This is sorta scary: Over the past few days, I've noticed that Baby A totally recognizes some corporate logos...at 22 months old.

Moment of Recognition #1: Last Thursday, we drove to Charleston (S.C.) for a long weekend. When we stopped at Chick-fil-A for lunch, Baby A kept grabbing the cup, pointing to each of the locations of the chicken-head C logo, and laughing and shouting, "Chick-fil-A!" (Yes, shouting. We're working on that.)

Moment of Recognition #2: Two hours ago, when I was changing her before her nap, she needed some diaper cream. I let her hold the tube. She pointed to the Target logo and said, "Target! Diaper cream from Target!" We use several brands, and I’ve never told her this one’s from Target.

If you think about it, logo recognition is a very primitive kind of reading: see shape, connect shape with a larger meaning. It's exactly what kids are wired to do during these early years.

All of which gives early brand loyalty a disturbingly smooth start.

I'm aware that corporations, including food and beverage companies, also want to imbue their logos with an emotional connection, a positive emotional experience. So, if you drank Coca-Cola on your first date, or if you have fond memories of your dad taking you to McDonald's, you'll recall those warm feelings and be more likely to choose Coke or McDonald's as an adult. And, their advertising is designed to make you recall those feelings.

Guess I’ll just have to remember to shield Baby A's eyes from the logos of, say, Paper Denim + Cloth, Kate Spade, Prada, DeBeers, Dom Perignon, Maison du Chocolat, and so on…at least until she’s old enough to have her own job.

Posted by QSMama at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Am I on camera? Are you all hiding in an adjacent room, laughing your heads off as I use my one free hand to press the dispenser, then whip my hand over to try to catch the pink stuff before it falls out of the other end? This only to watch soap ooze into the sink, half a beat faster than my and my child’s hands, over and over and over?

Seriously, am I providing fodder for “America’s Most Hilarious Restaurant Videos”? Because that’s what it feels like—on a good day. On the hard days, it just makes me want to scream.

So to anyone out there who’s designing a restaurant bathroom: Please, please don’t install these long-necked soap dispensers that require two hands, one to press and one to catch. I can’t catch the soap when I’m using one arm to hoist a wriggling, thirty-pound toddler up to the sink. and the other to wash her ever-moving hands.

Normally, I like this kind of design. It’s streamlined. Even elegant. But in this case, form just has to give way to function.

Moms and Dads, are you with me on this one?

Posted by QSMama at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)