One of the mini challenges for the Novel Challenge Group is to read two articles from a magazine, and then write a review. I started a new subscription to Canadian Living and was planning to use that, but there are barely articles in it! That's actually alright, because I got it mostly for the recipes and I'm enjoying them, but with the diminishing attention spans of the general population, and mine in particular, there is nothing there I could even dare to call an article.
Then I noticed that several of the reviews at The Novel Challenge have been about online magazines. And reading articles online goes much better with my blog hopping and pathetic attention span. So I looked in my Favorites File for a magazine I was sure I had saved there: Babble the magazine and community for a new generation of parents. I subscribed to Today's Parent when my children were very young, and the tone always made me feel I was a different, slacker kind of parent. So when I browsed today at Babble, I was pleased to read a few different articles that are more to my parenting style. I ended up reading most of the newer articles, and enjoyed myself.
The Over-Parenting Crisis by Katie Allison Granju was written by the author of Attachment Parenting. I wasn't much of a family-bed, breastfeed til they are toddlers type of mom, major tenents of attachment parenting. But the author goes on to say that the line between meeting all your child's needs and anticipating, or catering has gone too far. And that parents need to let their children grow, make mistakes and experience success and failure on their own terms. The safety, bubble-wrap environment provided to children does them no favors.
Dating Games by Emily Mendell was much more humorous, as a family looks for another family to hang out with, in dating style. I could see the logic in this, because it is fun to have another family to do things with, one where the kids get along, the dads are pals and the moms enjoy each other. It's a gradual process meeting a like minded family, and not dissimilar to dating.
There were all types of articles from Steve Carell's take on parenting, to best books, and TV show reviews, and parenting styles and advice. I haven't spent a lot of time there, but I'm sure I fit their demographic, and it is an interactive site, with forums and columns and articles.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
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I think we must have similar styles. I cancelled my subscription to Today's Parent after an article called, "Is your child too perfect?" All about the worries you should have if your child is too well behaved. The mag had annoyed me for some time and this was the last straw. I must check out Babble and The Over-Parenting Crisis sounds good too.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like my type of magazine! I refuse to raise perfect children. What's the fun in that?
ReplyDelete=) Jill
Even though my children are all over 18, I could stand to read that first article just to make me feel like I did something right. I can second Jill's comment about raising perfect kids!
ReplyDeleteThe 2nd article reminded me of an episode on King of Queens when they were trying to find another couple to hang out with. Very funny. It's not always easy finding a family that meshes well.
chris - There are only so many times you can read those Today's Parent articles. They just feed into that hyper competitive parenting stuff.
ReplyDeletejill - My kids have certainly been exposed to dirt, and they have not had many infections. It's no fun if every one is perfect. My perfection will not be as noticeable if everyone around me is perfect too!
booklogged - I'm sure you did lots right! And the second article was funny, except I bet there are people who are really like that.
After reading your post, I went and read the Over-parenting article. I will definitely be checking out that website on a frequent basis!
ReplyDeleteSo many parents I've met think we are too laid back in our parenting choices (that anti-bacterial craze dries me nuts! but these same families think our decision to co-sleep and exclusively breastfeed are a bit weird) it's refreshing to find a viewpoint similar to my own.