What is this blog about, anyway?

Welcome to the official blog of Kindred Toys! 

 The heart and soul of Kindred Toys was born at my kitchen table as I was painting a special set for a family member who was adopting two boys from Ghana. I had searched high and low for something that represented their family, and while customs were available in other shops there was nothing in stock anywhere that looked like their family.

I realized that they weren't the only ones. 

When you think of the average American family, what image do you have in your head? Do you see a young suburban couple (most likely Caucasian) with 2-2.5 kids, and maybe a dog? Or do you see something else? Maybe a blended family, with children from previous relationships. Maybe your family includes adopted children, or you're raising your family as a single parent. 

If your family doesn't fit into society's traditional ideals there is a good chance that you will run into some criticism. Just look at the uproar caused by the recent Cheerios commercial. We may think we've come a long way as a society, but it is still an upward battle. One that won't likely be resolved in my lifetime. Not my own lifetime, but maybe one after me.

Which brings me to how this all got started.

As I was crafting this set of peg people for my family members sons I thought of my own adopted sister and her struggles growing up. I thought of the boy in high school who had two moms, and the girl in my daughter's class who lived with her grandma and it hit me. We learn through play. It is how we develop essential skills, work through difficult emotions, and make sense of the world around us.

Every family should have access to a toy that looks like them. One that validates them and fosters a sense of belonging in the world around them. I personally can't imagine how it would feel, as someone subject to today's challenges, to look through my belongings and see not a single item that represented my family.

And so Kindred Toys became a reality, specializing in representing unique family dynamics through in-stock items, as well as the occasional custom family. It is likely that the shop will carry other items in the future, but diversity will forever be the heart of my business.

This blog will document not only my journey as the shop owner, but those of featured families whose lives have been touched, or who have inspired me in some way as an artist.