Great Parenting Websites

When you want parenting advice on the fly, who do you usually turn to? Your mom? She's a great resource, but she's not always around. Your friends? That's another good resource, but what if most of them don't have kids or not of the same ages or genders as yours? Parenting books? Those might be good too, but that can get expensive. Also, a lot of moms simply don't have the time to sit and read a book! What does that leave? In this sense, we are very lucky to live in a day and age where information about pretty much any subject in the world is at our fingertips via the Internet. We can find 'expert' opinions, but there are also many online communities of moms who are dealing with the same things and have tips for each other. If you haven't already found them, here are some of the more helpful websites I've found.

I've mentioned About.com on other 'helpful-websites' articles, and for good reason. This site is a great place to start looking for, well, pretty much anything. They have a very extensive parenting section, and most of the articles are written by experts in the field. Since these 'experts' are often moms just like you, they write in ways we can all understand. In addition to the articles, there are also many forums about particular issues where you can talk with other moms and perhaps exchange ideas. If nothing else, you can get a sympathetic ear.

If you're one of the many women who've had kids after age 35, Motherhood Later Than Sooner is a good site for you. There are blogs, articles and other features that speak to some of the things that women over 35 have to deal with when having kids that others might not- medical issues, being asked ”are you his mom or his grandma?”, etc. One thing I especially like about this organization is that it has several local chapters for women who want to connect to other 'older moms' in person as well as online. As much as we love our online friends, sometimes you need to be able to talk to someone face to face. It's a good way to meet other moms in similar situations as well as learn about discounts on products and services. 

Plugged In Parents is a great place to find expert advice on things you may not find on other sites. While a good number of their authors are medical professionals, the articles are written in terms us 'regular people' can understand. There is a great question-and-answer section where you can not only get your question answered by professionals, but hear from other moms as well. One blog I find particularly funny is 'Stuff My Kids Ruined', where they collaborate with another site to show pictures each week of 'kid moments'. I think my favorite is what happened to one mom when her kids got into 22 pounds of flour. If nothing else, you can get a good laugh!

I hope you now ave an idea of some fun and informative parenting websites to add to your bookmarks page. Have fun!