Celebrate Childhood: The Brothers Trimm
Jennifer Murnaghan's quest to celebrate and rescue boyhood
by Jennifer Cooper, posted on July 5th, 2010 in Guest Posts, Ideas and Inspiration
Have you ever asked yourself, “Why is it so hard to find good stuff for boys?” Well if it exists, today’s guest poster finds it and shares it.
Jennifer Murnaghan from The Brothers Trimm not only has an enviable eye for style, her philosophy on childhood is as good as it gets. Jen believes childhood is something to celebrate and is currently in need of saving. It’s a crusade that’s near and dear to so many of us who seek to make play the primary job of today’s children.
I’ve gotten to know Jen and I’d best describe her as charming, genuine and just plain cool. I thought, you know what? I should introduce her to everyone. I just know they’ll love her. So I asked Jen here today to share a little about herself and why she started The Brothers Trimm. Here is her story…
Sometimes the really obvious answers are the ones so hard to find. And just when you think you’ll never figure it out, Wham! There it is. The Answer!
This is a little how The Brothers Trimm came to be. After the birth of our second boy in early 2009, I often wondered what I’d do when the time came to return to work. I had a background in creative marketing and small scale editing, so I started to conceive a notion of self employment. With no immediate family nearby and a recent relocation from big city Sydney to smaller scale Hobart (in the southern Australian State of Tasmania), the idea of generating employment that allowed me to work from home, and around our children’s schedules was of paramount importance.
I had started a blog, a personal journal, like so many other mothers, which allowed me to share stories of the boys, dreamy aspirations and general inner ponderings, with my family and friends across the globe. I’d often be complimented by my writing style and so on a sunny Sunday afternoon, after a few moments of rare quiet chat with my husband, it dawned on me. The boys… I’ve got to write for the boys!
And so, The Brothers Trimm was born. A play on my husband’s surname with a nod to those famous storytelling Grimm Brothers, I knew in an instant what I needed to do: create a premium resource that celebrated boyhood. Move over girly pink, stand aside glitter fairy, it was time for us to champion our chaps! Resurrect the good old fashioned notions of what it is to be a boy and rescue childhood from the evil clutches of commercialism.
With strong and loving support from family and friends, and a steadily increasing group of fabulous international followers, The Brothers Trimm is rapidly becoming a popular resource aimed at boys aged two to twelve. Featuring craft ideas, ace apparel, toys that teach, boyish books, decor, and a little food (when I can tear my chef husband from his kitchen), it now boasts a popular music and film section, contributed by our good friend, music maestro (and proud New Zealander), Chris Familton in Sydney, and my animation all-star sister and fellow Irishwoman, Julie Murnaghan, in London.
If nothing else, The Brothers Trimm is my crusade to nurture our boys’ development the best way I can. It’s not all about needing stuff; although I do love great design and savvy street wear! Above all else, it’s about nurturing their imagination and finding the tools to help them (and us) along the way. Our aim is not to aspire but to inspire; we strive to be a resource rescue, a brotherly brigade, joining forces to help celebrate what it is to simply, be a boy.
Of course, my notion of perfect self employment is still an imaginary figment, and most evenings are lost to research and reading. I have been fortunate enough to find a bright and busy little corner of Hobart to exercise my previously honed marketing skills, which pays, at least, for our weekly grocery bill. That is, until The Brothers Trimm becomes the reality I am still dreaming of!
Jennifer Murnaghan, her chef husband (left) and two boys reside in Australia. You can also find The Brothers Trimm on Facebook and Twitter. In addition to writing for The Brothers Trimm, we are excited to announce Jen will join the Classic Play team for our next issue—the Sport Issue—arriving in early August.
Love this philosophy, no matter the gender of the child, and love her site! I think as a society we will come to regret the loss of a genuine childhood for this generation much sooner than later.
Jennifer Cooper Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Cheryl, I’m always happy to introduce cool peeps to one another.
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