Started as a side hustle by two moms, Slumberkins has now turned into a full-length series streaming on Apple TV+. Debuting on 3rd November, the animated show is based on the highly popular book series of the same name. The beloved stories are the brainchild of Callie Christensen and Kelly Oriard. The duo is also acting as executive producers to bring the idea to life on screen.

The Concept

High school friends Oriard and Christensen were on maternity leave at the same time when they dreamt up the idea of the Slumberkins book series. They were inspired by their new babies and their work in schools. Christensen worked as a special education teacher and Oriard was a professional family therapist and counselor. In their work, both of them observed an increasing expectation around kids and better test scores in schools, but a serious lack of support when it comes to behavioral learning and emotional health. The idea struck them that if parents could get the power in their hands earlier, kids would be more prepared before taking the first big steps of joining schools.

The Game-Changing Series

With their brilliant idea and shared interest, the Slumberkins series started at craft fairs and gradually moved to an Etsy shop. Each book had an accompanying stuffed ‘Kin’ or creature. The books and the whole idea garnered huge attention from the neighborhood community and mothers and educators in general. So much so that the duo eventually had to leave their jobs to keep up with the demands. Oriard and Christensen always wanted to bring the Slumberkins characters to life, so they started putting on puppet shows on YouTube from their friend’s garage in L.A.

The Show and the Idea

In 2018, Oriard and Christensen met Halle Stanford at a conference. Stanford could relate to the lessons of Slumberkins’ stories due to her own familial experience of battling anxiety, and as president of the iconic Jim Henson Company, she could see the bigger picture for the duo’s YouTube puppet show. Stanford is also involved in the new Apple TV+ series as an executive producer, alongside the creator duo. Both Christensen and Oriard were heavily involved in the scripting and pre-production process of the animated TV show, ensuring the brand’s core philosophy of promoting social-emotional learning in each episode. Without giving away much, they informed the press that the storylines are going to go deeper and the beloved characters will develop more personality over time in the new series.

All couples go through rough patches, and not every rough patch ends up in divorce. However, there are some that run for so long that they become the end of the relationship. But how do you know when it’s a bad day and when it’s the beginning of the end? These 5 red flags are the sure-shot signs, according to therapists, that your marriage is headed towards divorce. Look out for these, before it’s too late.

When You Both Become ‘Me’ Instead of ‘We’

Has your beloved started using individual terms such as ‘you and I’ instead of ‘we’ and ‘us’? This may sound like such a small thing to you, but according to Nancy Fagan, marriage mediator at Plano’s, this can be the beginning of feeling an emotional disconnection in a partnership. If you start noticing this switch of tone in your or your partner’s tone, understand that it’s time to work on your emotional and physical connection.

When Either of You Begins Stonewalling

Stonewalling is when either of the two people involved in any kind of relationship stops being a part of the discussion and starts shutting the other one out. This is usually overlooked but it can actually be one of the signs that can lead your marriage to its untimely death. When a person starts stonewalling, it indicates that they’ve given up and don’t have any energy left to disagree or be involved in a conflict.

Your Marriage Starts Uncoupling

Uncoupling simply means when you or your better half start showing lesser interest in the relationship. One of the many red flags that you must make sure to notice is when your partner manifests zero or minimal intimacy or empathy. When you sense a lack of love and care towards each other, one or both of you are slowly and unknowingly decoupling. The minute you both stop spending quality time with each other, that’s when you need to start worrying that your divorce could be near.

Your Discussions Often End Up in Fights

Another flag, according to therapists, is when most of the discussions with your spouse end up in an argument. People usually mistake it for the end of the honeymoon period, but the frequency can actually be triggering. If you and your partner end your discussions in heated arguments more often than not, then it might be a sign to worry. If you find yourself in such a situation, be open about it and talk about it with your partner.

Feels Distant While Living Together

Remember the days when you used to have a roommate and wouldn’t meet with them at the end of the day? If your marriage starts feeling the same way, it’s time to have a serious conversation. In case one of the partners starts finding their safety and comfort zone somewhere else, your marriage is on edge.