My daughter, Ansley, is the inspiration behind Pouchyroos. Like most kids, Ansley was fiercely attached to her stuffed "Ottie" as a toddler. She insisted on taking Ottie everywhere and could not fall asleep without him.

​

Countless times Ansley would wake me up in the middle of the night with a poke-poke to the forehead because Ottie had fallen out of her bed and she couldn’t find him. With one eye barely open, I’d have to locate Ottie and lay in bed with Ansley until she fell back asleep.

​

One night I was tucking Ansley into bed and noticed she had Ottie stuffed into the elastic waistline of her pants. When I asked her why she twisted side to side and said, “Look mommy, now Ottie can’t fall out!” Problem solved…

And that’s where the idea for Pouchyroos began.

​

I've seen many toddlers drag their loveys through airports, shopping malls, and grocery stores.  Kids want their stuffed animals within reach and they just need a convenient (and cozy) place to stuff them.   

​

You are probably wondering… What’s so hard about putting a pouch on a romper? For my very first prototype I worked with a local seamstress to create nothing more than a romper with a big saggy pouch on the front. We found out very quickly that a big pouch on the front of a romper was simply not going to work. I knew I needed to design a pouch that would expand to hold a stuffed animal but also lay flat when the pouch was empty.

​

I don’t even own a sewing machine so I started making mock-ups out of construction paper, tape, and fabric. I brought my mock-ups to a local pattern maker and she worked her magic and turned them into prototypes. After 3 years, 10 prototypes, and many revisions to perfect the pouch, I am excited to tell you that the Pouchyroos romper is patent-pending! 

​

There’s no denying it. A child’s security object has super powers! A ratty stuffed animal can give a child confidence in navigating new situations, help soothe a child suffering from separation anxiety, and act as the child’s emotional support system. Experts agree that security objects play an important role in a child’s development. In fact, security objects are a sign of a strong bond between parent and child. A child who is looking for comfort in a security object is doing so because they have received consistent attention and love from parents. Just as Ottie helped comfort my daughter, I want to help all kids feel secure, confident, and comforted especially in these uncertain times.

​

​