In a Day Packed With Spit-Ups, Sippy Cups and Spazz Outs, NYC Parenting Company Provides New Alternative to Family Time

NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- November 30, 2006 -- It's a fact: Most parents of kids five and under are exhausted and not at their best. Perhaps they cruised through their baby's first year on pure adrenaline. But, immediately following that first birthday party, utter fatigue sets in. Case in point: Twenty percent of new moms leave the house with mismatched shoes, according to a recent survey conducted by Parenting magazine. So, before Elmo can shriek, "Mr. Noodle" or you wake up singing the theme from "Thomas the Tank Engine" again, along comes parent P-L-A-Y, a new company offering sophisticated and fun events designed to help parents rejuvenate on weekend mornings.

Founded on the premise that toddler-rents (read: parents of toddlers) in New York City just aren't having as much fun as they should, parent P-L-A-Y (www.parentplay.com) events give moms and dads a morning of fun while their kids are captivated -- in the same party space -- by amusing musicians, entertainers and supervised prescreened babysitters.

While parent P-L-A-Y has offered monthly educational seminars for new parents at the giggle SoHo store since August, parent P-L-A-Y kicks off its mega events on December 10th. Families from all over the five boroughs will gather at The Riverhouse Discovery Center in the World Financial Center for Get Up & Go Green, a socially eco-responsible brunch, an organic tea tasting, sustainable nursery display and, of course, cool music and entertainment for both kids and parents. Corporate partners include FruitaBü, Nest, Sanctuary Tea, Shock Coffee and BeHolm.

"My husband, Brian Kaplan, and I conceived the company a year ago when we realized that downtown parents especially were underserved when it came to unique events," says parent P-L-A-Y co-founder Lambeth Hochwald. "Lower Manhattan's family population has tripled in the past three years, but the diversity of options are a bit lacking, so there was a real opportunity to start a quality event company for families. We have been meticulously planning this kickoff event for months and Riverhouse shares our aesthetic, so it was an ideal location."

The idea for these events which will include a morning at Harry's on Stone Street in early January and at the new downtown comedy club, Comix, in February, have been in the making since early 2005 when Lambeth Hochwald -- an adjunct professor of journalism at NYU and a long-time freelance journalist for such publications as Cookie, Parenting, Babytalk, New York, New York Post, Marie Claire and Redbook -- and Brian Kaplan -- the creative force behind Impression PR, a SoHo-based marketing and public relations firm -- moved to TriBeCa with their son, Zachary, now two. They were instantly struck by the diversity and friendliness of downtown parents. Sleep-deprived zombies, Hochwald and Kaplan wished someone would start organizing gatherings for parents that also included kids.

But the real impetus for parent P-L-A-Y hit the couple like a brick one morning when Brian forgot his son's lunch and keys at home. He found Lambeth doubled-over a laundry cart laughing hysterically. With a gasp of air, Hochwald gestured to a pile of laundry the couple had left there for weeks. After 10 minutes of uproarious laughter, Brian went upstairs only to find their dog, Ginger, in the hallway. She had let herself out of the apartment for the seventh time. Something had to be done. With that in mind, parent P-L-A-Y was born.

About parent P-L-A-Y (P2)

parent P-L-A-Y is an event-production company founded by a downtown NYC couple who know that no matter how lucky you feel to be parents, you're still utterly wiped. P2 events are designed to take parents back to the days of peaceful, but surely unfulfilled, pre-parent life. parent P-L-A-Y events are created with parents -- and tots -- in mind. This means spa treatments, movie screenings and sports events all while prescreened babysitters watch the kids as they jam to groovy musicians and funny artists as roving photographers capture the magic. The result: A family outing without spousal negotiation over who runs after the kids. A win/win for everyone! P2 events are organized with two things in mind: Well-executed events that appeal to both moms and dads and offer fun and relaxation.

Contact Information: Media Inquiries: Brian Kaplan parent P-L-A-Y 212.400.0507 Email Contact