On my first day of work at Minnesota Parent I ran out to Target on my lunch hour to buy a curtain and rod for my window, which opened onto the hallway. My son was five months old and still nursing. I needed to pump three times a day.
The whirmp-whirmp-whirmp of the pump was like a regular reminder of just how new at this whole parenting thing I was. I could almost hear the pump asking me, “Just-who-do-you… think-you-are?… Just-who-do-you… think-you-are?” And then I had to go back to sorting through press releases and medical reports and letters from readers with thoughts, questions, and suggestions.
For about a day and a half, I was scared that I was going to have to be a parenting expert. Then I realized that, no, my job is not to be the expert, but to learn along with all of you and share what I can.
I learned about torticollis and plagiocephaly when my son was in physical therapy and turned that into an article. I learned about scoliosis, which later became relevant for my daughter. I convinced writers to work on stories about milk donation, online learning, college applications, homework policies, class sizes, and more, as each of those topics became relevant in my life or among my friends and relatives.
All in all, a selfish way to run a magazine, I guess. But I kept thinking that, well, I’m your average, incompetent parent, so I can only trust that these things will interest other average incompetent parents. And I can only hope I was right.
My son starts kindergarten this fall. I still feel new at this whole parenting thing, because every stage — every day — is so very different from the last. As a wise parent once warned me: Just when you think you’ve got them figured out, they go and change on you. Usually overnight.
And so they have.
Life, too, has changed. And it is time for me to move on from Minnesota Parent. It’s been a great five years, rich in learning, full of instructive and sometimes moving interactions with readers and subjects. But I have learned another valuable lesson in my time as a parent: The best stage is always yet to come.
