Our Story
A note from Dorothea:
Like all great ideas, WITH YOU was born out of love and necessity.
It all began when I was trying to support my neurodiverse son through heartbreaking nursery drop-offs. At just 18 months old, he was deeply distressed by our daily separations. A friend suggested using a transitional object — something I could give him at goodbye — but nothing seemed to work.
I realised that what he needed wasn’t just a toy or his favourite teddy; he needed something that truly felt like me. Something that said “mama.” A tangible reminder of our connection.
Late one night, I turned to my jewellery-making supplies and instinctively created a necklace. I strung together a carved shell heart, a golden magic wand, a pom-pom, and an orange bead that looked just like a carrot. The next morning, and without any preparation, I instinctively knelt in front of him and handed the necklace to him, saying:
“A heart because I love you. A wand for a magical day. A pom- pom for fun, and a carrot in case you get hungry — but don’t eat this one!”
His face lit up! He was delighted!!! By the gift, the ritual and the fun connection we created in those moments that were always so hard for us.
That necklace soothed him and gave him something to hold onto, emotionally and literally, throughout the day. It quickly became our goodbye ritual: a playful, reassuring moment that helped him feel connected, even when we were apart.”
Experiencing how much the necklace and ritual helped us and realising that there were so many children struggling with separation anxiety, I decided to share my idea with other families.
After the initial excitement of the decision to create this product for the public, I realised that my jewellery design background would need a bit of a lift to meet the toy/accessories market for kids, and if I were going to create something for children and their families, it had to be more than a handmade necklace. It needed to be beautifully designed, safe, durable and thoughtfully developed to the highest standards.
That's when I thought of my dear friend Valeria.
Val and I met over twenty years ago, when we were both young designers building our careers in London. From the very beginning, we shared a natural connection. Perhaps because we're both neurodiverse, perhaps because we're two European girls who made England our home, or perhaps simply because we are kindred spirits.
Over the years, Val has built an extraordinary career designing toys and children's products. With more than two decades of experience, she has brought hundreds of products to market for children around the world, combining creativity with an understanding of child development, materials, manufacturing and toy safety.
When I shared the idea with her, she immediately understood both its emotional value and its potential to support many other families. She embraced the vision, and together we began building what would become WITH YOU.
They say working with friends can be hard and challenging, but we are on the same wavelength. Even when we disagree, we approach it with love and respect for each other and the product, and in the end, our opposing views give birth to new ideas and solutions.
So here you have it, a great idea, a dream partnership and a range of beautiful and helpful products.
We hope you and your loved ones enjoy our products as much as we enjoy designing and making them.
