Emily and Sophie, founders of Earthling, on lockdown motherhood, small flats, and raising self-worth in their children. Lockdown motherhood: small flats, big challenges

When Emily and Sophie became mums, it was the beginning of a very strange year. No baby groups, no casual coffees, no visits from friends offering reassurance, and absolutely no ‘village’. Just two tiny flats, tiny babies, and the weight of new motherhood pressing in.

“Our flats were so small,” Sophie remembers. “No dedicated changing area. Nappies lived in a caddy under the sofa alongside wipes and bum cream. Every surface, nook and cranny was multipurpose.”

They needed a solution that could work hard, be portable, and make daily life easier - something non-toxic, natural, and multi-functional. That’s how the Seedling basket was born: part changing station, part toy storage, part coffee table tray, part boat for imaginative play.

From need to ethical design

For Emily, it was never just about practicality.

“We wanted something meaningful. We wanted to recognise the Vietnamese mothers hand-weaving these baskets from their homes. They work incredibly hard, often with limited resources, and we wanted our support to go directly to them. No mass production, no shortcuts - no matter the cost.”

The baskets became a bridge between intention and action: functional, beautiful, and carrying the story of real people behind every weave.

Watching children navigate a world of comparison

As their babies grew, a new concern emerged. “Even at five or six,” Emily notes, “we started seeing the comparisons: who’s the fastest, who’s reading the longest, who’s invited… It’s subtle but powerful.”

That’s why the founders expanded their focus beyond baskets. Their wall prints are not just décor - they are daily reminders for children: You are magic. You are brave. You are kind.

“Self-worth shouldn’t depend on achievement,” Sophie explains. “We want our children to know they are worthy just as they are, and that’s as much for us as it is for them.”

Creating space for “good enough”

Motherhood today can feel like a constant benchmark: screen-free, organic, conscious, present, patient, grateful… all excellent ideals, but exhausting when you’re already stretched.

Emily and Sophie have learned to focus on what they can control:

• Listening before trying to fix.
  

• Celebrating effort, not just outcomes.
  

• Letting things be “good enough.”
  
  

Their Seedling baskets, wall art, and prints are quiet anchors in a noisy world - small, intentional touches that make home life feel gentler and steadier.

“Even in a small flat, with limited resources and endless days, it’s possible to create spaces, rituals, and reminders that hold meaning.”

The Earthling ethos

Earthling was born from need, not ambition. It started in lockdown, in small flats, with tiny humans, with a desire to make life a little more manageable, and more ethical. Today, it continues because Emily and Sophie still see the same gaps: in practical, beautiful products, and in the quiet shaping of self-worth in children.

Their message is simple: you don’t have to earn your worth. You already have it.