This sister duo created the most viral baby product on Instagram—and changed the game of snot-sucking
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Look, I’ve been writing about parenting products for years, and my kids are practically adults now (14 and 20—where does the time go?). But when I sat down to interview Sydney and Kaitlin Wiseman, the sister duo behind PlayhouseMD, I found myself getting genuinely excited about nasal aspirators. And if you know anything about the snot-sucking wars of early parenthood, you’ll understand why that’s saying something.
The story that started it all
Picture this: Kaitlin’s doing her residency in a pediatric ER, and there’s a terrified 3-year-old who needs a procedure. They’re about to escalate to general sedation because this little guy is having none of it. Then she spots the tiny Fingerlings monkey clipped to her stethoscope—one of those viral toys her sister Sydney created back in 2017.
“We were able to take the little monkey and he was putting a little mask on the monkey and I was able to put the mask on him and we were able to do the procedure with no problem,” Kaitlin told me, and I could hear the amazement still in her voice.
When she shared this story with Sydney, they both had the same lightbulb moment: “The power of play in the doctor’s office is really underutilized and like, why is no one doing this in the bigger way?”
Why indeed.
From otoscopes to kitchen tables
Their first creation was brilliantly simple—they turned an otoscope into a rocket ship. Suddenly, ear checks became treasure hunts. “Now, you’re looking for stars in your ears,” Sydney explained, and honestly, this would have saved so much screaming from my now 20-year-old. (Honestly, the kid was a banshee when it came to all things doctor’s office.)
Kaitlin started testing it in her practice and came home with reports that made me wish I could time-travel back to my kids’ toddler days: “Oh my God, like, this is saving me 30 minutes of my day. Kids aren’t crying. Kids that are normally like, you can’t look in my ears are like, how many stars are in my ears?”
But here’s where these sisters really got it—they didn’t stop at the doctor’s office. They realized we parents are dealing with the same battles at home. Every. Single. Day.
The products that are truly game-changing
Let’s talk about their medicine dispenser, because if you’ve ever tried to give liquid medicine to a toddler, you know it’s basically warfare. Sydney asked the question we’ve all been thinking: “Why isn’t it a rocket ship or butterfly that’s giving you butterfly nectar?” Their design even includes a bypass channel that avoids taste buds—no more pink amoxicillin spit-backs all over your favorite shirt.
But their nasal products? Those are what had me wishing I could go back in time. They’ve reimagined both the traditional bulb syringe (hello, adorable light-up narwhal!) and the nasal aspirator—Luna the elephant that’s similar to popular styles on the market but infinitely less terrifying.
The narwhal bulb is having a moment—Sydney told me this little guy is “in 30,000 people’s carts on Instagram, which is crazy” and they’re actually going to sell out. Both products light up for those 2 AM snot emergencies (because kids always get stuffed up at night), and come apart for cleaning so you’re not playing guessing games about what’s lurking inside. The suction is apparently better than anything else on the market too.
The storytelling aspect killed me: “Luna the elephant goes to eat your boogers, and kids who can understand, like 18-month and three-year-olds, are like, which nose has more boogers? They’re literally sitting still.”
One well known Instagram doctor tried it on her kid and he was literally asking for MORE nasal aspiration using baby sign language. I repeat: a child asking for more snot-sucking. If that’s not magic, I don’t know what is.
Save 15% at checkout on PlayhouseMD.com with code MOTHERLY15
The psychology behind the magic
As someone who spent way too much money on toys that promised to be “engaging” but collected dust after two days, I appreciated Sydney’s insight from her toy design background: “The first thing that kids gravitate towards is the eyes of the characters. A toy will work or not work based on the eyes and how a kid connects with them.”
So simple, yet so genius. Add friendly eyes to scary medical devices, and suddenly kids have something familiar to connect with. It’s the difference between a terrifying contraption coming at your face and a friendly character that wants to help.
Sisters who actually like each other (revolutionary, I know)
Talking with Sydney and Kaitlin, I was struck by how genuinely they seem to enjoy working together. In an age where family businesses often implode spectacularly, these two have figured it out. Maybe it’s because they literally shared a bed until Sydney was 20 (yes, really), or because they’re working from different cities (Sydney in LA, Kaitlin in Montreal), but their dynamic just works.
“Sydney has her really defined roles, which is basically everything,” Kaitlin laughed during our interview. “And then I do the medical stuff, and how it applies to home with my kids. She’s the idea generator and makes all of the magic happen, and I’ll be like, this needs a little bit of tweaking, because this won’t work.”
It’s the perfect partnership: the creative visionary and the practical voice of reason who actually lives with small children and knows what will fly in real life.
The success that actually makes sense
Here’s what really impressed me as someone who sees a lot of product launches that fizzle: PlayhouseMD’s success feels inevitable rather than lucky. Within six weeks of launching, they’re seeing the kind of engagement that established brands dream of. One TikTok video hit 4 million views with 40,000 shares, filled with comments like “why has no one done this?” and “thank you for doing this.”
Target’s buyer called it “the biggest white space we’ve seen,” and they’re rolling out to 800 stores with plans for nationwide coverage by March. That timeline is practically unheard of in retail.
But here’s the stat that really got me: 200 nurses and doctors have volunteered to help them, filling out lengthy forms just to get involved. When healthcare professionals are willing to do paperwork to support your product, you know you’re onto something special.
The bigger picture that gives me hope
Beyond the brilliant products and rapid success, what struck me most was their mission. Sydney shared that they’re getting comments from adults saying things like, “I wish we had this when we were younger, we’d have a better relationship with health now. I still hate taking my medicine now because of how it was forced on me when I was younger.”
“We’re hoping to also kind of rebrand the whole health relationship and make it less scary and more positive going forward,” Sydney told me, and honestly, that’s the good stuff.
As parents, we’re not just trying to survive the medicine battles and snot-sucking standoffs—we’re shaping our kids’ lifelong relationship with healthcare. When you put it that way, a friendly elephant that makes nasal aspiration fun isn’t just clever product design; it’s genuinely revolutionary.
Why this matters now
The accessibility piece really resonated with me too. Everything is priced under $20, and as Sydney put it, “We tried to be mindful and make sure that play is accessible to every parent, no matter what.” In a market where “innovative” often means “expensive,” that’s refreshing.
They’re also the first truly kid-centric healthcare brand I’ve encountered. “Everyone really comes at it from the parent, which is great and important, too. But the kid is on the receiving end of it,” Sydney pointed out, and it’s one of those obvious-in-hindsight observations that makes you wonder why no one thought of it before.
The bottom line
After years of covering parenting products, it’s rare to encounter something that feels genuinely game-changing. But sitting with Sydney and Kaitlin, hearing their passion and seeing the thoughtfulness behind every design decision, I’m convinced they’re not just building a brand—they’re transforming an entire category.
My kids are past the nasal aspirator stage (thank goodness), but I found myself wanting to buy everything just to support what they’re building. And honestly? When their thermometer that “gives your forehead a kiss” hits the market, I’m getting one for myself. Because sometimes we all need a little more play in our healthcare routine.
PlayhouseMD products are available now at PlayhouseMD.com, Babylist and Target, with nationwide Target rollout coming in March. Save 15% at checkout on PlayhouseMD.com with code MOTHERLY15 !
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