Even before she started Mothercould, Myriam Sandler was working on providing help to mothers and children in need. The Miami-based entrepreneur worked with the Salvation Army Homeless Shelter, heading their women and children's program. Even though she's moved on from that job, her commitment to families has remained unchanged.
Mothercould
"The name Mothercould, and the whole idea behind the branding and concept, was about parenting empowerment," Myriam Sandler explains. "Having a child can be difficult, and no one can fully prepare you for this, but parents can always incorporate moments of connection with their children and get those small parenting victories in. "
Myriam Sandler's vision of what Mothercould could represent came about when she got a much-needed parenting victory herself. Her firstborn child wasn't accepting the transition to eating solids, prompting Myriam to seek medical help. The doctors, in turn, were concerningly laid back regarding the issue, saying that her baby’s weight and height looked normal and, therefore there was nothing to worry about.
"I thought it was important for her to start eating solids. Every parenting book said so! I was worried as a first-time mom and could feel something was off," Myriam Sandler says. "I eventually noticed she had a texture sensitivity, so we started engaging her in sensory play. We got her used to different textures using taste-safe sensory recipes like edible playdough, sand, or slime. We slowly got her used to each texture before moving on to the next one, all in a playful environment with no pressure. In just a few months, she was eating salmon and quinoa. It blew my mind and it felt very rewarding."
Having seen the many benefits of sensory play, Myriam Sandler would go on to introduce it to her second child even though her daughter didn’t show signs of any texture sensitivity. She found that her younger daughter quickly developed her fine and gross motor skills through play.
Creating recipes for sensory play activities was what Mothercould was known for initially, but soon after, she pivoted to video content, and her online presence started growing exponentially.
"Having a positive outlook on being a parent was always at the core of what Mothercould was about," explains Myriam Sandler. "So when I started to engage more with the community, it quickly grew beyond just sharing sensory play ideas and DIY activities."
Thanks to her down-to-earth approach that emphasized experience instead of overanalyzing what she was doing, the friendly community soon grew to include millions of parents throughout social media. Many of them found support and understanding in the group during the pandemic.
"With schools closing and kids coming home, there were lots of questions about how to clean food coloring, store homemade playdough, or remove magic markers off the furniture and walls," Myriam recalls.
These days, with the pandemic restrictions lifted, Myriam Sandler and her family are back doing what they love the most – traveling and exploring new and fun ways to connect with their children when home. Her family has grown to include three kids.
Mothercould also grew as a brand and a business. The platform’s content portfolio now includes how-to videos and hacks demonstrating Myriam Sandler's penchant for recycling, repurposing, and keeping entertainment budget-friendly.
There's also more family lifestyle content with valuable tips for parents on topics such as travel, marriage, and finding connections with children in everyday moments.
"Parents are often overwhelmed and don't know where to start," says Myriam Sandler. "They appreciate it when someone breaks things down for them and gives them a tried recipe to follow. It's the same whether I’m creating edible sand or going to Disneyworld. If I can provide advice to make those moments more enjoyable for the parent and the kid, then everyone's a winner, and I’ve done my job."
Tagged in Mother And Child