Parents (magazine)
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''Parents'' was an American monthly magazine founded in 1926 that featured scientific information on
child development Child development involves the Human development (biology), biological, developmental psychology, psychological and emotional changes that occur in human beings between birth and the conclusion of adolescence. Childhood is divided into 3 stages o ...
geared to help parents in raising their children. Subscribers were notified of the magazine’s dissolution via a postcard mailing in March 2022.


History

The magazine was started by
George J. Hecht George Joseph Hecht (November 1, 1895 – April 23, 1980) was the founder and publisher of '' Parents'' magazine and owner of FAO Schwarz. He is often credited with creating the parenting advice industry through his many publications. Life and care ...
in 1926. The magazine was originally titled ''Children, The Magazine for Parents''. Hecht hired Clara Savage Littledale to be its first editor. The first issue was published in October 1926 and soon was selling 100,000 copies a month. Beginning with the August 1929 issue, the name was changed to ''Parents' Magazine'' (with an apostrophe). Littledale was followed as editor by Mary Buchanan. In 1937, the magazine was granted trademark registration for the mark ''Parents' Magazine''."Gruner+ Jahr USA Pub. v. Meredith Corp., 793 F. Supp. 1222 (S.D.N.Y. 1992)"
''Justia'', July 14, 1992.
From 1941 to 1965, Parents' Magazine Press published a line of
comic books A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
and magazines heavily featuring comics, including such long-running titles as ''Calling All Girls'', '' Children's Digest'', ''Polly Pigtails'', '' True Comics'', and ''True Picture-Magazine''. Parents Magazine Press also published ''
Humpty Dumpty Humpty Dumpty is a character in an English nursery rhyme, probably originally a riddle and one of the best known in the English-speaking world. He is typically portrayed as an anthropomorphic egg, though he is not explicitly described as such. ...
'' from the 1950s through the early 1980s, until it and ''Children's Digest'' were sold to ''
The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely c ...
'' company. ''Parents' Magazine'' was sold to
Gruner + Jahr Gruner may refer to: People * Dov Gruner (1912–1947), Jewish Zionist leader * Eduard Gruner, Swiss engineer * Elioth Gruner (1882–1939), Australian painter * Gottlieb Sigmund Gruner (1717–1778), Swiss cartographer and geologist * Klaus ...
in 1978. At that time, the magazine was "relaunched" and its name was shortened, utilizing only the word "Parents", without an apostrophe. Elizabeth Crow became the magazine's editor for the next decade. In 1992, Gruner + Jahr filed suit against Meredith for trademark infringement of ''Parents'' when Meredith published ''Parent's Digest''. With the court finding no actual confusion of the products (though there was testimony from managers and employees as to inquiries about a possible relationship between the publications), the case was dismissed. Meredith acquired ''Parents'' magazine when Gruner + Jahr left the US magazine business in 2005. Sally Lee was the editor from 1998 to 2008. Dana Points was
editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
from 2008 to 2016. The Meredith Corporation would later be acquired by IAC in 2021. In February 2022, it was revealed that ''Parents'' would end print publication and switch to an all-digital format.


Profile

Its editorial focus is on the daily needs and concerns of mothers with young children. The monthly features information about child health,
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...
, behavior,
discipline Discipline refers to rule following behavior, to regulate, order, control and authority. It may also refer to punishment. Discipline is used to create habits, routines, and automatic mechanisms such as blind obedience. It may be inflicted on ot ...
and
education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
. There are also stories on
women's health Women's health differs from that of men in many unique ways. Women's health is an example of population health, where health is defined by the World Health Organization as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not mer ...
, nutrition, pregnancy, marriage, and beauty. It is aimed primarily at women ages 18–35 with young children. Columns include "As They Grow," which cover age-specific child development issues, as well as the reader-generated "Baby Bloopers," "It Worked for Me," and "Goody Bag." The magazine also produces a website, an iPhone app for kids, ''Parents'' Flash Cards, and GoodyBlog.com, the now-defunct blog. With its historical reach, ''Parents'' has frequently been used by academics, to document social and cultural shifts over time. Melissa Milkie and Kathleen Denny describe the prominence of the magazine: Despite its gender-neutral title, the magazine's advice has implicitly been directed toward women. On the February 2019 issue it features a same-sex male couple, the first in its history.


Medal for "Movie of the Month"

Each month, ''Parents' Magazine'' would award a medal to a "Movie of the Month". The image of the "Movie of the Month" Medal was subsequently used on movie posters and lobby cards. Past recipients include: * ''
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' or as it is known in more recent editions, ''The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'', is a novel by American author Mark Twain, which was first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United St ...
'' (March 1939) * '' The Wizard of Oz'' (September 1939) * ''
Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...
'' (December 1939) * '' Kathleen'' (January 1942) * ''
They Were Expendable ''They Were Expendable'' is a 1945 American war film directed by John Ford, starring Robert Montgomery and John Wayne, and featuring Donna Reed. The film is based on the 1942 novel of the same name by William Lindsay White, relating the story ...
'' (December 1943) * ''
Son of Lassie ''Son of Lassie'' (also known as ''Laddie, Son of Lassie'') is a 1945 American Technicolor feature film produced by MGM based on characters created by Eric Knight, and starring Peter Lawford, Donald Crisp, June Lockhart and Pal (credited as L ...
'' (May 1945) * '' Alice in Wonderland'' (July 1951) * ''
Hansel and Gretel "Hansel and Gretel" (; german: Hänsel und Gretel ) is a German fairy tale collected by the German Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 15). It is also known as Little Step Brother and Little Step Sister. Hansel ...
'' (October 1954)Full text of "Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1954)"
Internet Archive.


References


External links


Official website
{{IAC Lifestyle magazines published in the United States Monthly magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1926 Magazines published in New York City IAC (company) Parenting magazines