Green Families provides awareness and educational activities about eco-friendly and holistic living for families. It’s a new company that recently won a competition to benefit from a host of business and childcare services from innovative, south-west London-based combined office and childcare space Third Door. We were so interested that we invited founder Jessica St. Clair to tell us how it’s changing her life – and how she wants to change yours!

Green goddess: Jessica St. Clair and son Henry

Services on offer at Green Families include workshops on subjects ranging from Natural Parenting, Green & Clean Homes to Organic Weaning for Healthy Development. They also organise customised living consultations, and publish resources that provide families with clear guidance and information about the toxins in their environment. They will soon have a directory of “green havens” and a line of quick and fresh organic baby foods.

How did you come up with the idea for Green Families? Did it coincide with becoming a parent, or had you been wanting to do something with a green ethos for a while?
I had studied and worked in developmental psychology throughout my university and pre-baby years. It was a topic of discussion during my courses, and I remember being struck by the impact everyday living has on young children. I see non-toxic living as the key to healthy development, and have always been passionate about children’s issues, holistic and green living, organic and healthy foods, and resource sustainability. When my son Henry was born, my interests and life’s work became more than a calling but a personal mission.

I spent a period during my pregnancy on bed rest, and took that time to research green and organic products. I quickly became overwhelmed by the amount of information out there, its inconsistency, and the plethora of available products once I’d found credible ones. Many close friends were starting families and having similar issues, so I decided that it was important to share the knowledge I had gained and create a resource for other families. I wanted to bridge the gap between resources/valid information and everyday consumers.

What does your Third Door prize include? How useful do you think the facilities at Third Door will be for you as a working mother?
The Third Door prize includes free membership, 30 hours of workspace/childcare, a business in a box package (logo design, business cards and website), 3 x 1 hour consultancy sessions – in marketing, legal, financial, PR, social media, technology, business management or life coaching advice and a laptop. In short, a lot! Basically, an entire support network, not only in setting up and establishing, but also advertising and developing the business on an ongoing basis. The best aspect of the prize is the community of working parent entrepreneurs who have to balance business ambitions with ambitions for their children in a supportive environment.

Third Door is a no-brainer for working parents. As much as we all love to work from home, the mere idea of an accessible parent means I’ll more likely be playing with my son than working. Third Door provides the support system, the flexibility, the space and the educational stimulation for children that makes the entire prospect of a self-employed parent much more feasible.  

Do you have any advice for mothers who want to set up a business around the needs of their child(ren)?
Be easy on yourself. I think a lot of times we get so wrapped up trying to be the perfect parent, the best partner and a successful business owner that we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. Most entrepreneurs are naturally ambitious and perfectionist – it’s the nature of what creates us, but it also means we need to be conscious about mapping out our paths in a bite-size manner so that we don’t feel too overwhelmed.

What three easy things any family can do to become greener?

1. Try to eat local, organic food whenever possible. It’s important to avoid the toxins and chemicals found in conventional food products. This is sometimes difficult from a budget and accessibility standpoint, but doing the best we can helps. We also have a nice resource that we give out that lists the most sprayed and least sprayed products that any family with young children should avoid.
2. Switch to eco-friendly cleaning products. They are widely available now and do not cost more than conventional. In fact, if you make your own (vinegar and baking soda or lemon), it costs even less.
3. Turn off the lights (and the laptop and mobile chargers when you don’t need them). Teach your children about how to save energy and the earth by being conscious of your consumption.

What next for Green Families?
Our hope is to grow first locally and virtually, and then on a broader basis. We’re doing this through our immediate networks and the consultations and workshops we provide, our online tools and resources, as well as planning for the launch of a fresh and organic ready-made babyfood delivery service.