Meet Sue Sinclair, mom to three and founder and Chief Executive Mom at Raspberry Kids, an online shop for fun and eco-conscious toys and gear for kids. The entrereneurial mama shares what it's like to live in a "two entrepreneur household" (with husband Jeff), her kids' ‘melt your heart’ moments, thoughts on work-life balance, and the hardest thing about being a mom.
Mom of…
Daughter Jamie, age 8; son Riley, age 6.5; and newborn daughter Cailyn (age “Zero” as my kids say). Nicknamed “Muffin,” Cailyn joined our family on April 1st, 2013.
Are you a mom, mommy, or mama?
All of the above. Depends on the day and how the kids are feeling as to what they call me.
What inspired you to start Raspberry Kids?
After the birth of my kids, and simultaneously losing both of my parents and father-in-law, my perspective on my career changed drastically. I had no desire to return to the corporate world and longed for flexibility so that I could be a Mom but also work on my own terms. I opted to become my own boss and combined my passion for technology with sourcing quality products for kids into an online lifestyle store. I’ve since discovered I also have a passion for social media, and love interacting with the Raspberry Kids community on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, on our blog and through our newsletter.
What’s your work schedule like?
Schedule? What schedule? I suppose we did have a bit of a system up until the beginning of April when we added to our family with the birth of our third Raspberry Kid, but now we are more or less winging it. Since I’m up at night with our little one, my dear husband is taking the kids to school every morning and at this point we are just taking it each day at a time.
How do you handle childcare?
Our eldest kids are in grades 1 and 2, We have a lovely girl who picks the kids up at 3:00 pm and works with us until about dinner time. We have no family in town but we have some great friends who double as sitters when/if we need evening or weekend care. For the most part we spend a great deal of time together as a family.
Any advice for moms trying to juggle it all and find balance?
I don’t believe balance exists, but choice does. We choose to lead a full-on life and generally take on more than we should (my hubby is an entrepreneur, too). We seem to thrive on a busy lifestyle and tend to get bored easily whenever we have down time. Having a newborn in the house definitely means we have more to juggle, and we are going through an adjustment period (and will be for the foreseeable future) but that is what makes life fun and interesting and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
What’s your mom kryptonite…the thing about your kids that melts your heart?
With my daughter it is her belief in magic, fairies and that she can be anything she wants which is currently a Pink Power Ranger. I love her confidence and want her to continue to believe that she is awesome! Her art and writings are very sweet, including a note she recently drew for her baby sister that read “To Baby, from Jamie I love you with all my heart.”
With my son, it is his generosity. He always wants to give toys to kids that are less fortunate and just yesterday he gave $10 to a friend at school who was saving to buy a “big ticket” item. He has a wicked sense of humor and loves the Canucks. I could listen to him call the play by play for hours. It’s absolutely priceless.
As for Muffin, just her presence makes me melt, never mind her goofy noises and facial expressions!
The hardest part of being a mom so far is…
Always wanting to do more. I want to go on every field trip, teach them more new life skills, read with them more, play with them more and protect them every minute of every day. Sigh.
The thing I cook way too frequently, but my kids love and will be taking home in Tupperware in 20 years is…
They love my roast chicken with gravy and smashed potatoes (a great recipe I found on Pinterest!).
Favourite kid’s book(s)?
There are so many we have loved over the years from Chicka Chicka Boom Boom to the Ivy and Bean series, and now the kids are thrilled to be able to read to their little sister which includes everything from facts about bears and storms to the ABCs. We love books with great illustrations such as Wave or Animals and their Families.
What’s your mom uniform?
My uniform ranges from yoga pants on the days when I’m going for my walks or runs to business casual when I take meetings with suppliers or other local business owners. Recently my wardrobe has been limited to maternity wear which I’m hoping to transition out of very soon. It gets tiring wearing the same outfits for ten months straight! I’m a big fan of scarves and necklaces, and for the next several months I’ll be wearing the ultimate accessory, my newborn daughter!
Best mom skill that only “mom” does?
In our house, I take on the role of planner and organizer and love it. This includes everything from our weekend to-do lists to elaborate travel plans and everything in between! I’m also currently on demand feeding our newborn, which is a skill only mom does and is time with my newborn that I cherish.
Make sure to check out Raspberry Kids online shop and follow Sue on Twitter @raspberrykids and on Facebook.
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