Parenting Magazine Review

Do you have some young kids of your own or spend time taking care of youngsters? If you do, then you might enjoy Parenting, a magazine that talks about children and all the unique problems, challenges, and rewards they bring, with a few articles about the adults who help to raise them. This magazine is issued by Time, inc., one of the best- known names in the publishing business.

Magazine Commentary:

Parenting is a magazine that centers on children between the ages of birth and twelve years and the majority of this magazine's articles cover things important to understanding and raising kids, such as good nutrition, crying, discipline, self- esteem, and other topics. Plus, there are always some articles each month that center on parents themselves- how they can better cope with kids, relieve stress, and find the right balance between work and home.

This magazine is known mostly for its advice on children, and there is an article of interest to be found in most every issue for those who enjoy this subject. Behavioral problems, safety, entertainment, clothing, school, disease prevention, and other topics can be found in each issue. Some of the articles are direct and objective, with the writers telling you exactly what is recommended for solving a problem at hand. In other cases, the articles have a personal dimension, with family members discussing how they approach specific issues with child- rearing.

One thing about Parenting that will not sit well with some readers is that the magazine is almost entirely focused on mothers. Even the titles of many of the featured articles (like "Mom Notes", "Mom Exchange" and others) openly display the bias toward mothers. With a magazine name like "Parenting", I expect a more balanced approach that includes both sexes. But Parenting is primarily concerned with mothers. It is rare to find an article that talks about the role of fathers in the parenting process and this fact will be a major turn- off to many readers.

I like the arrangement of this magazine and I especially appreciate the "by the ages" index. This can be found near the front of the issue and it breaks down the different age groups (birth to 6 months, 6 months to a year, 1 year to 2 years, 2 to 3 years, 3 to 5 years, 5 to 8 years, and 8 to 12 years), providing a quick reference to the articles found in each issue that pertain to the different ages of your children. This makes it easy to bypass articles that are out of your age group and focus in on those that have the most relevance.  

If you like your magazine to be big, Parenting will not disappoint. Each issue can be counted on for between 200 and 250 pages. And besides the 15 to 25 regular monthly columns, there are also 15 to 20 featured articles that vary from month to month in content. Add these together, and you have a magazine with up to 45 separate pieces of reading material each month. This is quite a bit, and it makes Parenting easily worth the subscription price.  

Bottom Line Viewpoint:

Overall, Parenting is a good magazine, but it isn't my favorite on this subject. I like the large size of this magazine and the varied articles that cover a wide range of topics but I must deduct a some points from Parenting magazine's rating due to its almost exclusive focus on moms, with little or no coverage given to dads. But, even with my penalty points, Parenting magazine is worthy of a recommendation. The low cost, timely articles and wide range of topics covered make it a magazine worth reading for anyone who has young kids of their own or who takes part in their upbringing and care.