I received a gift subscription to this service at my baby shower. While the gift was obviously very much appreciated and I know the spirit in which it was given, my husband and I decided to inquire about a possible refund on the service. They provide 6 years worth of emails (I get so many emails already I believe these would get lost and buried - I also think I can get the same kind of child development advice from places like BabyCenter and What to Expect - for free) and a series of 3 physical books about child rearing that you receive in the mail. My husband and I are inundated with books, emails, apps and other forms of content and felt that the $50 spent on this would be better utilized toward something else my new baby needs. Therefore, I innocently emailed their customer service department asking for options for a refund. I have never received such a ridiculous reply from customer service in my life. Among other things, they requested I get agreement from the gift giver to return the item (what?!) and that the entire refund would go to them. I would never insult a gift giver by doing something like this. Below is the content of the email I received: "Hello, Thank you for your query. You received a gift of three Growing Child books for which the gift giver paid $52.45. You have asked us to cancel the order and refund the money to you, and not notify the giver. In all fairness to a long time customer such as (removed name), we cannot honor this request. You may, if you like, tell us to cancel the order, and we will do so and refund the money to our customer, the gift giver. I have a counter offer. We will sign you up for 6 years of Growing Child email subscription which you will receive each month on the date of your child's birth. We will deduct the $17.95 from the $52.45 and return the balance ($34.50) to (remove name) with her knowledge and agreement. If you choose instead to have the books mailed to you and do not want them, we encourage you to donate them to a not for profit agency who will benefit from the information, such as a county health department, child care agency or pediatric medical clinic. Most of our customers order this as a gift because they truly value the advice and reassurance it offers parents and want to share it with new parents. It is not a gift like so many others of toys or clothing that your child will outgrow in a month or two, but an opportunity for parents to share in their child's education from the moment of birth. If you have not had the chance to view issues, please give it a try before dismissing it as just another baby book. Growing Child publications are used all over the world and by experts in the field of child development, health and education. I have held the order and will wait on your reply before I proceed. I have emailed you the Newborn and 1 month issues in case you haven't seen a sample." On their website, they ensure "complete customer satisfaction or your money back." This is clearly not the case. And, as a gift recipient, they did not consider me a customer for some odd reason - so that's off the table. For those looking into purchasing, please also note that the material appears very outdated. The illustrations and graphics do not appear to have been changed since the company was founded in the 70s, and celebrities like Kris Kristofferson, whom I have never heard of and found out is 76 years old, are referenced. If you are trying to relate to new parents, this may not be the best example. read more

I can't speak to their customer service, but in a sea of parent-help books, the Growing Child series is one we keep coming back to. The books cover each month of your child's life, offering a detailed view into key milestones, development activities, and feelings and emotions. Each month contains roughly 5 short, newspaper article-length sections that are very accessible. What I like best is that there is no hidden agenda; the information is presented to help you understand what your child is experiencing: when they do give guidance, it's supported by clear, accepted cognitive/behavioral research. These books aren't flashy, but they offer a wealth of high-quality, dependable information. Each month, I'm continually surprised by how relevant they are to the new behaviors and skills our child is developing--even small things I wouldn't have noticed otherwise--and how they help me understand how to support important skills in simple, clear activities and behaviors. Highly recommended! read more

Growing Child is one of the most - if not the most - on target, helpful tools you will receive as a parent. There is nothing even close to this in place like BabyCenter and What To Expect (or anywhere else I have seen). Anyone who receives this as a gift should shout: "Hooray!" and throw their arms around the giver. If you do not receive this as a gift, I highly recommend gifting it to yourself. read more