About
Meet the Family
The Present Parent Company was inspired by our two young children and the forever-evolving journey we’ve been experiencing.
As they went from the infant and baby stages to toddlers in the blink of an eye, we learned that the most important thing to them was our time and attention; not the toys, their bedrooms or house, or any other materialistic things. The smallest, goofiest little moments inside their world and imagination became memories that they (and we!) talked about over and over.
As holidays came and went, we of course wanted to make things special for them. Holidays are supposed to be magical but often turn stressful and can distract us from being present and fully enjoying it. This is how our current and next product ideas have emerged; we are in the works of creating various holiday-themed kits, sensory bins, and more!
Our hope is to be able to help parents by removing some stress from their lives, to provide even just a few extra minutes in a day so they can create mindful moments in their lives, & joyful memories in their hearts.
Shelley
As a Pittsburgh, PA native (Go Steelers!) currently living in Lake Tahoe, Shelley is a loving wife and mama of two littles. She worked as an elementary teacher for 10 years on both coasts and loved teaching and watching her students grow.
At the beginning of the pandemic when everyone was told they would be teaching from home, she was very excited to continue teaching, but also be able to spend more time with her then 16-month-old daughter and enjoy the last 2 months of pregnancy from home. However, as many parents discovered, it was less “hanging out” and more trying to find things to keep a toddler busy while working or preparing for the next day. It went from playing with her daughter in the evenings after work to barely spending any time together.
Then with a newborn and toddler, the decision was made to not go back the following fall. Missing the teaching element, she started creating fun, new activities for her daughter, and now that her son has moved into toddlerhood, he is enjoying them as well!
Chris
An entrepreneur at heart, and also from Pittsburgh, PA, Chris has been running businesses since a teenager. As an adult, Chris was given the amazing opportunity to help run the family’s car service business with his father.
Eventually, the next chapter came calling, and Chris became part of one of the most innovative and advanced companies in the world, Tesla. He loves having a career doing great things for the planet and people.
But his real passion is playing, “sploring” (exploring, lol), and having fun with Zoe, Shep, and Shelley. He is thrilled to help turn his favorite part of life into a small business where his wife can share her passions and help other families.
Zoe & Shep
AKA, the best of friends and partners in crime!
Zoe is 18-months older than Shep, but when together, they frequently get mistaken for twins.
Zoe loves being creative (just like mommy) and would never sleep if it meant she could spend more time playing or being outside.
Shep’s current obsessions are playing with Zoe, anything vehicle-related, and especially firefighters. He also is just now learning how to fight back with his sister — welcome to the Threenager Club!
While Zoe and Shep are continuously learning how to be little humans, we are constantly learning how to raise them as kind, empathetic, inclusive kids, who are morphing into their own selves.
Ultimately, Zoe and Shep are the inspiration for The Present Parent Company; we are constantly striving to be more present with our kids, while also creating products to help other parents gain back some time with their families!