Tell Great-Grandma to Hush and Open This Mag Instead

Three years ago, I did what most women do when they find out they are pregnant. I panicked! My thoughts raced. “How will I know what to do if my baby cries?” “Should I breastfeed or use formula?” “Will I have to get rid of my cats?” The questions that go through a first time mommy’s mind range from outrageous to downright certifiable at times. I knew I’d get all kinds of “advice” from friends and family but I still wanted an unbiased source of information that I could count on to make sound decisions.

I immediately subscribed to Child and Parents magazines and when a young lady participating in a school fund-raiser came around to my doorstep and asked if I wanted to subscribe to Parenting I figured, what the heck, one more magazine could only help. Today, three years later, I still subscribe to Parents, but more so because they offer an incredible rate to keep you. But the magazine I really rely on is Parenting.

Parenting magazine is a must have for every first time parent who wants unbiased advice from professionals. Ranging from developmental issues to maintaining your own health through pregnancy and beyond it is packed full of things you will need to make educated decisions for your children.

On Development

My favorite part of the magazine is the developmental articles. This month the article was on crawling. ‘How your baby learns to get from here to there.’ Don’t have a baby anymore? Six pages down there is another developmental article on How to raise a child who’ll stand up for themselves. Parenting also has an Ages and Stages section every month that includes articles for birth to 5 years and up. The developmental articles are well written, easy to understand and provide facts from doctors on what to expect while your child is developing. These articles really came in handy for a first time mom who got tired of hearing “how great-grandma did it when I was a child”.

On Nutrition

When I was a kid I lived on macaroni and cheese and hot dogs. Ugh. Thanks, Dad. Today my eating habits are proof of what my parents did wrong in the nutrition category. I can’t say that I am much better, my son’s favorite food after all is macaroni and cheese. But I do make sure he has a vegetable on the plate with that macaroni and cheese. The nutrition articles are wonderful. This month’s article was on ‘9 Food Myths-Busted’. Here are two myths that surprised me. Myth: Introduce veggies before fruits, or your child will get used to the sweet taste of fruits and refuse vegetables. Myth: Kids don’t need supplements. Great information. I found that I’d fallen into some of those myths. Parenting also includes a great section called Healthy Bites, which gives you advice on a variety of nutritional tid bits and answers questions from parents on nutrition. The magazine also includes a section titled What’s Cooking which has some of the best recipes I’ve ever tried and successfully gotten my son to eat!

On Health

The last section I’d like to highlight is the health sections. Yes, there is more then one. Parenting has a Children’s Health section, which answers questions to some of the most talked about topics. They also provide a monthly article on a popular health topic. This month is was ‘Is Your Pediatrician Good Enough’. This article was a real eye-opener for me. Being a member of a very large HMO I plan on using all the suggestions in this article. Past articles have included information on birth defects, hearing problems, flu/cold season and how to combat against germs, and health risks if there are pets in the house.

Parenting magazine is packed full of so much useful information it would take me three reviews to cover all of it. My intention was to cover what I think most parents look for in a parenting magazine. The three topics discussed above were and have been very important in raising my son. Sure, we get tons of advice, solicited and unsolicited, about raising our children but it’s nice to turn to experts that won’t look down their noses when they see your child still in diapers at age three. Ok, he’s in training pants and I’m trying, really I am!

I recommend this magazine for first time parents with children under five. It makes the perfect gift for a new mom, I’ve given it three times and it’s been received with huge smiles. It also has something for dads in every issue and makes for a great father’s day gift as well. Enjoy!