Reviews For Mothering Magazine

Mothering has recently changed it's look - it's more slick and appealing to the general public. Luckily, it hasn't changed it's interior articles. The magazine is a challenge to readers to alter their views of parenting and challenge the general style of parenting.

I don't agree with everything they write, and I hope not to. But it certainly is a refreshing change from Parenting which seems solely sponsored by formula and baby food ads.

One of the best features of Mothering Magazine is Peggy O'Mara's editorials. They are thoughtful, personal, and real.

If you like opinions (here you are reading mine), Mothering has lots of them. The debates are lively. This is the only magazine where I find extremely interesting letters to the editors. And often the letters take up 3 or 4 pages.

It's a magazine of dialogue, wit, and charm.

They also, incidentally, publish a lot of articles from freelance writers: moms and dads who experience parenting on a daily basis.

I can't think of a better piece of mail to open when it arrives in my box.


Recommended:
Yes

Mothering has been an extraordinary help to me as a mother. Being a breastfeeding, family bedding non-vaxing, cloth diapering mama is not exactly supported by our society, and doing what i know as right can be a lonely journey. Mothering was my first experience with other "natural mamas like myself, and until i discovered the internet last year, my only reference for natural mothering. I love the art, and the articles are great! i also appreciate that the articles aren't as influenced by advertisers, so i know i'm getting the real thing, not what Pampers or huggies or gerber wants me to think is the truth. I wish it came out monthly, athough the recent shift to bimonthly is a great improvement! over all i think mothering is great!!


Recommended:
Yes

Mothering magazine is a fantastic publication. I was given several copies to read when I was pregnant with my son and I was hooked! It is a great source of all types of non mainstream parenting articles and information. While I do not always agree, or practice everything I have read in this magazine, I appreciate its unique perspective. It definitely has made me evaluate my parenting practices, and has given me confidence to follow my intuition as a mother.
I would recommend this magazine to any parent. Its articles are well written and I especially like the editor's essays. The topics discussed in Mothering cover a wide range of parenting issues, from breastfeeding to cloth diapering to vaccinations to co-sleeping(just to name a few...), and they are not glossy advertisements to buy this product or that. I eagerly await each new issue, and I only wish that it was published more times a year!


Recommended:
Yes

Mothering magazine is glossy these days. Some people don't like this change, but personally I think that Mothering is sensing a need and is trying to fill it. The need is for a magazine that takes a stand, makes you think, is passionate, has convictions, and INFORMS parents. Tucked in beside all the other drivel you might find in the newsstand, Mothering lures readers in with its attractive cover and layout, and then draws them in with common sense, real information, and a new way of looking at things. The great thing is that while you are reading this magazine for the first time, you don't realize that you are reading the alternative parenting Bible. It just seems like another parenting magazine, but the articles in this one are a little, uh, different. And wait...no formula ads? And how come these articles aren't ending with the oh-so-common "whatever is right for you is best for your family..."????
Mothering magazine might not be what it used to be. It might not be alternative enough for some parents, it might not have that nice rough "uncommercial" look. It might have lost a few readers along the way. But if for every mom who has outgrown Mothering, there is one who picks it up and reads it for the first time, intrigued, amazed and educated by the concept of family bedding, breastfeeding, or learning more about vaccinations, then in my opinion, Mothering is serving the best purpose it can.


Recommended:
Yes

What a wonderful magazine!! This magazine contains a wealth of information on raising a child IN spite of mainstream society! The first one I read had information on fevers that made my baby's next fever (that very week) SO much easier to deal with intelligently! The advertising is even interesting! No disposable diapers, YAY! I save every issue, because I find myself going back again and again. They include such a wide range of topics, everything from breastfeeding to co-sleeping and everything in between. It is expensive to buy from the newsstand but a great buy if you get a subscription!


Recommended:
Yes

Here is a magazine that finally says: Here you go parents, you have brains, now go ahead and use them..

NO glossy *expert says* garbage, no mainstream ideals about how kids are perfectly adaptable and it's all about scheduling...ack!

From the front cover to the editorials to each and every department, this magazine will make you read with interest, thoughtfulness and even make you stop and take notice of your parenting as a lifestyle and not just something that you are suppose to do while finding a sitter so you can go have *time to yourself*.

After you read an issue from cover to cover, take the time to read the advertisements. You will find a whole other world of suppliers and stores for interesting products and books/videos. There is more to life than the cookie cutter parenting magazines filled with the same old stupid adds...you have to at least go out and try an issue of Mothering. You will be so glad you did.


Recommended:
Yes

This magazine is near and dear to the hearts of attachment parentingdads, too. Sometimes, I even manage to skim through it before mywife gets it! It's good to see articles about things that interestus, and - yes, I'm going to say it - ads for things that interest ustoo. I'd sooner read the ads in Mothering than the articles in mostother magazines for parents.At times, I wish Dr. Sears would do a regular column, like he doesfor some other magazine, but I realize that would be "preaching tothe choir" - better he should spread the word to the masses.As an interracial couple, my wife and I have been pleased withMothering's coverage of diverse families and family structures.I'm glad there's a parenting magazine out there that doesn't runand hide when someone mentions biracial kids, transracial adoption,same-sex couples, and all that other "non-traditional" stuff.


