Friday, July 29, 2011
Magazines for Kids?
Is it worth it to buy a magazine subscription for the kids? Long ago, I subscribed to Highlights, which I LOVED as a kid - it made me actually look forward to going to the doctor and the dentist, but my kids weren't interested in it at all. I had to read Goofus and Gallant to myself and find the hidden pictures all alone. Which, if you know me, you could probably have guessed causes more than a little bit of frustration. One thing that the kids' school curriculum (My Father's World, www.mfwbooks.com) recommends is a subscription to God's World News, which is an awesome magazine that has different subscriptions for different ages, but it's like $24/year, and it's only published during the school year. That makes the cheap side of me cringe. Then, I got an email about Clubhouse magazine, from Focus on the Family, which is 12 issues per year for $20. Still cringing, but not as much. Even as an adult, I think getting mail - non-junk mail - is one of the most exciting parts of the day, and I know the kids would love that part of it. But we have SO much curriculum already, and then I'm going to feel like I need to keep all of the old magazines somewhere, and where exactly will that be? Any opinions out there? Anyone subscribe to something semi-educational that their kids actually read?
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Allison -
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about subscribing to Clubhouse magazine for the kids - I haven't done it yet though. I can say that ALL the kids love getting a magazine addressed just to them. My mother-in-law bought them a subscription to Highlights & to one other magazine...the younger version of Highlights maybe, Firefly or something like that? They devoured it from cover to cover when they got it - I think mostly because it had their names on it.
I think just about anything FOF puts out would be beneficial...but to your point about keeping it all - I say DON'T keep it if you don't need it. Maybe tear out a few favorite articles that the kids love to read or you think supports your instruction & organize those in a folder or binder... Otherwise get rid of it after a couple of months. Are you REALLY going to go back to them? If so, maybe it would be worth it to store them in a tote somewhere so you can refer to them now & again - or pull them out when you don't renew the subscription - the kids will forget what they read a year ago, right? :)
And regarding curriculum - this is just a different way the kids can be learning what you want them to learn (on their own/free time?) & will support your structured lessons. I like this idea. I think I'm going to steal it if we home school our kids.
Surprise, surprise, but I am anti-magazine. If you can get it online, why buy the magazine and increase the carbon footprint (listen to me being all environmentally conscious!)? Can you get an online subscription for the same price or less? If so, that is the way to go! Okay, I will step off my soap-box and stop pontificating for a while.
ReplyDeleteOh - pontificating is my new word. I love it. But let me know when you get sick of it, okay?
Love and kisses to my friends Al and Heather!
Thank you both for the pontification; it makes me feel like I'm not quite such a weirdo for having a hard time deciding what to do about this. I agree with both of you, somehow. I will make a decision, someday, and let you know what it is! Meanwhile, I'm going to decrease my carbon footprint a little bit and see what kind of reading material I can pick up at the New Hope Village store.
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