Celebrating 100 issues!
JUNO editor Saffia Farr introduces the Early Spring issue
This 100th issue has become a celebration of the love, support, information, community, ideas and encouragement that JUNO offers. When we were planning the 100th issue, we asked readers to share their memories of JUNO with us and reading them has been incredibly heartwarming. While discussing this, Angeline Braidwood suggested that I be the 100th issue interviewee! Angeline and I met years ago at a babywearing event, when Angeline was running Sleepy Nico, and we’ve kept in touch through Angeline’s work for JUNO. I was flattered to be asked, and I found looking back on my JUNO life, and how it developed alongside my family life, inspiring. Reflecting on my nearly 15 years of JUNO (and 22 years of parenting) it’s incredible to think what we have done and what I have learned – as a parent as well as an editor. As you will discover in the interview, my hope is that my reflections will inspire others to step forward and take JUNO on into new life.
Parenting is hard, isn’t it? I love how Lizzie Mae Smith’s column reminds us that “regret is not evidence that we failed, but evidence that we loved”. We all have regrets. We look back and see incidents, episodes, periods of time when we know we could have done better. But as Lizzie says, we were in the moment, contending with all the issues we faced, without hindsight.
Rehana’s column is a helpful look at how we can help build resilience, and how we can reframe problems – I have taken much from reading that. This is what I still love best about JUNO: in every issue, I learn something. Someone shares a story or an experience that teaches me something and adds another piece to who I am and how I interact with the world.
parenting will always be with us and we will always need support
The team here have had fun looking back over the years; I read my first editorial and could see how it still resonated and felt relevant. Every time I look at a JUNO back issue, I’m inspired by how good it still looks and how helpful the articles remain. But then, parenting will always be with us and we will always need support. We’ve also enjoyed thinking back over products we have been introduced to through JUNO, hence a more reflective review feature.
I will close by thanking everyone who has made JUNO possible over the years – from Patricia and Emma who started the magazine, through to Lucy, Kate, Helen and Zion, and now Rosalind, Jess, Jo, Lucy, Matthew and Alice. Also all the hundreds of amazing writers, artists, photographers and families who share their words, thoughts, images and talents with us. JUNO is what it is because of you. It’s such an important voice in this world, so thank you for continuing to contribute.
While the world turns digital, we still enjoy holding JUNO in our hands. Sometimes it’s good to be different and to think why we do things. This is the power of JUNO. So please, share this 100th issue with someone; use this special offer link to send someone a copy; buy one of our gorgeous back issues or gift boxes. Share the love and the joy and the learning. Here’s to the next 100 issues and all the parenting still to come.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 100TH ISSUE COVER WINNER
Congratulations to Morgane Chinal-Dargent who has created the winning piece of artwork for our 100th issue cover! We loved the tender family feel, which we felt represented JUNO and our community beautifully. Thank you to everyone who entered. We were overwhelmed by the number of entries and the incredible quality of the work. It was a very difficult decision choosing just one.
Featured contributor
Morgane Chinal-Dargent is a French freelance illustrator based in Brighton, and the founder of Nagaremono Studio. She launched the project in 2020, while navigating her first postpartum experience during the Covid pandemic, using illustration as a way to process, document, and give meaning to early motherhood. Her work is inspired by scenes from everyday family life as a mother of two, as well as by the quiet strength, resilience, and beauty she observes in women and mothers around her. Through Nagaremono Studio, Morgane is committed to making mothers visible, celebrating their lived experiences, and contributing to greater recognition of women’s emotional and creative labour. On Instagram @nagaremono_studio
Issue highlights
I love Amy Wilding’s article about understanding our menstrual cycles. This, again, is something I have learned through my work with JUNO. I find it hugely beneficial in my life, so am delighted to be featuring this in our 100th issue.
Abi Allanson’s feature on guiding young adults is really interesting. This is where my family is with our sons who are now both at university and struggling to juggle study deadlines, highly competitive placement applications and the fun side of university life! The role we have found is, as Abi says, to support by listening, reading a cover letter when asked, cooking a welcome meal and taking the washing off the to-do list when they come home, and just appreciating how utterly overwhelming and, frankly, scary the job market is for young people at the moment.