Recommended:
Yes

Mothering magazine comes so close to being a bible for alternative parenting. The magazine readily expounds on the benefits of breastfeeding, co-sleeping, natural childbirth, homeopathy, etc. As far as I know, it is the only magazine of it's kind, supporting a growing "sub"- culture of parents who have decided the mainstream/ commercial and often planet- unfriendly ways of family life are just not substantial. The advertising seems to support small businesses and hones in on cloth diapering, organic clothing, etc. rather than the typical formula ad. And for all the wonderful things it offers and supports, it truly leaves me disappointed.
I will compare with "Child" magazine. If Child magazine runs an article on sleeping, for example, it attempts to show multiple opinions on the topic. Of course, when you look closely, you will find that the article zooms in on the Ferber method and just barely glances at Dr. Sears, the only alternative given in the article. It pretends to give you point and counterpoint, but is obviously biased. Motherhood magazine, on the other hand, doesn't even bother to address any counterpoints. In articles on immunization, drinking of cow's milk, and co-sleeping, I noticed a single bias, no consideration for other points of view listed or explained (and very few alternatives listed-- for example, what is a good substitute for cow's milk? It never says). For one thing, no matter what anyone says, the arguments over immunizations are *far* too complex not to take into consideration both sides. I think that most people would have to agree that it is an incredibly difficult choice to make (to decide to not immunize, especially!). Mothering magazine did not mention the fact that immunizations are the law in many states. I read no suggestions with how to deal with the fact that you are ignoring a law-- and I would think many parents would find this quite confusing.
My personal disappointment with this magazine, however, started with an article on breastfeeding. I was heartbroken after I was unable to successfully breastfeed my son after two months of pumping and seeing lactation consultants, etc. My baby and I went through low-milk supply, inadequate suck from tongue sucking, thrush, nipple aversion, breast infection, and exhaustion (!)-- I finally sacrificed my wanting to breastfeed because I realized I was not bonding with my baby. What I have found out is that many mothers suffer similar cases of inadequate milk supply-- but most of them just go for the formula guilt -free and don't bother entering those low (and meaningless) statistics. Mothering magazine stated that only in severe cases were women unable to breastfeed, implying that it is a natural and given part of every woman. The women who don't succeed just don't try hard enough, basically. I use my own example to say that is simply not true. Formula is far inferior, as Mothering reminds us-- but for sometimes it really is the only choice-- that part the magazine leaves out.
It hurts to read a magazine so unbalanced, so not "down to earth" in some ways. I want to read a magazine that's just like Mothering magazine but that doesn't imply exclusion, that is forgiving, not preachy, and that at least offers a tiny bit of leeway for moms that don't live up to the perfect "granola mom" part... for the rest of us, who try like hell, who cry when we can't do everything right or be totally sure of our decisions, who never feel confident enough to be quite so self righteous, and who don't want buy a magazine that makes us feel as very unrepresented.


Recommended:
Yes

Mothering, while much too radical for some, is a wonderful parenting magazine. While I find that I don't always agree with everything in the magazine each month, I can always find something of interest. It is nice to be able to find a magazine that is different in its parenting approach. I found that I read and followed its advice much more with my last child than the other two. I think this is because I am a more relaxed parent and more willing to do what works for our family and not just because "everyone else is doing it". Mothering has allowed me to feel comfortable with my parenting choices, even though many times, it was against the norm.

The articles are much more indepth than most parenting magazines and are full of information. I especially enjoy the letters to the editor (and there are tons) because I can see there are so many more people that feel as I do. Many times, I feel alone in my natural mothering style and it is comforting to be assured by Mothering that I am supported in my beliefs.


Recommended:
Yes

Mothering Magazine is perfect for those parents (certainly not just mothers) who are interested in a more natural approach to parenting issue. Frequently the opinions expressed in the magazine reflect the attitudes of many folks who call themselves "attachment" or "instinctive" parents.

While I was expecting my baby and as a new mom I bought many of the parenting magazines on the mass market. I found myself reading them and finding that I disagreed on an instinctive level with much of their advice. Of course, there were helpful, informative articles too, but much of the information/opinions just didn't feel right to me.

My baby was about 3 months old when I discovered Mothering and it was so refreshing. The articles center around natural parenting topics which frequently include things such as: co-sleeping, extended breastfeeding, gentle discipline, and cloth diapering. I could read many of these articles and feel like I completely agreed with the points. I finally felt like there were other parents out there who took the same approach to parenting as I try to take.

One of the other benefits of the magazine is that the advertisements carry products that I am more interested in compared to mainstream magazines: cloth diapers and accessories, slings, homeopathic remedies, etc. It was so wonderful to page through and find ads for items I actually buy as opposed to items about which I find myself thinking "how could people by that".

I must admit that some of the articles are a bit on the "crunchy"m side, even for me. But just like the articles I disagree with in the mainstream magazines, I read them so that I understand others' points of view. I highly recommend this magazine for all parents interested in natural, instinctive parenting.


Recommended:
Yes