mommy | Wear The Cape Kids

Cape Effect
/kāp/ /iˈfekt/
noun

1. The immediate reaction of a child when given a cape to wear. Usually involves wide eyes and open mouth, in addition to one or more of the following: squealing with delight, jumping for joy, frolicking around the house, superhero voguing, and surprisingly good behavior.

You know what’s really cool? When your kids EXCEED your expectations. You hope your messages to your teenage daughter about being inclusive of her peers have sunk in…and then you find out she’s gone out of her way to make sure others don’t feel left out or lonely. You’ve tried to encourage your little guy to stand up for someone being bullied…and then he does, with confidence and tact.

We at Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation believe we’ve found the secret sauce to this recipe. It’s what we call the “Cape Effect.”

Time and again, we’ve seen and heard that kids are motivated to earn the right to Wear the Cape – whether tied around their neck or imprinted on their shirt – by doing the right thing. Explain to them what it looks like to be a “hero” and give a kid that name, and he or she will work to live up to it. They get it, even at a young age.

To facilitate communication with tykes to teens, every Wear the Cape product includes a Hero Tag that tees up a teachable moment. Various real-life scenarios are presented that challenge kids to think through the right choices to be made in each situation. Try it. Talk with your kids about what it REALLY means in practice to be heroic, and watch great stories come back to you about your Cape Kid in action!

I still remember when the first box of prototype shirts arrived at our house last summer. The kids I gave them to went wild with excitement about the idea of a cape being on their backs – symbolic, for all to see. And what followed the initial excitement was the best part: They began acting like heroes.

The video below paints this picture with two little boys who will undoubtedly put a smile on your face. After receiving Wear the Cape tees, they spend a few moments processing the idea of being able to wear a cape on their backs (like they’ve seen heroes do in movies, books and on TV), and then they start “flying” around the house. Think of being given a cape like being knighted.

Also interesting to note: these handsome little men have a super cool mama, too. Her name is Chara, and she and her colleague Jodi just finished a book you’ll love called You Are. The fundamental premise of the book is that when people really know WHO THEY ARE, WHAT THEY HAVE, and WHAT THEY CAN DO, they are naturally inspired to uplift, encourage and help, rather than put down, criticize or harm. We could not agree with you ladies more!

So, hey folks – give a cape, and watch the magic; keep it in mind to give Wear the Cape products as gifts for birthdays, holidays, and just to celebrate achievements (check out our Shop page here for lots of great ideas). We so appreciate the support – it’s how we’ll be able to keep on chuggin’ – and you’re turning kids’ dreams of being heroes into reality.

Building heroes, a kid at a time – that’s Wear the Cape and YOU.

Choose kind,
Leigh Ann

Twenty-five years ago Nike unveiled its still iconic slogan “Just Do It”. It’s a phrase that has – for decades – been embraced for inspiration by athletes, entrepreneurs struggling to get a business off the ground, cancer patients battling through chemo, and people trying to muster up the courage to ask the person of his/her dreams out on a date. It means stop procrastinating and start doing – no excuses. There were so many times when I heard that slogan in my head when I needed to find the true grit to push through something scary or painful, to make a major life change with no safety net. I trust most of you can relate…right?

Wear the Cape is excited to announce our tagline: Better Than That™.

From the skate park to the locker room, you’re “better than that” means do what’s right, not what’s easy. It says, “Rise above the level of negative influences.” And it’s a phrase that’s meant to inspire others to reach their greatest potential (Wear the Cape is harnessing it as a reminder to self, too – check out the bottom left hemline of our tees!).

Better Than That™ is about knowing what you’re worth. The phrase captures what Wear the Cape is all about to me– emboldening good character and kindness. Wear the Cape adopted Better Than That™ as a way to tell our loved ones that we believe in who they are and to tell the world, “I know my value, and I’m striving for my behavior to reflect that.”

I fell in love with this phrase when I thought about its broad reach and deep meaning. I was so in love with Better Than That™, I went out and found myself a lawyer to trademark the phrase for Wear the Cape. Trademarks – uggh….what an education that was! It was cool to work on the trademarking though, and I was amazed to hear my kids (who are still all under six years old) talking about our trademarking journey and which “marks” are and are not available. I guess we are never too old or too young to learn new things!

So, what did we do with our beloved trademark of Better Than That ™? As I mentioned above, our tees have BETTER THAN THAT™ printed upside-down along the bottom left hem. This unique placement is so the person wearing the shirt can read the phrase as a reminder to live up to his or her worth (i.e., you are better than being provoked by negative peer pressure, and even if/when you make mistakes, you’re better than your behavior…and your subsequent actions should show that).

Cyber bullying someone via social media? Come on, you’re BETTER THAN THAT.
Not doing your homework? You’re BETTER THAN THAT.
Excluding someone from a game at recess or at lunch? You’re BETTER THAN THAT.
Lying to your parents about your plans for the night? You’re BETTER THAN THAT.

One of my all-time favorite movies is Rocky Balboa. In one of the scenes, Rocky says to his son:

Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth…not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!

Wear the Cape, be Better Than That ™.