I am saddened today to hear that Mothering Magazine will not be able to print anymore, ending they 34-year run due to the down economy and the decline of print media in general.

They posted an open letter today here explaining today that their last printed issue was actually December 2010 and their last web-published issue is March 2011.

In 2009, magazine subscriptions saw their steepest decline in 40 years.

The venerable magazines Gourmet and Reader’s Digest ceased publication.

After three years of decline in advertising sales, subscription orders, and newsstand sales, with the March–April 2011 issue we saw our ad sales drop to their lowest point in 10 years.

In a single year, from March 2010 to March 2011, we lost one-third of our print advertisers.

I am surprised to hear, though maybe I shouldn’t be, that they would lose so much money even in a web-only magazine situation. They are ending the digital version of the magazine because even with trimming all the costs of physical printing and distribution, it would be prohibitively expensive for their staff to put together an online edition

I am personally interested in this story as one of those remaining advertisers, having signed a contract for every issue in 2011 to run a 1/3 page advertisement for this store. Time to go double-check the paperwork.

Mothering.com will move forward with their huge forums, their blogs and articles and resources, all of which is good news for the natural parenting community, especially pregnant and nursing moms who rely on Mothering for information and social support in those crucial times.

The Baby Carrier Industry Association has a nice page up with basic safety tips for using baby slings, especially the extra attention that should be paid when carrying a preemie, newborn, or a baby who is ill or has other special needs.

The main thing to know is that – sling or no sling – an infant is safest when a caring adult is close by and keeping them in sight. Good sling positions good baby close enough to kiss, and with their face visible – that is, don’t let the sling or your body or a blanket or anything else obstruct the view of your infant’s face, especially of course their nose and mouth.

Other common-sense reminders include reading the product instructions carefully, and keeping the sling snug enough that baby’s position does not shift around after you put them in.  If they start off in a good spot, “visible and kissable”  but slide downward when you move around, that is not good! Read more from the official baby carrier industry group at this link

You also might be interested in the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in their campaign to educate parents on safe baby carriers (link) and their work with the BCIA to spread good information. See this press release about the BCIA’s agreement with the CPSC on this need, and see how BCIA works with Health Canada to this same shared goal.

San Fransisco paper’s online “Mommy Files”  has this article today on good parenting practices and how to find the good stuff among the chaos of different views. Why do parenting tools have to go in an out of style? And why so much conflicting research?

Anyway, here’s the link.

I love the Berkeleyside blog for local news – hearing about things too “local” to get coverage in the regional papers and blogs. Here’s an example, a story where the US Secretary of education visits a BUSD middle school and this example about that certain kind of spider that can be found absolutely everywhere over here in the early fall.

I found a good resource here – 100 things parents can do instead of yelling or spanking.

We all need these sort of tools – as you scan the list are there any that stand out as things you want to add to your repertoire?

Read it at the codenamemama blog

A local California writer has released survey results on the theme of “who clips the kids’ nails”  about the division of labor between parents in different types of families.  She was looking at how the little tasks are split – this isn’t a stay-home versus work-outside sort of study, it was more about who plans the birthday parties, who washes hair, who buys new shoes when the old ones get too small.  The link below is part 1 of her article, if you like it, don’t skip over parts 2, 3, and 4!

http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/2010/07/14/who-clips-the-nails-part-i-survey-results/

I really apreicte this post – the mom writing talks about the things to say and nt say, to do and not do, when somebody you know is raising a child with a disability and yoou want to show your support while making sure you’re not being insensitive.

“As the mom of a four-year old girl who is physically disabled, I get asked a lot of questions about special needs kids.  People want to do the right thing, and most people are well-meaning.  So over time I’ve put together a kind of mental list of Do’s and Dont’s.  The usual caveats apply –  I’m just one mom, and everyone has their own feelings and own style.”

Read the article here

Check out the TIME magazine article this week about a worsening issue for prenatal healthcare – the lack of hospitals that allow VBAC even when it is the safest choice for the patients. It’s a clear example about policies and legal liability getting in the way of getting the best care and least risks for the woman and baby.

betterforbabies.com/BFBpresstrestria.pdf

The link above opens a PDF of a press release sheet for the popular Tres Tria cosleeping solution.  This bestselling baby item is all-natural inside with an organic cotton sateen cover.

The majority of parents bed share at some point in time – whether it be an occasional night or in the early morning hours. So, not only is the Tres Tria the product for full-time co-sleeping families, it is a wonderful addition to most any family’s sleep routine.

From the Toddler Whisperer article in the NY Times

If there is such a person as a “baby whisperer,” it is the pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp, whose uncanny ability to quiet crying babies became the best-selling book “The Happiest Baby on the Block.”

Now Dr. Karp, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles, has turned his attention to the toddler years, that explosive period of development when children learn language, motor skills and problem solving, among other things. The rapid pace at which all these changes occur is nothing short of astonishing, but it can also be overwhelming to little brains. A wailing baby is nothing compared with the defiant behavior and tantrums common among toddlers.