Parents (1-year)

I also miss articles on breastfeeding, choices in diapering, etc. The focus is clearly on consumerism (baby products and ads), and there is hardly any critical reflection and not enough information.

I'll pass on this one.


A wealth of useful information   May 18, 2002
Tony Ursillo (Norwood, MA USA)
54 out of 58 found this review helpful

This is primarily my wife's subscription, so this is mostly her input - she has me read a couple features each month. There are so many things she finds useful about the magazine - I can tell you she spends several hours reading each issue and regularly cuts out articles to save in our "parenting" file or to put on the fridge. Here are just a few of the great regular features of each monthly issue:

- "As They Grow", pointers and insights related to a particular subject, one each for eight different age groups (from pregnancy to pre-teen years)
- "can you help?", suggestions from readers about how to handle a common problem, such as the dentist or cutting your child's nails
- Suggestions to keep your child busy in the house
- An Emergency Guide pull-out for dealing with various situations like electrical shock, bee stings, etc.
- Product recalls, usually with pictures
- Product testing and reviews (similar to Consumer Reports)

Why not 5 stars? There are a couple annoying features in the magazine, such as "out of the mouths of babes" and some of the suggestions for children's activities around the house sound easier to do than they really are (sort of like what people say about Martha Stewart). It can also be a bit of a downer to read the stories about serious illnesses some children have had and how their families cope - not always what you're in the mood for when you're thinking about your own healthy child. But overall, this magazine is the best one out there for parents AND they are branching out - we recently started receiving Baby Parents. It's tough to know everything about raising your child so outside sources of information are key. Parents magazine is a great resource that has been well worth the small subscription price.


Thirty Something Parents   December 14, 2001
29 out of 42 found this review helpful

I have found the articles in this magazine catering to a
specific group of women...middle to upper income, high level
of support with husband and healthy baby. The articles are
are annoyingly age biased . The bulk of the magazine is commercial sales of items that will be greatly discounted in your next garage sale. The articles are written as if to address an audience of niave, immature , inexperienced and not too bright women. The writers fail to see todays women as educated and intelligent.
This magazine would be helpful for the school age, 1st time mom.


Raising Kids in the Modern World   October 28, 2004
Bryan Carey (Houston, TX)
18 out of 19 found this review helpful

Parents magazine is a very good publication about raising kids to be happy, healthy adults. It offers some good advice about the task of parenthood, illustrating the hard work and rewards that go hand in hand if parents perform their role in the best possible manner.

I like this magazine as a whole, but there are a few things that potential readers need to know about before they pick up a copy to read. First of all, the articles in Parents magazine deal mostly with younger children, below twelve years of age. You won't find much of value in this magazine if you have teenagers. It is intended more for families with youngsters.

Another thing about this magazine that makes it less practical than it otherwise would be is the suggestions for family activities. The ideas presented here are all pretty good, but the problem is that the majority of them involve outlays of cash and/or time that are unrealistic for most families. I can agree, for example, that adding a game room would make a nice addition to one's house and would add tremendously to a family's time spent together. But how many among us can afford a home addition? Parents magazine talks about activities and enhancements like this in an unrealistic way, making them seem much simpler and easier to implement than they really are.

Aside from distractions like that, however, Parents is a very good magazine to read. It's one of the longest magazines you can buy, with 200 to 300 pages per issue. Add to that the low subscription price, a few pages of coupons, and the generally sound parental advice and you have all the makings of a good magazine for young families.