I guess I never set out to be an inventor; it just came about through a whole series of events inspired by my fabulous children. Though the thought of taking an idea and developing it into a final product, I must confess, did seem quite scary when I first set out on my journey. But hey, if I can do it, then anyone with a great idea, determination and a positive mindset can!
To help you on your way, I have come up with a 6 step
‘Mum-inventor’ mini guide, which I am publishing, step by step, over the coming weeks:
Step 1: Have a great idea
As they say, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’; so just what was my ‘what if’ moment?
Being mum to 5 young children, I felt quietly confident that I wasn’t in for any surprises with #6. …. BUT oh how wrong can you be?!!! After Bradley was born, he plain refused to sleep for any longer than around 2 hours at a time, he cried constantly and it was a nightly struggle to settle him…a struggle that went on until he was two and a half years old!
I tried everything to soothe him off to sleep, but discovered that the most reliable way was to lean over the cot sides and create a ‘rocking cot’ motion by moving the mattress up and down. Having scoured shops and the internet for any product that would replicate this movement, (and relieve my backache!) I realised that there was nothing suitable out there.
By this stage, I was determined to invent a product that would not only help soothe particularly fractious babies, but also promote the formation of a healthy sleep pattern, so both babies and parents could benefit from a good night’s rest.
And so began my ‘mum-inventor’ journey.
To help you on your journey, there’s a fantastically helpful site that’s just been launched: www.shesingenious.org which is jam packed full of useful stuff for female inventors and it really is well worth a visit.
Coming up next: Do your groundwork; how to find out if your idea is unique.
