Tara Williams created Dreamland Baby because she was sleep deprived. Her fourth child, Luke, would not sleep. When babies don’t sleep, parents don’t either. When you have four kids and aren’t sleeping, life can be a bit rough. Tara has a very positive attitude though and she kept plugging along. One night, little Luke was being particularly difficult to put down so Tara had him in the living room. She put a heavy blanket on top of him and he fell asleep. In fact, he slept for twelve hours!
This was an “ah ha” moment for the young mother. She did a little research and found that a weighted blanket provides feelings of security for infants. So she called her mother in law and the two of them got to sewing. When they were done, the first Dreamland Baby blanket was complete. Calling it a blanket is a bit of a stretch, it’s more like a cross between a sleeping bag and baby overalls. Beads in between quilted cotton fabric provide the weight.
Everyone she knew had heard about little Luke’s sleeping habits and the “miracle cure” Tara created. Other parents began asking her to make them a blanket and then the light bulb turned on. She could make a business out of this. After raising nearly $25,000 on Kickstarter in mid 2019, she was set to make and deliver her first set of sales. Now, she sells direct to consumer on her website. She’s hoping a Shark can help her take things to the next level.
My Take on Dreamland
As a father of five, I was blessed with four children who slept through the night on day one. Then there was the other one. We used to joke that sleep was a four letter word for her. She was always up fussing and we used a heavy afghan to calm her – a trick my nana told me about. Even though it didn’t always work, it worked enough that my wife and I didn’t suffer mental breakdowns.
I feel Tara’s pain. We have one daughter who is eight years younger than the youngest of “the older kids.” At one point, we had a one, two, four and five year old. Hectic times to say the least. Now, we tell people we have an only child, just to mess with them! When we talk about those early days now, we do it with the fondness of distance. Parenting little ones is a tough job and if there’s a product out there that makes it easier, I’m in.
Will Sharks Make Tara’s Dream Come True?
Tara is a committed woman with the attitude that she will do whatever it takes to succeed. This pitch is the tear-jerker for the final episode of season 11. She probably doesn’t have a ton of sales – certainly not millions. She’s the entrepreneur who wants a Shark to help her get started. Heck, she has four young kids – she needs help!
I am predicting an emotional plea and some tears from Tara. One of the Sharks, possibly Lori, will swoop in with a deal that will make viewers feeling good and Tara feeling better.
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