A new magazine has been launched in Australia called Wonder time - loving your life with little ones.

I have always been somewhat dubious about the glut of magazines on the market aimed at parents. There are just so many! Magazines about pregnancy, shopping for your baby, kids clothing magazines that look like toddler editions of Vogue… So how refreshing it was to be shown a copy of Wonder time.

This is the parenting magazine I was looking for. It has smart articles about important things that I need to know about. Articles on nurturing a shy child, getting out of the house on time and how to ‘put a lid on toilet humour without creating a big stink’.

It has a regular page called ‘please explain’ which helps you answer children’s tricky questions such as ‘How do boats float?’ I also enjoyed the page on ‘Fascinations - Why kids love….’. This edition explores and celebrates the humble cardboard box.

Wonder time has practical information on growing vegetables with your children, cycling as a family and guinea pigs as pets. And a very funny article on Star Wars - and the role it plays in one family (’but I am your faaather….’).

My personal favourite article has to be ’Teach your kids how to swing’.  When I worked as an early childhood professional the calls of ‘Push me!’ were by far the most common and most tiresome in the playground.
I have always wondered if there was a practical way to teach children how to do it themselves.
As my son becomes more and more obsessed with the swings at our local playground and my partner draws his plans for our backyard tree swing, I can see the article coming in handy. Very handy.

It is definitely a magazine for parents. Wonder time is not just about what is best for kids but what is best for parents and families. It is heavy on content, humour and good advice without ever feeling ‘preachy’. It’s not a quick flick through magazine but more a sit down with a cup of coffee and enjoy type read.

I should mention that Wonder time has an impressive Editorial Advisory Board. As well as Parent Wellbeing creator and director Jodie Benveniste, Wonder time is overseen by the CEO of The Australian Childhood Foundation Dr Joe Tucci, Dr Gillian Deakin and Dr Victoria Whitington, Program Director of the Early Childhood School of Education at the University of South Australia. It’s nice to know there is a strong knowledge base behind the content.

I’d suggest you have a browse at your local newagents. Wonder time may just brighten your day.

Emma Anderson,

Early childhood professional and mum to Jasper