PARENT TO KNOW: Karly Barker

Karly Barker is the founder of Courtside Kids – an activewear brand for boys and girls ages 2 – 14. Prior to starting her family, the Utah native was a broadcast news reporter and anchor. Karly and her husband moved to Charlotte in 2012, and after seeing a need and getting a little podcast inspiration from Spanx founder, Sarah Blakely, she launched Courtside Kids in 2020.

Here, the mom of four talks managing logistics, family culture, and her love of Facebook Mom groups.

Tell us about your family. How many children do you have and what are their ages?

I am a mom of four kids! We are a wild bunch. I have one daughter (our resident princess) Annie who is 12 and then three boys – Jimmy (9), Ben (6) and George (2).

Who is the Courtside Kid customer and where can we shop?

Courtside Kids is made for boys who love to play and move. It all started with my four-year-old boy who only wanted to wear activewear and I could not find any great options that I felt were elevated enough for school but sporty enough for his sport-loving fashion sense. As parents, athleisure has become our main attire – yet kids had nothing like lululemon. It seemed to be a universal problem for all boy moms. I started sketching in 2020 and hired some incredible former lululemon designers to do our technical design and the rest is history!

Advice for fellow entrepreneurial moms who might not know where to start?

Find your village. Talk to as many entrepreneurs as you can and just take one step at a time. When you feel discouraged, take a day off and come back to it. Just start moving. Bet on yourself!

Hardest part about being a mom?

Logistics! Apps, emails? Am I right? As a mom of four, running everyone’s schedules feels like a full time job. Truthfully, I feel the hardest part is making sure I don’t let schedules get in the way of parenting or get in the way of building a family culture that we all love.

Favorite part about being a mom?

The best part about being a mom is getting to know my kids’ individual personalities God blessed them with. Watching them work hard towards goals and then see their hard work pay off – I simply couldn’t love anything more. And then of course, when I see my kids playing together – family culture is so important for me. There is nothing better than a happy, playful family.

Biggest parenting fail to date?

Oh goodness, where do I start? I think so far my kids have been little so little kids, little problems. We have some pretty epic potty-training stories that I’ll save for an in-person story. I always joke that I am running a clown car. Things are always coming out sideways, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Best parenting advice you ever received?

My Dad’s biggest piece of parenting advice was to get out of my kids’ way and let them become who they are supposed to become. I have really cherished this fatherly advice as I’ve let their personalities and passions shine. It is rewarding for all of us.

Marriage advice for new parents?

My best marriage advice is to identify the kind of wife you want to be – and remind yourself of it often. My husband and I have decided we both want to help each other not only achieve our professional goals, but also follow our personal passions while running our family. When he is away golfing, working or doing something with one or two of our kids – I want to be happy for him. I want to be the wife that finds joy when he’s happy. And in return, he is doing the same for me.

Parenting support you could not live without?

My village of moms. Truly, they are my lifeline. I often joke that my biggest strength is my village. I am never afraid to phone a friend and ask them how to tackle a problem or have a friend drive a child. Couldn’t live without them!

Phase you feared your child would never grow out of?

One of my boys has sensory struggles. He went through a few months of crying because his toes touched. That was a dark time for us all. But we made it through.

Favorite way to spend an unscheduled day with your kids in Charlotte? 

We started our family in South End so I love to be in the city with my kids – walking the rail trail, seeing a show at the Blumenthal Theater, visiting one of the parks. We love to be in our big city that feels like a small town!

Favorite Charlotte restaurant?

Oh this is a tough one! Kindred is our favorite spot to get away as a couple. The food can’t be beat. One of our favorite things right now is to take our kids to half off sushi at CO. Shockingly they are all falling in love with sushi and that is fun to watch.

Favorite place to shop in Charlotte?

For children’s clothes I love Coco Leto, Shower Me with Love and Fancy Pants. Oh and Kixx for shoes. I love the small shops, obviously!

What local amenity/retailer/service could you not live without?

It sounds silly but the Facebook Moms Groups. Can we hear it for the amazing resource that is the M2M groups? Honestly, for me the people who support my kids in Charlotte – I don’t think I could replicate it anywhere else. Our teachers, tutors, doctors. We are so lucky to live in this gracious city. Of course Mama loves to be spoiled too – I love Shannon at All About Beauty who does my hair and Taylor at Skinclique who helps me with my skin. Sips and Dips – couldn’t live without a fun dirty soda every once in a while for a treat. Oh and the best kept secret in Charlotte is Team Rose Bread. We can’t live without our weekly sourdough.