buckle Toys website a few weeks prior I was desperate for some type of solution. My daughter was a well-mannered and well-behaved little girl when she had her pacifier.
But when it came time for us to take it away for good everything changed.
Wild mood swings and meltdowns became our new normal. She became inconsolable at times and all we could do was ride out the storm.
All my friends had told me to get her a soothing toy...but none of the plush versions did us any good (they became easy things for her to throw across the room instead). I figured if I could distract her with the buckles it would give us at least 15-20 minutes of peace and quiet before the next meltdown.
Turns out I had low expectations.
My daughter not only loves cuddling with the caterpillar, the buckles keep her entertained for up to an hour each time. She can’t quite figure out how to unbuckle just yet. But snapping them together and asking for help in getting them undone keeps her entertained and calm.
(And she doesn’t realize it of course, but while she’s busy playing she’s developing concentration, problem-solving, and fine motor skills!)
What I thought was going to be the plane flight from hell turned into an experience that was actually enjoyable. There were even passengers who told us as we walked off the plane: “they were so well behaved!”
Our Buckle Toy has been nothing short of a lifesaver. It's one of those things, like a diaper bag, that I always make sure I have anytime we are leaving the house for any extended period of time. You never know when it will come in handy.”
These are the type of stories that I hear again and again from our customers. How our toys helped them survive a long bout of travel or gave them some time to think or get things done as their child is occupied with a toy he or she loves.
Don’t wait another minute, get your Buckle Toy by clicking here.
Speak soon,
Jill “don’t leave home without it” Gomez
P.s. Check out this video of my son Gavin interviewing a Buckle Toys customer. She shares how long it took for her child to master the buckles (more on that in the next few days).
Email 3 - Educational email
This email gives the reader some education on why buckles are so great for their child.
Subject line options
[1] why do toddlers love buckles so much?
[2] Toddlers are little scientists looking for the next experiment
[3] It’s true 👀 your kid loves buckles
[4] the weird fascination that almost every kid has
[5] they're fascinated with buckles for a good reason
Hey,
I didn’t think anyone could love buckles like my son Gavin.
Boy was I wrong!
As I searched the internet I came across more and more posts like this one:
“I know this may sound weird but does anyone else's toddler have a fascination with straps and buckles? Mine does. Car seat, stroller, high chair, shopping carts etc. straps/buckles. She plays with them constantly. She will snap them together than expect me to unfasten them. What's up with that?”
Mom after mom that I talked to said the same thing.
Their kids were obsessed with buckles.
So I wanted to know why.
It turns out that the challenge and practice it takes for kiddos to master the buckles captures their attention.
It’s even backed by science.
Until next time,
Jill “buckle obsessed” Gomez
Email 4
This email gives the reader some education on the drawbacks of depending on TV to keep their kid occupied.
Subject line options:
[1] “Mommy I want TV!!”
[2] the drawbacks of screen time
[3] more TV time = more meltdowns
[4] why your child might be suffering from too much screen time
Hey hey,
For the longest time, whenever I needed some peace and quiet I would let my kids watch TV on my iPad.
It made them really happy and it gave me up to a few hours to get things done depending on the day.
But as much as I enjoyed the silence for a change, the drawbacks overwhelmed the benefits.
It became really hard to find TV shows that I actually approved of (a monkey falls off the bed, and “mama called the doctor” over that? It takes a doctor to suggest “no more monkeys jumping on the bed??” Come on...).
I also began to notice the effect that screen time had on my kids’ moods.
By the middle of the day she was crankier than normal…
And at night when we took the tablet away…
All hell broke loose.
She eventually calmed down…
But it did make me wonder if monitoring "screen time" going forward would be the best plan.
It’s also why I designed every Buckle Toy to keep your child occupied longer than any other toy you have come across.
It occupies your child just like TV would, but without all the drawbacks.
If anything there is a long list of benefits. Our toys help your child develop their fine motor skills, learn their colors, and develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
If you think it’s time your child experiences all these benefits...while enjoying some “old-fashioned”, non-techie fun,, click the link here to get your toy.
Grab yours today,
Jill “limiting the screen time” Gomez
Email 5
This email helps explain who Buckle Toys are right for.
Subject line options:
[1] is this toy right for your child?
[2] are buckles right for your kid?
[3] buckles are right for your kid if
[4] the buckle journey
[5] when buckles are right for your littles (explained)
[6] just right for little learning hands
Hi,
One of the common questions I get from moms all the time is around whether Buckle Toys are right for their child.
Here is how I would go about answering that:
Most kids are instantly attracted to our toys by the bright primary colors, cartoon character faces, and buckles.
All kids’ fine motor skills and interest in buckles develop at different ages. The most popular age seems to be 18 months-3 years (but every child hits these development stages at different times)
For example, if you were to get one of our toys for a 1-year-old, they may not be ready for it until they are 18 months old (my son was this age when he first became fascinated with buckles).
I frequently hear from moms that their child got one of our toys for their first birthday and didn’t know what to do with it. That is completely natural and should not be a cause for concern. Over time your child will grow into the toy. Before you know it, they’ll love it!
Most children learn to unbuckle at age 3+. This extends the lifespan of the toy as they will need to develop the finger strength to master it. This same finger strength is what they’ll later use to hold a pencil when writing, unbutton buttons to dress themselves, and tie their own shoelaces on their shoes.
Every child is different, but here are a few reviews to give you a better idea of the customer experiences and their children’s associated ages when they got the most out of their Buckle Toys...
“This toy is truly amazing! It kept my 14-month-old entertained for quite a long time on a long flight and in the car. He can't quite buckle it yet, but he loves to try and enjoys playing with it!”
“My son loves this toy. He's 21 months now but we've had it for a few months and he was able to manipulate most of the buckles right away and I believe it will be a toy he will continue to use for some time.”
“I bought this for my 2-year-old granddaughter and it is the perfect size for her. She needs some assistance with some of the buckles, but she loves fidgeting with the buckles and putting things in/out of the bag.”
“My toddler started showing interest in this around 15 months of age and continues to come back to it every few days to attempt mastering the clasps. It was a good quiet airplane toy.”
“Daughter likes this toy. She is 1 ½ and can operate the zipper and unbuckle most of the buckles but can not rebuckle them yet.”
“Bought this when my son was 18 months. He’s 20 months! He really loves this thing! He can only unhook two of the easier buckles so far! But so far it is a toy he will consistently play with a few times a week!”
“We noticed our 18-month-old playing with the buckle on her booster seat and wanted to get her something she could play with and take with her. She still needs help undoing the buckles but if you undo them she will buckle them over and over again. You can see her hand-eye coordination hard at work. I also love that you can work on colors and numbers as she plays with it.”
“This was a hit with my 16 month old niece. She had a little trouble buckling at first but now that she’s practiced she loves it.”
If you have any questions or concerns about whether any of the Buckle Toys we offer are right for your child, feel free to hit reply. I’m happy to help.
Best,
Jill
