The First Years® "Welcome To The Family" Reality Series Debuts Summer 2015

OAK BROOK, Ill., June 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- We've come a long way… from "The Brady Bunch" to "Keeping Up with the Kardashians"… but at this point, does any TV series exist showing what life is really, actually like for families as they embark on the joyous, funny and unpredictable journey of being new parents? This summer, The First Years brand, a leading manufacturer of juvenile products for more than 60 years, premieres the "Welcome to The Family" Online Reality Series on YouTube. The twelve-episode series focuses on four real-life families who invite viewers to see what parenting moments are truly about in their day-to-day lives this summer: the good, the bad, and the "I-can't-believe that happened" moments. The first episode is now available at http://bit.ly/youtubeTFY, and new episodes will be added weekly every Friday through Aug. 28, 2015.

"The First Years embraces a totally honest view of what the early years of parenting are all about, which is far from picture perfect," said Lynne Mello, Vice President of Marketing Communications, TOMY International. "Our 'Welcome to The Family' series uses actual footage submitted by four amazing families to take an authentic, unfiltered look at what parenting is really like in 2015."

Earlier this year, moms and dads from across the country competed for the chance to be cast in the "Welcome to The Family" series by submitting videos showcasing their parenting adventures. Finalists were announced in March, and then America voted to select four families to star in the series. The families were then provided with an Apple iPad Air 2 to capture video of everything from the tiniest moments to major milestones. Each week their raw footage is weaved together by The First Years video editor to tell a story of what life is like during those wild, wonderful first years of parenting. There is no director, no special effects lighting, and certainly no script!

iPad Air is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.  All rights reserved.  Apple Inc. is not a sponsor or participant of this promotion.

The four families starring in The First Years "Welcome to The Family" Online Reality Series include:

• The Gabel Family (Deerfield, Illinois) – The Gabels recently added a sixth daughter, Callie, to their family of five girls. That means two incredibly busy parents who use plenty of teamwork and creativity to keep their family happy and healthy. Follow the crazy schedules and fun adventures of having six girls – ranging in age from 8 months to 13 years – all living under the same roof!
• The Goad Family (Chicago, Illinois) – Katherine and Andrew Goad are true Chicago kids; one of Katherine's first words was "taxi" and Andrew thinks Santa rides the el train. City living is very different from how their parents were were both raised, but the Goad kids (and their parents) are having a ball figuring it all out together.
• The Marion Family (Dallas, Texas) – Kai Cataleya is a charismatic 15-month old girl being raised by a super-Type A immigration attorney mom and a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champion dad. Nothing has gone quite as planned, but that's perfectly fine with the Marion family as life with Kai continues to bring love and laughs into their home.
• The Paddock Family (Chicago, Illinois) – As working parents, the Paddocks expected life with two kids to be busy, but when their oldest, a 21 month-old was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, things got a little more complex. Follow this family's wonder, frustration and laughter as they embrace their changing world, and prepare for a move from Chicago to the Twin Cities.

Meet the four families and see the first "Welcome to The Family" episode on The First Years YouTube channel at http://bit.ly/youtubeTFY. Tune in every Friday through Aug. 28, 2015 for a new episode each week!

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About TOMY International

TOMY International (www.tomy.com) is a leading global designer, producer and marketer of a broad range of innovative, high-quality toys sold to preschoolers, youths and adults under the TOMY®, Ertl® and Battroborg™ brands as well as products for parents, infants and toddlers marketed under its The First Years®, JJ Cole® Collections and Boon® brands. TOMY International also markets its products under popular licensed properties such as John Deere, Pokémon, Chuggington, Sonic the Hedgehog, Lamaze, Inside Out, Miles from Tomorrowland, The Good Dinosaur, Winnie the Pooh, Princesses, Cars, Fairies and Toy Story, and other well-known properties. TOMY International's mission is to inspire and fulfill the dreams of children and parents worldwide. TOMY International reaches its target consumers through multiple channels of distribution supporting more than 25,000 retail outlets throughout North and South America, Europe and Australia. TOMY International is a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan-based TOMY Company, Ltd. (Tokyo Stock Exchange Code No. 7867). © TOMY

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