First things first; what does tiny library do? At Tiny Library you can rent all the baby products you need for the first years of your kids for a fixed amount per month. When your kids outgrow the products and you don't need it anymore, we’ll pick it up for cleaning and then it goes to the next baby! How cool is that? 

We now also have Joolz products in our product range since December last year!  

Curious? Go check it out here >>

The idea to start Tiny library really came from my own experience. When I was pregnant I realized how many products I needed for such a short amount of time. I didn't want to buy everything new, so I was searching for sustainable alternatives. However, I had a busy job and did not want to spend my free time in a car picking up products for my baby.  

Besides that I had no clue if I bought the right products, since I was not able to check them myself. I was living in a tiny apartment in Amsterdam at the time and did not have the space to store all the products. That's when the idea for Tiny Library was born. 

Being a mom and work full time of course comes with is challenges. For me it is a balancing act every day to be honest, but also very rewarding on both sides. For me it is a must that I have to be home for the kids on time to have dinner with them or to pick them up, because otherwise I would probably work all day and night. So it makes me very critical on how I spend my time and If I do the right things. Also I'm very sure that I'm a happier mom when I'm working (at least when it is in balance) and that positively affects the kids and of course our whole family. My husband also has a successful career and thus a busy worklife, we both help out where we can in the household & make sure we make enough time for our kids. 

"make sure you take care of yourself & ask for help when you need it’’

As a female founder I felt in the beginning that not everyone was taking me seriously. They thought that I was running my business from home with some products in the basement that I cleaned myself (this was actually true in the beginning, but at that time I already had big plans!).  

I think when you are a mom with kids (or pregnant), the common thought is just that you do your business during school hours and it is a nice hobby next to the kids. I’m living proof this is not the case & it’s up to our generation to break with this preconception. 

Tips for other moms

You can still have your career & be an amazing mom! Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. My tips for anyone who is struggling with the same issues I had are taking care of yourself & time management. Make sure you are very critical on your time, at the office and at home. Make time for your kids and set deadlines for yourself so you don’t get lost in the workload. I try to outsource as many tasks that don't need to be done necessarily by me, think of cleaning the house, doing laundry, bringing your kids to swimming lessons. For example, 3 days per week we have a very sweet lady at our house from 8-18 who runs the household, picks up the kids, cooks etc. It is an absolute blessing! I’m not saying you can only come by with a maid, but definitely don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed. 

Then the most important one: spend time on things that charge your battery, like working out, drinking coffee with a friend or going for a walk. Most women feel guilty when they spend time for themselves, but I think it is really needed in order to keep your energy high!  

Sustainability plays a big role in my personal life & is also one of the pillars of my company. When I started Tiny Library, with my family we decided to buy no new things for a year. We rented everything or bought it second hand. For my own maternity visits of our second son we only asked for 'used gifts'. The result: we got bags full with clothes and toys other people were not using anymore. We loved it!  

In raising my little monsters I’m also very aware of giving back to the world. I try to implement little things like used gifts for birthdays or recycling in their everyday life, so they also learn the importance of taking care of our planet. 

‘’I really believe that we have to move from our lineair / consumption society to a circular & sharing society. I think it will not only be better for the planet, but also feel a lot more rewarding.’’ 

My dream is to inspire other parents to be the best version of their selves and helping new parents with the start of the biggest adventure in their lives. My vision for Tiny Library is becoming kind of like Prénatal but then as a service. With a flagship store in Amsterdam next to Ikea. In the future I believe that renting will be as big as buying new, this will be the new mainstream thing for baby products, so we all chip in for a better future for ourselves and our kids.