My Newest Pick

Like most women, when I found out I was pregnant for the first time, I rushed to subscribe to as many parenting magazines I could find. I wanted to be informed on all the issues that being a new mother would raise. I subscribed to a few different magazines, but failed to give this one a try.

One day I stumbled upon Parenting while browsing through the magazines in a doctor's office waiting room. I was immediately impressed with the content, as well as the layout, of this magazine.

On the cover, there is more information than most magazines provide about what you might find inside. They highlight the articles that most appeal to a broader audience. For each featured article on the cover that I don't care about, there is also a feature that appeals to me. I don't think I have ever seen a cover that didn't highlight a topic I was interested in.

The first few pages are ads, but once you flip through those, you come to a very thorough table of contents. The contents are divided and labeled so that you can easily find anything you might be looking for, without having to search and search. The first page of the contents has a colored box that gives the page numbers of each of the cover stories. It lists the feature articles, labeled for the appropriate category (i.e. toddlers, health specials, pregnancy, etc.). The contents then go on to list the regular features such as the editor's note, "Answers From Dr. Sears", "Whole 9 Months", and so on. There are also essays by freelance writers included in every issue. The contents further help readers by providing page numbers to articles specifically geared toward parents of children in specific age groups. I really love the "by-the-ages index", which lists all the articles pertaining to the different age groups from birth on up to 5 years and over.

Each month, I find something new, and I am eager to see what Parenting has to offer. There are many articles by experts that offer insight into parenting, and help to reinforce the family. In every issue you can expect to find something about pregnancy, newborns, toddlers, preschoolers, and school age children. As my kids grow, this magazine does too.

Book, software, and music reviews help parents make informed decisions on what influences they want in their children's lives. Expert advice on everything from nutrition to discipline helps educate parents and gives them the knowledge to feel confident in how they care for their kids. You can also expect to find news about product recalls and safety hazards in every issue of this magazine.

I think my favorite part of this magazine, all the other good points aside, would have to be the "last word." The last page of the magazine is always the best part, in my opinion, because it is lighthearted and witty. The "last word" in Parenting helps relate real life situations in a way that you just can't help but laugh at and say, "Hey! That sounds just like my kids!"

All things considered, I have found this magazine to be the best over all. I tried other magazines, and quickly got bored because they all seemed to repeat themselves. I honestly enjoy sitting back and reading this magazine on the rare occasion that I have a quiet moment in my house. I can't read it in five minutes like all the others.