I grew up in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In Appalachia, catbird is an old term of affection, passed down through generations without much explanation because everyone already knows what it means. A child who is into everything, speaks their mind, and knows it too. Confident, a little precocious, impossible to ignore.
I grew up hearing my grandfather say it about the kids around him. Years later, when I had children of my own, that word kept coming back — because the thing I most wanted to protect in them was exactly that. The deep, total absorption a kid falls into when something truly fascinates them.
I noticed how often the world treats those fascinations as distractions — something to manage, redirect, or replace with whatever adults have decided is more worthwhile. But a child captivated by animals, or golf, or space isn't off-task. They're showing you precisely where they're ready to learn. So I went looking for things that met kids there, built with real care. I couldn't find what I was looking for, so I started making it.
Welcome to Catbird.
KaylaFounder