Cool and Useful

Written by The Square Parent Monday, 01 June 2009 00:00

Shop SquareParents.com is now up and running, and different from other shops out there.  It's been designed and products have been chosen specifically with parents in mind. 

What this means is that everything has been chosen for design value, functionality, and in many cases, both.  Many of the products draw upon and are true to may of the articles featured on SquareParents.com, have a stripped-down aesthetic with a definite point of view, and in many cases have been field-tested in everyday situations.   

What you'll find are accessories that are tough for the kids to ruin, items that won't make you look like a mook or mookette, and generally all-around high-quality basics, whether accessories for mom, attractive home accents, and useful, well-designed furniture and decor for kids that isn't the ususal garishly designed and colored "kids" stuff, in short, pieces that you won't be embarrassed to have in your home.

Also available are many items that will help you throw a memorable dinner party or entertain successfully, ranging from votive holders to wine accessories to the proper tools for preparation of the meal, which are also useful on a daily basis, and are frequently referenced in the Recipes section of SquareParents.com.

Most of all, there's stuff for your home that emphasize good design that everyone can appreciate.  Expose the kids to good design, and at the earlier age the better.  Why not? 

It's your house too, and since they don't know any better, you can teach them. 

Exactly One Gazillion Pieces

Written by The Square Parent Friday, 29 May 2009 00:00

Why is it that when looking for suitable toys, it's so so difficult to find anything that contains less than exactly one gazillion pieces?   When you choose two toys, what you're actually getting is two hundred separate and distinct objects. Oh, it's great to see the excitement of mini-me digging into a new toy, checking everything out, and handing all the pieces, but then what happens exactly 37 minutes later?

Giant Steps

Written by The Square Parent Tuesday, 07 April 2009 00:00

Child development is often an uneven process, and happens in fits and spurts.  Interestingly, it's been argued, notably by Dr. Harvey Karp, and probably others, that children from birth to about 5 years of age are essentially replicating the evolutionary process, and moving right along at about 4,000 years per hour, give or take a thousand or few years.

Expert Advice

Written by The Square Parent Friday, 03 April 2009 00:00

Consult the experts, but don't rely on them.  There are "experts" out there for everything.  In many ways, this makes sense, with the advent of market segmentation and specialization, and the ease and volume at which information can be distributed.

School Daze

Written by The Square Parent Tuesday, 31 March 2009 00:00

What's the best school, and how does a parent get their kid or kids into that best school?  This is a topic that can reduce otherwise highly educated people into blathering idiots devoid of all rational thought, except during those lucid moments when they become merely stupid.