Moms’ business about protecting children
There’s so much to worry about as a parent these days: Children wandering away and getting lost, coping with asthma or serious food allergies, soaking up cancer-causing rays from the sun.
Like many close neighbours and friends, Sid Kroach and Atar Morgenstern get together on the sidewalk in their Thornhill neighbourhood to talk about kids and chat about the busy lives they cope with.
But there’s more than that.
And then they put those solutions into action.
They call themselves “mompreneurs” – mothers who have young children at home but have started their own businesses to help other parents with similar needs.
“We are parents with kids who get lost, kids who are allergic to peanuts, kids who do not want to miss school or camp because they have diabetes,” said Ms. Kroach. “What unites us all is the desire to solve problems.”
The innovative, protective and stylish swim hats the two moms now produce are growing increasingly in demand.
They’ve been shipping their weather-resistant, sun-protective headwear to all corners of the world and they see huge potential for their line of hats for children.
For Ms. Kroach, it was trying to figure out a way to keep the medic alert bracelet on her rambunctious toddler who has juvenile diabetes.
For Mrs. Morgenstern, it was protecting her fair-haired boys from the burning sun.
Each, independently, came up with solutions, realized others might benefit too, and set up businesses from their Thornhill kitchens.
Then the two decided to join forces – and minds – to make it happen.
Ms. Morgenstern, a freelance web designer, despaired of ever losing sight of her two-year-old twiens or having to stop to re-apply a protective spray while he splashed.
Instead, she designed a swim hat that fits snugly on his head and naturally blocks out UV rays. It was made out of quick-drying fabric and had the added benefit of being able to hold his medic alert bracelet – which he was constantly losing.
At first, her sons weren’t interested. They hated the notion of having to wear hats. Then Ms. Kroach came up with bright, fun designs that make it easy for parents to spot their children in pools and water parks. They’re also handy for soaking up sweat under bike helmets, she says, and the bright colours help you keep an eye on your children at Richmond Hill’s Wave Pool.
Because it ties in the back, it fits any size – even adults – so her “hair-challenged” husband Ché is on board, she explains with a laugh, and dons a Nammu when he heads out fishing.
Mrs. Morgenstern knew she had a winner. What she didn’t know was that her husband had a winner too. Griffin, was four when Ms. Kroach and her son Griffin were diagnosed with diabetes at three months old.
He was a wide toddler and not terribly cooperative in the water. “He was always trying to take it off and run around,” she said. But the hat meant he could take it off himself when he came out of the water, and it was easier to find him, making life easier for everyone.
As the “Nammu” (named after the Sumerian goddess who gave birth to the heavens and the earth) began to take off, the sisters-in-law realized they were on to something.
“Even if they have good vision,” says Ms. Kroach, “it helps parents to spot them and it gives parents peace of mind.”
Ms. Kroach wanted to make hats for her boys to wear in all weather. “We live in a country where the sun doesn’t shine year-round,” she said. “It was just as important for us to make them wear hats in the winter as it is in the summer.”
Now both women are hoping to see their business inspiration to help others. A portion of revenues from the sale of Boomibeads is donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Autism Society of Canada and the Breast Cancer Society of Canada.
Mrs. Morgenstern has connected with the Canadian Cancer Society to offer the hats free of charge to children undergoing cancer treatment.
“The entrepreneurial spirit has always been there,” said Ms. Kroach. “I wanted to make life easier for parents with children with special needs.”
Their next challenge, they say, is to let other parents know about their solutions.
“We can provide moms with peace of mind,” said Ms. Kroach. “It will help children feel good and be safe.
Ms. Kroach adds, “And you can’t beat that.”
