I recently gave three new mothers I know a subscription to Brain, Child. One of them wrote back how glad she was to receive it, hoping that it will help her sort through all the conflicting advice that's out there on parenting these days. Here's what I replied
I should forewarn you that Brain, Child is unlike any other parenting magazine I’ve seen. It’s probably better classified as a literary magazine written by mothers. Except for a regular “pro-con” feature in which two people give their takes on classic parenting debates, there’s no “how-to.” It’s mostly personal essays from a broad spectrum of people who’ve been through everything you can imagine. . .adoption, mental health issues, picking a sperm donor, and more. There’s lots of good humor and a broad perspective on parenting as something all of society should be concerned about -- and no side-taking in the stay-at-home vs. working parent debates.
As time has gone on, I’ve come to realize that what I need as much as good advice is a sense that a lot of people are struggling with the same issues and care as deeply about parenting well as I do, even if they make different decisions. This magazine helps me have that sense of community, even when I don’t identify at all with the particular stances someone takes or issues they may be dealing with.
I share this with you. blogosphere, because a magazine can't do everything. I'm convinced that parenthood is difficult in direct proportion to how isolated you are. I am so grateful to have both high tech and high touch community in my life: family, church, neighbors and good friends, far and wide.
