Newsletters and Forums for Parents

BY ARLENE F. HARDER, MA, MFT

"Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."

—Anne Frank

These newsletters bring you all kinds of solutions to problems you may have thought were only yours to suffer. Here are some of the better newsletters I've come across. If there are others you believe would be as good, please let me know.

Newsletter for new and expectant parents

If you want a great newsletter with lots of good information for parents of babies and small children, this is a good deal. However, you will also get “valuable coupons, sale notices, and free offers from our partners.” That means you are likely to receive loads of emails from their many "partners." So I definitely recommend setting up a unique email account for sites like this, in case you haven't already done so. That way you can close your account when you’ve been put on too many lists.

Bulletin Boards A-Z

Okay, there aren't any "Z" bulletin boards on the BabyCenter website, but there are 876 ranging from "A place for birth parents" to " Yours, mine and ours." A good place to learn from others and share what you know.

Baby Center Plus

Although this newsletter is not free, it is worth the nominal price. For $2.50 a month you can enter your baby’s age and recent milestones and get a custom report that give you information on what’s safe for your child to try right now, alerts for recalls Consumer Reports Product Reviews on things you want to buy for your child, a savings of $25 or more for their BabyCenter store, a one year subscription to Parents or Child Magazine, and the Ultimate Pregnancy Safety Guide and Pregnancy and Birth Video Library. This last is handy if you’re planning another baby soon.

Ask Evelyn

Evelyn Petersen is an award-winning parenting columnist and child and family advocate.  Her parenting advice is based on sound child development principles and field experience, as well as personal experience; she’s a mother of four, a grandmother and a great grandmother.   Petersen's advice can be humorous or challenging, but it’s always professional, positive and "nuts and bolts" practical.  She believes parents want ideas they can use, not study.

Parenting Toolbox

These are "Ultimate Bulletin Boards(TM)" with topics such as discipline, child development, nontraditional families, parenting of teens, and marriage and relationship support group.

© Copyright 2005, Arlene F. Harder, MA, MFT

The effort we put into raising children today will make a difference in the world tomorrow.

Quotation Worth Noting

"One hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, how big my house was, or what kind of car I drove. But the world may be a little better, because I was important in the life of a child."

—Forest Witcraf

"Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."

—Anne Frank

Time-out Tots

The monthly Time-out Tots Newsletter has good material and I highly recommend it for parents with toddlers and preschoolers.

Not Strictly for Parents

I was amazed at all the information you can find in these forums. Here you will find such topics as cars, budget, cleaning, crafts, food, garden, organize, parties, pets, pests, etc. While these are not exactly forums specifically for mothers, the information is what mothers of all kinds can use. The link crafts, for example, has ideas you can use for doing projects with your children.