In celebration of Mother’s Day, we are launching our new blog series, Bringing Baby to Work. In this feature, we will be sharing stories from around the world of baby-friendly workplaces and the wo
men (and men!) who make them possible and successful!
To kick it off, we are talking with owner Molly Ging, and working moms Jennifer, Giedra, and Kerry from The Little Seedling in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Tell us about The Little Seedling.
Molly – The Little Seedling is a store in Ann Arbor, Mi that focuses on natural parenting and unique, practical baby goods. The store started due to a need in the area for cloth diapering information and has grown (in 5 years!) to a complete baby and maternity store.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Molly – My favorite part of my job is connecting with other mothers. For me, the “baby stage” was so hard! Being able to say to another mom… “don’t worry if your baby cries in the store, we have all been there” is so wonderful. I don’t ever want another mom to feel like she can’t come into our store to shop, relax, chat, enter into adult conversation or whatever she needs that day! Of course the store is here to provide a product but we are also here to provide support to families.
We were thrilled to learn that your staff wear their babies at work in Sakura Bloom slings. Tell us more!
Molly – I learned early on that there is no way to sell a product unless you LOVE the product. Customers want first hand information and to know that there isn’t a single answer for each person. Finding the right employees was hard! I needed to employ parents because they are the ones we are catering to. Allowing moms to bring their babies to work allows me to hire the *right* people for the job. With daycare costs so high it is almost a necessity for me to allow this or my employees would not be able to afford to work. Not to mention the fact that I would hate for work to interrupt the nursing relationships of my employees with their babies! Oh… and we never have a shortage of cute little models around the store!
Jennifer + Giedra + Kerry
Working at The Little Seedling sounds fantastic! What does it mean to you to be able to have your child with you at work?
Jennifer – Working at The Little Seedling is great! Being able to bring Henry (17 months) to work means that I CAN work. Day care just isn’t something we can afford so this is the ideal situation.
Giedra – It’s a huge gift to be able to bring my son to work with me. For me I wouldn’t be able to work any other way. Everyday I am so grateful to Molly for the privilege of bringing my child to work.
Kerry - It is such a wonderful thing to be able to bring my child to work with me – It’s important for my mental well-being to be able to get out of the house and go to work, but that wouldn’t be possible for me if I were not able to bring my son.
What sort of response do you get from customers?
Jennifer – Most costumers have very positive responses to seeing us with our kids at work. “How nice to be able to bring your child with you!” and “Are you hiring?” It also really helps for customers to see some of the products in action – cloth diapers, slings, toys, clothes, etc.
Giedra – I would say mostly it’s that people think it’s very unique. Some can’t imagine “having” to bring their child and others wish they could do the same.
Kerry – All of the responses have been extremely positive – Many ask if we are hiring! A few people have even said that they make sure to come to our store since it supports moms with babies.
What Sakura Bloom sling is your favorite?
Jennifer - I love the silk essential ring sling! I have it in chocolate~terracotta!
Giedra – My favorite is the silk essential ring sling, as well. It’s so supportive for an older child and allows for easy up and down, perfect for a toddler on the move. I look forward to trying it out with a newborn. I also covet the blackberry stripe artisan sling, oh so gorgeous.
Kerry – I LOVE my linen essential ring sling in storm~cloud! It’s casual enough for every day wear, but so beautiful that I feel good wearing it even when I’m in spit-up stained yoga pants.
Thank you to Molly, Jennifer, Giedra, and Kerry from The Little Seedling. You are an inspiration to working mothers everywhere!
