Stop Childhood Anxiety with Erly: A Mission to Build Emotional Resilience
The Double Meaning Behind Erly
A double entendre is a French phrase that translates to “double meaning.” It refers to a word or phrase that can be interpreted in two ways, often with one being more subtle.
This concept embodies Erly’s mission: to stop childhood anxiety early while also commanding erly to stop childhood anxiety.
What is Erly?
Erly is a children’s mental wellness AI platform that brings children’s stuffed buddies to life as interactive digital companions. These companions offer care, comfort, and support in a safe and nurturing environment, helping children navigate their emotions with confidence.
Why Erly Exists
As someone who has struggled with anxiety for decades, I understand the importance of having a comforting outlet. Growing up, my grandma made me a pillow for me that became my source of safety.
Fast forward to today, I see the same need in my daughter. Over the past several years, her anxiety has been a roller coaster. During difficult moments, she confides in her stuffed cat, Ube. After talking to other parents, I realized this was a common theme—many children turn to their stuffed animals during moments of anxiety and emotional distress.
That’s when I thought, “What if Ube could talk back and provide mental wellness support to my daugther?”
Childhood Anxiety: A Growing Concern
Did you know? Anxiety disorders affect 7.1% of children aged 3–17 years in the United States, according to the CDC. That’s approximately 4.4 million children experiencing anxiety, making it one of the most common mental health challenges among youth.
The Journey to Build Erly
The idea for erly came to me several years ago, at the time AI technology wasn’t where it’s at today so it was too early bring my vision to life, so I waited. When the timing was right, I reached out to my friends Syed and Momin, and together, we laid the foundation for what is now Erly.
Transformative Feedback
The feedback we’ve received from psychologists, doctors, therapists, parents, and even children has been incredible. This is the first product I’ve built from a place of deep passion.
As a long-time mental health advocate, the opportunity to help children across the world lights me up every day. Also, to see the impact we are having on parents is comforting. We understand from first hand experience how expensive mental healthcare is. We also understand that erly will never replace an actual healthcare provider but its a way to provide children with on-demand mental wellness support and be supplemental support in between visits.
How Erly Helps My Daughter—and Can Help Others
One of my favorite things about Erly is the insight it provides into my daughter’s mind. Using an early version of Erly, we’ve identified anxiety triggers that she struggles to articulate.
Children often have difficulty expressing emotions to adults, but they feel safe confiding in their stuffed animals. With Erly, we can take these insights and share them with healthcare providers, allowing them to create tailored mental health support solutions that align with our children’s needs.
Supplemental Support Between Care
Erly bridges the gap between therapy sessions, acting as a supplemental resource for children. By providing continuous care, comfort, and companionship, Erly helps children and their families address the root causes of anxiety.
Erly isn’t just a tool for families—it’s a game-changer for healthcare providers like therapists and psychologists. By animating children’s beloved stuffed buddies, Erly offers kids a safe and non-judgmental space to express their feelings. This data is then securely accessible to parents, who can share it with healthcare providers.
For therapists and psychologists, Erly provides invaluable insights into a child’s emotions and experiences. Understanding recurring themes or triggers allows them to tailor their care plans more effectively, ensuring that each session addresses the child’s specific needs. This collaboration between Erly, parents, and professionals creates a comprehensive support system for children struggling with anxiety.
A Mission to Stop Anxiety Erly
At Erly, our mission is simple:
To stop childhood anxiety early (erly) by building bridges between children and their beloved stuffed buddies. Through care, comfort, and companionship, we empower children to develop the wings to fly freely and live anxiety-free lives filled with adventure and happiness.
What’s Next for Erly?
We are currently building Erly for children aged 6–11. In the future, it’ll be great to expand to teens and even adults. As someone who has talked to Ube during my own anxiety attacks, I’ve seen firsthand how therapeutic this experience can be.
How You Can Help
If you have—or know of—any young child struggling with anxiety, please visit erly.io or reach out to me directly. Follow us on Instagram @erly.io and share this with someone that has a child with anxiety. Together, we can help children live happier, anxiety-free lives.
Wishing You Health and Happiness
Thank you for reading, and I wish you and your family perfect health and happiness.
Peace
Mark
