Today’s parents have more reference material than ever on the internet to help them navigate the journey of raising kids. Having trouble nursing? Wondering when to introduce solids? Navigating a career as a parent? When the heck is it okay to give kids a smartphone? And how does a parent stay sane through it all?
Parenthood is hard work on the daily, so when looking for answers in the moment or when the kiddos are asleep, enjoy a few of these parenting news sites for advice, tips, and solidarity with other parents on the same life-changing journey.
1. The National Parenting Center
Founded in July 1989, The National Parenting Center was created with the intention of "providing the most comprehensive and responsible parenting advice to parents everywhere.” The website features information by some of the world’s most respected authorities on child-raising and development from pregnancy to adolescence.
Don’t miss: Seal of Approval Reports, which are the site's review of products marketed to parents/children with judgments conducted by an independent testing procedure, and reviews that can be filtered by product, age, price, etc. The site also offers this for Family Travel.
Stories to read right now: Coping With Your Own Fatigue; Sleeping With Parents; Old Wives’ Tales;and Teaching Your Children to Love Reading.
2. FamilyEducation.com
This well-rounded website covers family life with children from pregnancy to teenagers, with myriad helpful articles and printable parenting tools.
Don’t miss: the special section for those looking to become or who are parents through adoption.
Stories to read right now: Buying Used for Baby: What’s Okay and What’s Not; A Minimalist Approach to All of the Baby "Stuff You Need" On Your Registry; 12 School Year Resolutions: Printable List; and Why Won't My Teen Shower? 3 Tips on Teaching Teens About Hygiene.
3. ZERO TO THREE
The ZERO TO THREE organization was created in 1977 to help ensure that babies and toddlers get a strong start in life by sharing practical resources for parents to help them connect more with their children in their earliest stages. Information can be found according to each child’s age and stage in life, brain development, challenging behaviors, and early learning.
Don’t miss: Resource sections on fatherhood and grandparents and extended family (because it takes a village).
Stories to read right now: Everyday Ways to Support Your Baby’s and Toddler’s Early Learning; Toddlers and Challenging Behavior: Why They Do It and How to Respond; and The Daddy Factor: The Crucial Impact of Fathers on Young Children's Development.
4. Motherly
Motherly was created by moms to be an inspiring community for new mothers to gain advice, solidarity, and connection, whether they are in the “trying to get pregnant” stage, already pregnant, or in the first year of motherhood. This site offers helpful week-by-week guides, advice from experts, and inspiring stories from mothers who have been there.
Don’t miss: the Motherly Podcast that talks to entrepreneurs, actresses, politicians, and authors who also are mothers about their diverse experiences.
Stories to read right now: IVF, IUI, ICI, and IVI: There are so many ways to make a family; 9 ways to stay super-bonded with baby as a working mother; Even 5 minutes of self-care can make you a better mother.
5. Fatherly
On a similar front from the above, Fatherly is a site created to empower and inform new fathers on their parenthood journey with articles of advice, expert information, and stories of solidarity from the “Trying and Expecting” stage to raising teenagers.
Don’t miss: the podcast “Finding Fred,” which dives into the life and words of Fred Rogers and what men can learn from his life and lessons on children, empathy, and kindness.
Stories to read right now: My Wife Is Pregnant and I’m Not Ready to Be a Father. How Do I Get There?; The Best and Funniest Dad Tweets of 2019; What Does it Mean to Be a Millennial Parent?; and How Fatherhood Helped Me Overcome Childhood Abuse and Trauma.
6. Family Equality Council
Family Equality’s mission is "to advance legal and lived equality for LGBTQ families, and for those who wish to form them, through building community, changing hearts and minds, and driving policy change." The site offers a place for
individuals to share their stories, sign up for email alerts, find upcoming events, and get resources.
The team also tracks federal and state legislation that can impact existing LGBTQ+ families and the abilities of individuals to form a family.
Don't miss: The Outspoken Voices podcast, now in its third season.
Stories to read right now: Building LGBTQ+ Families: The Price of Parenthood; Top 10 Outspoken Voices Podcast Episodes of 2019; and Becoming a Lesbian Grandmother: The Joy, The Excitement…. The Panic!
7. A Cup of Jo
Last but not least, A Cup of Jo is a lifestyle blog created by writer and mother Joanna Goddard for a change of pace from the usual parenting advice sites. While it may not be the place to learn which solids to start feeding a baby or what to expect when eight months pregnant, browsing this mother-focused site feels like flipping through a magazine in a café.
Don’t miss: the series of articles on Parenting Around the World for an international snapshot on how other cultures handle parenthood compared to the U.S.
Stories to read right now: Trying Out Slow Parenting; 24 Surprising Things About Parenting in the United States; My Kids’ Hilariously Passive Aggressive Notes; and How Did You Know You Were Ready to Have a Baby?.
