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During last July’s 5.8 earthquake, 3-year-old Bronwyn told her 1-year-old sister, “We’re going for a wiggle.” READ MORE
Editors Note
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In terms of celebration, the issue you have of OC Family Magazine represents a fifth anniversary. In human terms, it's like we've gone, in five years, from a newborn to kindergarten. We've advanced from burping up to showing off, from reacting to pictures in a book to reading words. If you had a child born in 1998 - my twins are 10 months older than the magazine - you can understand the time period we're talking about. First steps, first colds, first words, first ear infection, first song, first tear, first religious class, first tantrum. We mimic those moments here. We've shed tears in joy and in anger, had a few outbursts, and hugged a lot. We've rushed home, at least in the beginning, when a child got a nosebleed. Now we know to help our spouse, via phone, apply the cold compress. We haven't lost the joy of newborns, even though some of us - actually, a lot of us at Churm Publishing, Inc., have moved beyond that stage of parenthood. What we try to do as professionals is what we instill in our children as they mature. We try to evolve. Associate Editor Sandy Bennett has been here from the beginning, reminding us that not all children are physically whole (diabetes story) and that not all ex-husbands are on the lam (a story about those who remain a positive force). She simply has been the foundation for our growing concern. Art Director Cheryl Fujioki arrived early in the process and has developed into one of the nation's great designers in our family magazine niche. We've had, by my count, more than three dozen different bylines in the magazine and several enduring writers I could not have done without at the beginning, and would dare not think about losing now. Senior Writer Kimberly Porrazzo is an example. She created the Mother Knows column and has turned that into an award-winning, must-read. Michele Piazzoni did not originate the award-winning Early Years column, but has written all but one since late 1999. She IS our Early Years reporter. The same with Carol Daus, who has been a steady reporter of the Middle Years for nearly every column since Day One. Our Teen Years is written mostly by teen writers, who change each school year and come almost exclusively from Troy High School in Fullerton. There has been clarity of mission - to bring the news of parenting to parents - along the way. Seven of our writers have had their first or second or third baby in these five years - Piazzoni, Jenny Bioche, Julie Engelhardt, Lisa Alvarez, Greg Blake Miller, Cherie Deanne Childers (who just had No. 2) and Marie Loggia-Kee. OC Family Magazine has won 29 awards in those years, mostly from Parenting Publications of America, the national organization of more than 150 regional members. In addition, OC Family's baby sister, Inland Empire Family Magazine, has won 9 awards in its 3 1/2 years. And now, we move forward. What you have in your hands is the first magazine of our sixth year. We have redesigned the magazine with several topics in mind. First, you are parents, and need information, even guidance, along the stages of our reach - newborn through the teen years. Second, you are busy, and we need to keep in mind that some stories can be longer and in-depth, while others need to be the quick read, for the free moment. And we need to be compelling. We are particular about choosing writers. In every case, they are inquisitive reporters with an ability to write. And in most cases, they are living the life, as parents with children still at home, wondering as they tackle a subject for the magazine how they would, or in fact do, handle the particular drama. We keep focused on the fact that our community's children are humans we hope to shape the right way. They don't come out of a manufacturing plant, all formed the same or emoting on demand. They act individually. With our redesign, we've grouped topics for better ease of use: Mother Knows and Fatherhood, for example, move to the back page under the department, What We Know. Our Passages department expands by dividing the Early Years (0-6) in half, to create the First Years (0-2). We've moved Getting Started... from Family News to the First Years, to address that age group. Senior Writer Lynn Armitage adds a column within Family News, Single Parenthood, that tackles an area populated with parents wondering how to do it all alone. The Census Bureau reports, for example, that single-parent families now number more than 74,000 in Orange County, or 21 percent of all family units. Also, we've moved Family Finance to Family News for shorter, more relevant reporting. The Media & Leisure department better packages three elements - Films, DVDs and Music; Books; and an expanded Travel section. Same with what we now call the Health department, comprised of In Shape; Health: Women; and Health: Your Kids. We're better packaging special sections within our Features department, such as Fourth of July celebrations (see this issue). Our annual Family Favorites and Best Beaches features, written by longtime contributor Steve Smith, will get better display. We've changed the name of On the Field to Get in the Game, to better identify the recreational and competitive nature of sports. And we start with a compelling read about Title IX, by Contributor Lisa Alvarez. Note the quote from a judge back in 1971: "Athletic competition builds character in our boys. We do not need that kind of character in our girls." Like our magazine, women athletes have come a long way, baby. All in all, we hope the dramatic as well as subtle changes help you to best manage your growing family. From our Family to yours, continued success. |
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