Review of Real Simple Family

Devotees of Real Simple Magazine already know what they'll find in every issue: simple solutions for every day problems. These solutions may not be practical for their lifestyle or budget, but the pages of Real Simple provide a momentary escape and hope for an organized future. Real Simple Family follows with the same format and simplistic tone, but devotes each section to typical family issues.

In a lot of ways, the special Real Simple Family issue is not that necessary as many Real Simple issues devote pages to family time, solutions, and lifestyles. The makeovers almost always focus on a woman with children or a room that is heavily utilized by families. Product suggestions and advice are meant to streamline the daily minutiae so women can find time for themselves. In essence, the Real Simple target audience already applies to Real Simple Family.

Where Real Simple Family diverges from the mother magazine's goal is its singular focus on issues surrounding children. Yes, the mothers are the readers, but the advice focuses on the children and how their mothers can best navigate the family process. In this sense, the special issue feels like a duplication of Parenting Magazine in Real Simple format. This is not to say it's a bad issue, just not sufficiently unique to set itself apart in an already flooded market.

Some of Real Simple Family highlights is the "Their Words" section that flips parenting advice on its head and instead provides answers to the question "What's the best tip you have for your parents?" from the perspective of children. Answers like "listen when I'm talking" (age 5), "paint my fingernails and toenails pink" (age 4), and "give a thumbs-up and a smile to show them that they are doing well" (age 11) are truly revealing about how kids think.

Real Simple Family is not earth shattering, and all of the advice has a "no kidding" aspect to it (hence the title), but it is a fast, visually-appealing read. Just because you could have thought of printing out a placemat diagram to help children know where to put place settings (Solutions, Minding Manners, p. 34), does not mean you would have. A link to a printable copy is even available to further simplify your life.

The "Live + Learn Insider Tips" (p. 65) have a range of good suggestions, and the "Growing Bodies Smart Choices" (p. 93) food comparison has a great range of kid-friendly foods. And the "read this when..." article (p. 126) about writing a letter to your children after milestones is guaranteed to make you smile and want to do the same for your children.

After reading you may not have "bedtime chaos conquered" as promised on the cover, but will probably feel calmer after looking at the serene art layouts and positive encouragement. This second issue of Real Simple Family has the clean cut beauty of Real Simple with the down-home advice feel of other parenting magazines. Coming to the mailboxes of Real Simple subscribers now and available on newsstands for Fall 2007.