Is Your Pregnancy Test Worth $1 Million?

January 30, 2021

A roundup of new guidance and stories from NYT Parenting.

Golden Cosmos

The first time I noticed celebrities flaunting their positive pregnancy tests on social media was in 2013, when a handful of reality stars ran sponsored content featuring their pink pee sticks. Eight years later, celebrity pregnancy is even bigger business, as Janet Manley explains in a piece this week:

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The amount of exposure a brand will get by sponsoring a pregnancy announcement is "exponential," said Sarah Boyd, a vice president at Socialyte, which brokers marketing deals for influencers and celebrities. The fee depends on "their fame and their relevance at the time," she said, and likely diminishes after their first child. Ms. Boyd estimated that someone like Kylie Jenner could ask for more than $1 million.

Who knew that a photograph of what is essentially medical waste could be so valuable? Also this week, Lydia Kiesling muses about why she reveres the parenting book "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk." Alice Lu-Culligan and Akiko Iwasaki, who are both medical researchers, have an op-ed about the Covid vaccine myths that are scaring women. The bottom line: "For any woman who is pregnant, nursing or trying to conceive, contracting Covid-19 is almost certainly more dangerous than getting immunized."

Worried about your teen's intake of fruits and vegetables? We have tips for you to help them get those nutrients. Want some music you can put on in the car that will be delightful for you and your kids, too? Here are seven albums to enjoy together.

Thanks for reading!

— Jessica Grose, columnist, NYT Parenting

THIS WEEK IN NYT PARENTING

Celebrity Pregnancy Is Big Business

These days, content begins at conception.

By Janet Manley

Janna Ireland for The New York Times

Letter of Recommendation

This Parenting Book Actually Made Me a Better Parent

I got by with my kids on instinct (and Google) until the pandemic hit. A friend's recommendation made a quiet revolution in my home.

By Lydia Kiesling

Angie Wang

The False Rumors About Vaccines That Are Scaring Women

We don't know everything about Covid-19, but getting immunized is still the best way to protect your health.

By Alice Lu-Culligan and Akiko Iwasaki

Getty Images

5 Ways Teens Can Get More Fruits and Vegetables Into Their Diets

A new study found that high school students aren't getting enough produce.

By Christina Caron

Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon

7 Albums for Kids That Adults Will Want to Hear, Too

From infectious hip-hop and big-band songs to a mix for transgender and nonbinary children, releases during the pandemic have something for everyone.

By Laurel Graeber

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Tiny Victories

Parenting can be a grind. Let's celebrate the tiny victories.

I used to get mad when my 3-year-old dumped out soap in the shower; but now I buy the cheap liquid stuff on Amazon, refill old pump-top bottles, and let her go to town. She gets clean, and I get 20 minutes. — Nikki Campo, Charlotte, N.C.

If you want a chance to get your Tiny Victory published, find us on Instagram @NYTparenting and use the hashtag #tinyvictories; email us; or enter your Tiny Victory at the bottom of this page. Include your full name and location. Tiny Victories may be edited for clarity and style. Your name, location and comments may be published, but your contact information will not. By submitting to us, you agree that you have read, understand and accept the Reader Submission Terms in relation to all of the content and other information you send to us.

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