Interview with CO Family’s Kathryn Farrell
Our first mom interview is in conversation with Kathryn Farrell of CO Family, changing the way families navigate parenthood with her streamlined, thoughtfully-designed baby carriers.
We here at Heyterra are big fans of a babywearing.
It’s easy to understand why— as travelers, we love to explore, document and share this beautiful world we live in, and babywearing allows us to do it seamlessly with our children in tow. It’s our number one travel gear recommendation because it allows us to be hands-free while navigating airports, new cities and landscapes around the world.
Carrying our babies is part of our natural evolution as primates— mothers have evolved to carry their babies to keep them safe and close while they completed tasks of daily survival. We’ve met mothers in Myanmar with the most beautifully-constructed slings in Myanmar, woven Rebozos across the African continent and intuitive back-carries of the Nenet people of northern Siberia. Babywearing is an essential part of how we’ve thrived as a species.
Plus, it allows us to snuggle our babies even more (and who doesn’t want extra snuggle time?)
Which is why we’re excited to celebrate Atlanta-based Kathryn Farrell who designed a baby carrier with modern parents in mind with her emerging brand CO Family. The simple, streamlined design of her CO Carrier had made it possible for new city-going parents to honor the natural extension of babywearing while living in the 21st century. Our world has developed, but one universal truth holds: we still need to hold our babies. Welcome, Kathryn!
HT: Ok, so you’re essentially an angel, having worked in health care during the pandemic. Tell us more about that and how it inspired you to create a product from scratch in the middle of it all.
KF: You are too kind! I have been in healthcare for 10 years, but I have never experienced stress like we endured during the pandemic. In addition to the ever-present fear and uncertainty, I was also fresh off of my second maternity leave and in a brand new leadership role. All day I worked on new safety protocols and procedures, and then came home to a two-year-old and an infant. My baby wouldn’t allow me to put her down, so I struggled to answer work emails, phone calls from frightened and angry staff, and just get through the day-to-day of being a Working Mom. I tried every single brand of baby carrier I could find, and none of them provided what I wanted: a quick and easy way to carry my baby in multiple positions. Oh, and we live in Atlanta so it couldn't be bulky and hot!
After taking a good look at many different carriers, I figured I could do better and started designing my own version. So, in short, it was created out of necessity. And I know I am not the only parent who has struggled with life demands on top of parenting demands, so I knew this was something I needed to share with the world!
HT: It’s no secret we love baby carriers over here- it’s not only a necessity for travel, we love snuggling with our babies. What is your favorite part about babywearing?
KF: Oh the snuggles are the best, aren't they? And when you can snuggle AND use your hands- BOOM! That's magic. For me, as a working mom who also likes to get out and about as often as possible, I really need a way to keep the little one happy while remaining mobile. We don't really stay at home much, and babywearing allows us to keep going on our adventures with the kids.
HT: The design of the CO carrier is so streamlined, simple and lightweight- and with modular components to adjust as baby grows. So smart! (I wish we had the Hip Carry option with my son!) Tell us about your process on designing it with those thoughtful elements in mind
KF: Funny you say that because the whole concept actually stemmed from the hip carry position! My youngest demanded to be held all the time, so when she was about 7 months old, I started doing that age-old Mom hip hold. You know, jutting your hip out and holding the baby there with one arm. The problem with that was, it left me impaired! Trying to prep dinner or answer an email with one hand is not very easy. I tried other carriers but the ones that do have hip carry are so complicated to set up, they weren't helpful. I thought "there has got to be an easier way to just HOLD her here!". I started tying together pieces of fabric like a sling, and the concept grew from there. It took almost a year to get the design just right, making little tweaks with every iteration of the CO.
Behind every successful mom is a (super cute) CO Family.
HT: It is such a tough time for so many parents, especially now, juggling the stresses of work, parenting, Covid, and finding that support to maintain it all. Baby carriers help with so much of the burden, both logistically and emotionally. Has creating this product given you personal fulfillment, knowing you’re contributing to the overall wellness of families out there?
Oh, absolutely! Healthcare is rewarding in some ways, but creating this product has been so much more fulfilling. I feel like I can truly make a difference for parents during an extremely difficult time. I remember being a new parent and struggling with my inability to do even the simplest things. Taking a shower and getting dressed went from a daily given to a luxury! Using a baby carrier helped me to get through the day with relative normalcy. I can't even imagine going through that during a pandemic, and my heart goes out to everyone who became parents for the first time over the past few years. Knowing my product is helping parents navigate this transition really makes all of the hard work that went into this worth it.
What are your hopes with CO Family- where do you want to see your wonderful company go in the next few years?
This is my favorite thing to think about! I would really love to design more products that help parents pursue their passions. There are so many baby products that haven't been improved in decades, even though parenting has changed quite a bit. More families have two working parents, we all have more demands on our time, and parents are more keen to maintain their own identity even after adding children to the mix. I hope that we can create products that are travel-friendly and helpful for active parents who like to get out and do things!
HT: Since we’re a travel site, we have to ask: what is the last most memorable outing you did with your family, either on a trip, road trip or locally in Atlanta? (and give us Atlanta tips please:)
We haven't done many big trips with the kids yet, which has been hard because my husband and I loved traveling before we had kids. We have mostly had stateside trips, and our kids have so much fun anywhere they go. I feel very lucky to have two little buddies who love being outdoors as much as I do, and they love going to the mountains just as much as the beach just as much as a new hike near our home. While I miss the baby stage in many ways, I am also excited to enter this new phase where we will be able to travel a little more easily and expand their worlds a little more!
Atlanta is such a great place to visit with kids, but you definitely need to know where to go. Stay out of downtown and head to the nearby neighborhoods to see what makes this city great. Closer to downtown, you can find great parks in Morningside, Virginia Highlands, Inman Park, and Buckhead. The further North you go, the more trails and mini-mountains you can explore, as close to the city as Sandy Springs (about 30 minutes from downtown). Spring is a wonderful season here as long as your allergies aren't too bad, the amount of greenery and blooming flowers make for a really special time of year. The summers are also wonderful, and I hope to see the return of the many festivals we normally have this year. If you're a beer drinker, check out Tucker Brewing Company and Dr. Scofflaw's- they both have full kids' play areas outside so you can relax while the kids have a blast. And don't complete your trip without sampling some true Southern food- check out The Colonnade for a real glimpse into Old Southern cooking you won't soon forget.
