Absolutely Mama’s Carly Glendinning meets Spice Girl and Founder of Kit & Kin, Emma Bunton…

Hi Emma, so lovely to chat with you. What is motherhood like now your children are growing up? Is it different having a teenager in the house?  

We do miss the first words, first steps and we are constantly telling our children to stop getting big! They grow up so fast, it feels like not long ago they were tiny. 

We love every minute of being parents, it’s always new. Every time you think you’ve got the hang of being a parent, a new stage is on the horizon, so you’re constantly adapting. 

The beautiful thing about having older children is the conversations we can have with them now. We talk about everything, and we have a very close connection. I love our chats.

How do you think motherhood has changed you and what was is it like when you found out you were going to be a mum for the first time? 

Becoming a mum has completely changed my life for the better! When I found out, I was just thrilled, I’ve always known I wanted to have children, and I absolutely adore being a mother. The whole process of becoming a parent can be quite overwhelming as your priorities completely shift to making sure your little ones are safe, healthy and happy. For me, this meant worrying about what products to use on my kids, as they both had sensitive skin. All I wanted to do is keep them safe, so seeing their skin flare up made me feel so helpless. This was also the main reason I wanted to create my brand, Kit & Kin. 

Do you think you became closer with the other Spice Girls when you all became mothers? Did it change your dynamic, do you think? 

Absolutely, I think motherhood is such a bonding experience as it’s probably one of the biggest life changes you will go through. It makes you realise how strong and amazing women really are.

What are the biggest challenges with juggling your busy career, running a business, and being a mum? 

As for all parents, it can be quite overwhelming trying to fit everything in! It’s all about finding the right balance that works for you. In my case, I have found that setting myself clear priorities and boundaries is what works best. Work is very important to me, and I love what I do but we always make sure to prioritise family, especially on the weekends and school holidays. That’s when we just relax and spend quality time all together.

What made you want to launch a sustainable parenting brand? Have you always been really passionate about the environment? 

Becoming a mum really made me think about the future and about the impact of my decisions and purchases on our planet. As parents, we are always so busy and trying to lessen our environmental impact, and it can feel quite overwhelming. So being able to do something positive just by buying everyday essentials like nappies makes a lot of sense. As a society, we are so much more aware of our impact, which is fantastic, and by making the right choices together we can make a big difference.

Do you have any advice for parents who want to make more sustainable choices? 

Simple, sustainable swaps are a great way of easing ourselves into a more sustainable lifestyle. Making the right choices when it comes to the products we use is a really effective and easy way of helping to reduce our impact on the planet. Parents can sometimes feel guilty about nappies, as we throw them away in staggering quantities every day. The good news is that there are some fantastic, eco-friendly and reusable alternatives out there, giving parents one less thing to worry about. At Kit & Kin, we’re renowned for our award-winning eco nappies, which use gentle and sustainable materials to be kind on baby’s bottom and our planet – as well as being super absorbent, which, let’s be honest, is what we really want to hear when we have a newborn to look after.

Our giving back programme with the World Land Trust (WLT) also means that every time you use a Kit & Kin product, you’re helping to protect acres of rainforest forever. Each of our nappy subscriptions for example personally protects 5 precious trees.

Is there anything new coming up for Kit & Kin that we should watch out for? 

I guess it’s finally time to spill the tea on something big we have been working on! I’m so excited to share that we’ve just launched our gorgeous plant-based cleaning range! 

I’m honestly so proud of this plant-based, refillable range! We’ve made it without any harsh chemicals to be kinder to your family and it’s already proven to be more effective than the leading brands! The naturally-derived ingredients and refillable bottles mean that it’s kinder on our planet, too. And as with all things Kit & Kin, every product bought helps protect acres of precious rainforest!

And what about the Spice Girls? We’re excited about the possibility of a 2023 tour!

Being a band of mummies it’s something that is not always easy organising a tour but something we always talk about. We absolutely love being on stage together and having the children there makes it extra special. 

How’s the Kit & Kin cleaning launch gone? What’s your favourite products from the collection?

At just over 6 years old, Kit & Kin is available in over 30 countries! We’ve received 47 industry awards and we’re still only getting started! The cleaning launch was the next big chapter and I still can’t believe it’s finally happened. I usually say that my favourite product is our Magic Salve. It’s such a versatile balm that I always carry with me. But since I’m so, so excited about our new plant-based cleaning range, I will have to say our Laundry Liquid and our Fabric Conditioner. I’ve been using them at home and it’s just so reassuring to know that they contain only naturally derived ingredients so that no nasty chemicals will touch my family’s skin. Not to mention looking beautiful in my utility room! 

With thanks to Emma Bunton.

kitandkin.com

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