Your family is about to become so much closer.

Why “Closet Check-in”?

It was their first moments in the new apartment after the separation. Heidi and her two kids - ages 4 and 6 - walked the space, moving room to room searching for signs of familiarity. A picture on the wall from the old house, their favorite stuffed animals on unfamiliar beds. The air was thick with confusion, apprehension, and newness. 

When they peeked into the closet, the oldest commented on the space being big enough for a meeting. Heidi grasped at the idea of a little meeting, and suggested the three of them take a seat right there on the floor of the closet. Reluctantly, but in the name of vulnerability, she began opening up to her sweet 4 and 6 year olds about how complicated her feelings felt in that moment. Excited for change, confused about change, hurt by the change. And in a flood of pinned up emotions, her kids began to do the same. There were tears. There were hugs. There was openness. 


This practice - Closet Check-ins - has become a family staple in their home ever since. From processing tough feelings, to celebrating achievements, to navigating life, the closet has become their safe space. In The Closet Check-In, Heidi shares how she developed this method of communicating, how it can be replicated with your family, and everything in between. If you’re searching for a way to navigate life’s ups and downs together that promotes authenticity and vulnerability with those you love, this book is for you.

Let’s create your Closet Check-In.

  • Closet Checkin for Parents

    Creating a safe space for your kids to share big feelings is on every parent’s mind. But how do we make that space happen? How do we model a healthy way of sharing and processing our feelings that clicks with kids? When a difficult life transition happened within her family, author Heidi Convery knew that communicating vulnerably and authentically with her kids would be vital as they healed together. She seized a moment of opportunity and found a new way to create a safe sharing experience for her kids - right on the floor of their closet. What started as a moment of necessary connection grew into a weekly family practice that has revolutionized how Heidi and her kids handle the most wonderful - and the most difficult - parts of life. And it all happens surrounded by jeans, shoes, and a laundry basket.

  • Mazel and the Magical Closet

    It’s been a tough day for Mazel! But instead of keeping all of those frustrating feelings inside, Mazel joins her mom on the floor of the closet to process her day. Through Closet Check-Ins, Mazel learns that sharing her feelings with her mom leaves her feeling lighter, happier, and ready to play. “Mazel and the Magical Closet” helps introduce the power of connecting as a family to kids, and is a great companion read as parents learn to create safe spaces through “The Closet Check-In.”

What parents will experience:

 

01 — Understanding who your kids are as people, not just who they are as your children.

Our kids are whole people. We think of them mostly as our children because that’s the strongest dynamic between us and them. But who are they outside of our kids? We see them as mini versions of ourselves at times, which might make it more difficult to see them as their own person. Closet Check-Ins give you a new lens through which to view your awesome kids.

02 — Witnessing the growth of your children in real-time.

Have you ever been apart from your kids for longer than a few days? When you've been apart, and you see them again for the first time, don’t you swear they've grown an inch?! Closet Check-Ins provide you with opportunities to see your children's emotional growth, something much harder to see in real time with the hustle and bustle of life.

03 — Feeling love and connection through listening.

There's a strong chance that this side effect of Closet Check-Ins will positively affect every relationship in your life. It’s easy to use the "need" to multitask as an excuse for quasi-listening when others are talking. And certainly with our kids.

But during Closet Check-Ins, all you have is listening. An intentional slowdown on the floor of your closet, with nothing but one another. Expect to feel loved just by listening to them share.

What kids will experience:

 

01 — Understanding emotional safety.

Teaching our children what it feels like to have emotional safety paves the way for safe, loving and fulfilling relationships for the rest of their lives. Their standards for a friend or partner could be grounded in vulnerability and care and uncompromised because they know and understand the value of safety. We, as parents, have the power to help them develop this level of self-care in relationships.

02 — Maintaining the connection between Trust + Parent through independence.

When our children are younger, they depend on us for everything. They trust we will catch them if they fall; that we will feed them when they're hungry; that we will save them from danger. All of those things are true to the best of our ability. But as children gain independence, and as they begin to realize that we are – in fact – NOT perfect and we begin to hold them accountable in more significant ways, the trust changes. Closet Check-Ins might not significantly alter the natural dynamic change between parents and children as they grow, but I do think it fortifies the connection between you and your kiddo as he/she ages.

03 — Building self-confidence and self-worth through validation reinforcement.

Building a strong foundation of self-worth and self-confidence must come before the chaos of growing up.

Have you ever seen people desperately trying to build a sea wall with sand bags during the storm? They're doing the best they can to try and navigate the raging weather, but they can't see. They're trying to withstand the wind and it's just almost impossible.

Think of this image when you're in a Closet Check-In. You're helping your kids build that sea wall before the storm. Breathe into their self-worth. Use Closet Check-Ins to create consistent reinforcement for them so that they aren't just hearing you build them up when the storm is already here. They're hearing those affirmations well before the weather arrives.