Mother of invention

Published 7:30 am Friday, September 30, 2011

Having three children, former Dalton resident Elizabeth Nysewander Edwards knows the frustration of picking up after her youngsters.

There are Matchbox cars on the floor. Books scattered on tables. If you have kids or are around them, you know the drill.

“A pre-school mom friend and I were talking about picking up after our children, all of the little cars or notes that were in their bed every night,” said Edwards, a 1987 graduate of Dalton High School who now lives in suburban Washington, D.C. “I was like, ‘We should make a pillow that they could put all of this in. Then the bed would look neat and they would know where their things are.’”

Born from that venting session was a business venture called the Secret Pocket Pillow. It’s part toy, part decorative pillow and part treasure box. The pillows were officially launched Wednesday, and there will be a national advertising campaign kicking off Monday with commercials on Nick Jr. and other children’s networks. Concept to rollout took about a year.

“It was the furthest thing from a high-tech concept,” said Sally Eastman, one of the three partners in EKS Kids. “The idea really came from wanting the kids to pick up after themselves. You can ask them to do it 100 times, but with the pockets in the pillow, you barely have to ask. This is their space, and they want to put their things in it. It was something that lots of parents have observed, but it also gave us a chance to use the skills we’d learned in the business world.”

 The 12-inch square pillows are made of fleece fabric with an appliqué design on front and two hidden pockets. The large pocket on back is sealed with a nine-inch zipper that holds items, while remaining plush for a child to hug or lay his or her head on. The small pocket on front is hidden in the design. The first four designs are Bella Butterfly, Cody Car, Florence Flower and Rocco Rocket. The next four designs will be a cat, dinosaur, dog and unicorn.

The business partners are two moms and a dad with eight children between them from 1 to 8 years old. Edwards, who has two girls (4 and 8) and a son (2), said her children “were definitely our guinea pigs” for the project. The girls quickly understood the concept of the pillow, hiding their diaries and jewelry in the pockets. Her son, however, took longer to warm to the idea.

“He threw and kicked it around,” Edwards said. “Then he was like, ‘Wait. I can keep all of my cars and toys in here. I can put 50 Matchbox cars in it and drag it around.’”

Edwards said she was looking to start a business that would still allow her to stay at home with her children. She said the story of EKS Kids shows entrepreneurs can succeed in spite of the difficult economy.

The pillows are currently only available at www.secretpocketpillow.com or by calling 800-315-1301. Each pillow is $19.95 plus shipping and handling. In the future, Edwards hopes they will be sold at big box retailers.

Edwards still has family in the area. Her father, Bill Nysewander, lives in Dalton. Her mother, Beth Nysewander, was a popular teacher at Dalton High School who passed away in 2007.