The Parent Network
March 1st, 2010 by stacey greenberg
Whether you’ve got a sleeping baby in your lap or are sneaking a few minutes during naptime, chances are you’re browsing the web for fun, answers, or support. Here are our picks for the best websites for parents.
Local Resources
DiningwithMonkeys.com
Local mom and foodie Stacey Greenberg reviews area restaurants and gives you the lowdown on what’s kid-friendly and what’s not.
Facebook.com
You’ll find friends, family, and fellow parents on Facebook, as well as local favorites such as Memphis Parent, the Memphis Botanic Garden, and the Children’s Museum of Memphis. Become a fan of places you like and receive updates in your newsfeed.
MemphisLovesKids.com
Founded in 2005, MemphisLovesKids.com is the Mid-South’s first comprehensive website for people with children in their lives. Memphis Loves Kids is a one-stop shop for caregivers and educators, with information on places to go, things to do, and local resources for families.
MemphisParent.com
Find everything you love about the magazine and more online! We’ve got the most comprehensive calendar of family events in Memphis plus great regular features such as Bargain Beth, parent support groups, and our blog. Memphis Parent is the go-to source for families.
Health & Wellness
AAP.org
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), an organization of 60,000 pediatricians, are committed to optimal physical, mental, and social health for all children and young adults. Their site contains general information related to child health and specific guidelines concerning pediatric issues.
HealthyChild.com
Healthy Child focuses on safe, non-toxic, and organic products for your child. They advocate holistic, natural medicine and reducing environmental toxins as much as possible. All of their products are of high quality made with the safest non-toxic materials available.
KidsHealth.org
KidsHealth is the most-visited website for information about health, behavior, and development from before birth through the teen years. Special sections for parents, kids, and teens.
ZerotoThree.org
Zero to Three is a national nonprofit, organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. One feature we like: month-to-month checklist of developmental milestones.
Natural Parenting/Breastfeeding
KellyMom.com
Kelly Bonyata is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), and a member of the International Lactation Consultant Association. She has been helping mothers and babies to breastfeed since 1997. She provides private and telephone consultations, teaches breastfeeding classes, and writes on breastfeeding and parenting topics.
La Leche League (LLLeus.org/web/MemphisTn.html)
La Leche League strives to help mothers worldwide breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education. Their aim is to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother. Memphis has a local chapter with leaders available by phone whenever you have breast-feeding questions.
Mothering.com
Born in 1976 out of the need for the natural family community to learn about raising healthy children, Mothering was the birthplace of the natural family lifestyle. The DotCommunity message boards boasts information on breastfeeding, co-sleeping, homebirth, and other natural parenting choices.
Support/Fun
Babble.com
Babble’s aim is to tell the truth about parenting, to bypass the clichés and dig into the magical and maddening reality. Their commitment to readers is to explore the world of parenting on a daily basis with honesty, humor, and lyricism.
The Daily Groove (enjoyparenting.com/dailygroove)
Written for “leading-edge” parents, The Daily Groove brings you an inspiring and/or practical message every Monday through Friday. The emails are brief enough to read in about a minute, providing a quick boost to start or end your day with. It’ll help you leave behind the daily grind, to find and stay “in your groove” — focused in ways that enhance the joy of parenting!
Kirtsy.com
Kirtsy is a social media platform of pure goodness. There are 25 editors who are always on the lookout for great stuff lying around the Internet. Their selections comprise the Editors’ Picks column and do a great job of keeping the Kirtsy content fresh, relevant, and interesting.
Hipmama.com
One of the first and only independent online magazines bursting with political commentary and ribald tales from the front lines of motherhood. The site started as a forum for young mothers, single parents, and marginalized voices but has grown to represent progressive families of all varieties.
ImperfectParent.com
This community was created for parents to talk freely and openly without “Big Brother” watching. The articles and community were designed to share parenting experiences and to let you know that you’re not alone with your flaws and imperfections.
Mandatory Reading
Dooce.com
Heather Armstrong, who just happens to be from Bartlett, is THE original Mommy Blogger. Dooce chronicles her life from a time when she was single and making a lot of money as a web designer in Los Angeles to the postpartum depression that landed her in a psych ward to life as a professional blogger and mother of two.
Finslippy.com
Alice Bradley, a veteran mother and writer with a great sense of humor, is one of the earliest Mommy bloggers. Finslippy has been around since 2004 and has been the target of widespread acclaim.
ParentHacks.com
A hack is a workaround, a jerry-rig, a clever, pragmatic answer to a problem. Parents are some of the best hackers, because raising kids requires on-your-feet thinking and frequent improvisation. They publish parenting tips and product recommendations relevant to kids of all ages.
Dad-centric
Daddytypes.com
A weblog for new dads published by Greg Allen with the help of his readers who send in tips, advice, questions, and suggestions. Daddytypes also has a great listing of other Dad-centric blogs around the Internet.
Urf! (uurrff.blogspot.com)
Memphis’ most prolific dad, Richard Alley, chronicles life with his four children.