Ground Floor: Boy named Bo inspires natural parenting BOutique

No, that's not a typo in 'BOutique.'

Bo is the son of Hannah Schultz, co-owner of Tiny Feet BOutique & Playspace, and gets a lot of the credit for his mom's decision to open a natural parenting business.

'His name had to be a part of it,' Schultz said.

After Bo was born in the fall of 2013, Schultz was seeking a particular type of soft-structured baby carrier but was dismayed to find that her only option was to buy it online.

'There were no natural parenting boutiques in the area,' she said. 'But the demographic is there.'

Natural parenting, Schultz said, is based on raising children in an organic, ecologically-conscious way. While practices may vary from family to family, natural parenting often includes breastfeeding, baby wearing (a practice of carrying the baby close to the body in a sling or other soft carrier), and using cloth diapers.

After quitting her job to stay home with Bo, Schultz started thinking about opening a shop to meet the natural parenting needs of pregnant and nursing mothers and their young children.

'But I didn't want to open a business to send my son to daycare,' she said.

In November 2014, Schultz's sister-in-law, Jess Schultz, learned she was pregnant with her third child. Faced with having to send three children to daycare, Jess decided she would leave her job as a nurse to stay home with them.

That's when Hannah convinced her that the two of them should go into the natural parenting business together.

'It made sense,' Jess said. 'We're both moms with young kids.'

The two women went to work creating a business plan, which they used to obtain financing. Their idea was to integrate a natural parenting boutique with a play space for young children where they could bring their own kids.

Tiny Feet BOutique & Playspace opened Nov. 2. The boutique carries organic and eco-friendly products such as baby carriers, cloth diapers, glass bottles, wooden toys, apothecary and personal hygiene items. The owners said 90 percent of the merchandise is not otherwise available locally.

The attached eco-friendly play space is available for children up to five years old on a membership or drop-in basis. The space features different stations for imaginary play, reading, and arts and crafts, as well as a lounge area for parents. Daily activities such as parent and tot yoga, baby sign language, and educational classes on a variety of parenting and wellness topics are included in the price of admission.

The play space is available for rent on weekend afternoons for birthday parties, play dates, and baby showers.

'It's nice to bring our kids here,' Hannah Schultz said of the new business. 'One of the reasons why I did this was to create the best learning environment for my son.'

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