''Parents'' was an American monthly magazine founded in 1926 that featured scientific information on

child development Child development involves the Human development (biology), biological, psychological and emotional changes that occur in human beings between birth and the conclusion of adolescence. It is—particularly from birth to five years— a foundation ...

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 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, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

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 is typically portrayed as an anthropomorphic egg, though he is not explicitly described as such. The first recorded versions of the rhyme date from ...

'' 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 published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...

'' company. ''Parents' Magazine'' was sold to

Gruner + Jahr Gruner is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Dov Gruner (1912–1947), Jewish Zionist leader * Eduard Gruner, Swiss engineer * Elioth Gruner (1882–1939), Australian painter * Gottlieb Sigmund Gruner (1717–1778), Swiss ca ...

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, before being replaced by Ann Pleshette Murphy, who was editor-in-chief between 1988 and 1998, and a contributing editor from 1998 to 2002. 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 editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...

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 protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

, behavior,

discipline Discipline is the self-control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders be obeyed, and the ability to keep working at something that is difficult. Disciplinarians believe that such self-control is of the utmost importance and enforce a ...

and

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

. There are also stories on

women's health Women's health is an example of population health, where health is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". Often treated ...

, 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. The magazine has received criticism for featuring a bored white child who appears to be screaming, dressed in a toy headdress on its January 2016 cover. Dr. Debbie Reese of American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) called the depiction racist, as it implies a "wild Indian" stereotype.

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'' is a picaresque novel by American author Mark Twain that was first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885. Commonly named among the Great American Novels, th ...

'' (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 poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

'' (December 1939) * '' Kathleen'' (January 1942) * '' They Were Expendable'' (December 1943) * '' Son of Lassie'' (May 1945) * ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...

'' (July 1951) * ''

Hansel and Gretel "Hansel and Gretel" (; ) is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 as part of ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' (KHM 15). Hansel and Gretel are siblings who are abandoned in a forest and fall into the hands of a witch ...

'' (October 1954)Full text of "Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1954)"
Internet Archive.

References

External links

Official website
{{IAC Defunct lifestyle magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1926 Defunct magazines published in New York City IAC Inc. Parenting magazines Magazines disestablished in 2022