Behind The Brand: Little Wiwa's Shanti Wiwatowski

Tummy time and learning to crawl may be a celebration of babies early development, but for many little ones, it also means a whole lot of mouth-to-floor time! Now, no parent wants baby eating dirt, or unsafe flooring or mats…  And with that in mind, Little Wiwa was born. Here, founder Shanti Wiwatowski explains the inspiration behind the brand.

What was the inspiration behind Little Wiwa?

Back in 2016, our first son Vinnie started signs of crawling at 4.5 months and became an active commando crawler. Within a short time, he developed calluses on his elbows and putting him anywhere besides the hardwood floor or carpet wasn’t an option. It wasn’t practical nor comfortable and I knew I had to find a safe, plush mat to support his newfound motor development. 

After much research, not only could I not find one that wasn’t loud in a myriad of colours, I also learnt the dangers of PVC in toys and the risks it could impose on our (kids’) health. Since then, there was no turning back. With these in mind, my aspirations were set and the rest was history.

Tell us about the materials Little Wiwa uses - and why you chose these as opposed to PVC? 

Little Wiwa play mats are made using 100% sustainable and non-toxic Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) foam and free from PVC, BPA and latex, making it a safe choice for your little ones. All our mats are thickly padded (15mm), reversible and waterproof - perfect for our little tumblers to play, learn and explore safely. 

Numerous research has been done to determine the safety of PVC in kids’ toys – the results have shown that PVC contains plasticisers (softening agent) to increase the elasticity and flexibility of the material as well as stablisers that contain harmful chemical additives when emitted as off-gas in its lifecycle - hence the strong odour. PVC is also harmful to the environment, as when incinerated PVC releases these hazardous chemicals, polluting the air. 

Kids are still vulnerable to these toxic chemicals as their bodies are still developing, so having babies and infants doing tummy time on these mats at such close proximity, smelling the off-gas, is simply unsafe. With this in mind, there is simply no compromise. 

Unlike PVC, TPU foams are elastic and do not require any toxic chemical treatments before use. Albeit similar to PVC in its physical properties, i.e. waterproof and flexible, TPU require no additives and are biodegradable - great for the environment, a safe alternative and hence why our play mats are the safest choice for little ones.  

What is Little Wiwa's business philosophy?

Safety first. It’s the first thing that pops to mind with a little one on the way. Our business ethos and products are created with safety in mind. 

Play mats are one of the most useful essentials when it comes to babies – to aid in their developmental stages, namely tummy time and supporting them in their crawling stages. 

In addition, when it comes to kids, their priorities come first; so somewhere between buying that first bright animal rattle and that last set of rainbow blocks– your home has become one technicolour atrocity. 

So when creating our products, I had both safety and beautiful timeless Scandinavian aesthetics in mind, to design them as a perfect addition in any minimalist, modern abode - so there is absolutely no need for us parents to compromise on style.  

What makes Little Wiwa playmats uniques?

Our minimalist designs. We are very focused in what we do – and that is simply, making the best, safest baby play mats for our little ones. You simply can’t compromise on safety and my aim is to make a difference, educating parents, one family at a time.  

On a practical sense, how does Little Wiwa appeal to parents?

• 100% PVC free, odourless, free from BPA, lead and phthalates. 

• Soft and thickly padded – provides strengthening support during tummy time from newborn stage.

• Plush and divinely comfortable – soft on the knees and perfect for your growing little tumblers to play learn and explore.

• Waterproof. Great for messy play, nappy-free time or nappy-change station. 

• Hypoallergenic – no nasty chemicals or additives. 

• A breeze to clean, simply use damp cloth with soapy water for general clean.

The playmats outlast those early years though...

I believe and stand by the quality in my products – it has been designed for babies but it doesn’t end there. Once they have moved from the crawling stage, they are still able to use it to the toddlers stage and beyond, as older kids love playing and lying on them too, perfect for any open ended play time. It has been designed for the parents too so the enjoyment do extend to the whole family. 

They have also been independently tested and certified safe and compliant to not only in accordance to the Australian/ New Zealand Toy Standards AS/NZS ISO 8124 but also European EN71 Toy Standards.

Why do parents love your designs? 

We have 600 x 5 Star Reviews submitted organically to us via our loyal customers.
                                

What was your background before moving into baby products?

I worked in Research & Product Development as well as in Marketing before I fell pregnant with my first. Even though I was working in a leadership role, I wasn’t quite happy as I needed to find my purpose – no doubt there was always a void. It took having my first child to figure out what that my dream was and soon Little Wiwa was born and the rest is history.  

What were some of the challenges of launching a business with a baby-in-tow and how did you deal with them?

Like any new businesses, we’ve had humble beginnings with plenty of hurdles and challenges – the juggle is real! 

Having your own small business means you are working 24/7, as there are simply not enough time to do the numerous tasks with little ones in tow. The challenges were simply lack of sleep, working late into the wee mornings and waking up every few hours to nurse my babies. 

We didn’t have much capital to invest in resources either so it was all me and hubby working out of our huge double garage. Eight months into the business, I fell pregnant with my second baby. It didn’t really phase me until I was quite large and handling our products were very challenging (as our products are quite bulky). We then recruited help and started building a team from then – it was hard to let go at first, but no doubt it was the right thing to do. As since then I was able to focus on the bigger picture and expand the business in other areas. 

I have also learnt to be diligent in my time management. There’s a time scheduled for every task required and processes are more structured – to create a balance in work and parenting life. 

Little Wiwa last words… 

Not only are they safe, they are multifunctional – doubles as change mats or exercise/ yoga mats. All our mats are reversible with minimalist, Scandi-inspired patterns; designed with the whole family in mind so that they can be used for many years to come.  

Website: littlewiwa.com.au, Instagram: @littlewiwa,

Facebook: @littlewiwaplaymat

Want to see the products up close? Come to our next Sydney baby expo or Melbourne baby expo by visiting our Sydney baby expo page here or our Melbourne baby expo page here.