The Alliance for Parental Involvement in Education (AllPIE). AllPIE is a nonprofit organization which assists and encourages parental involvement in education, wherever that education takes place: in public school, in private school, or at home. Site includes newsletter, conference information, links to education sites and more.All One Heart. A website dedicated to celebrating diversity and promoting harmony among all people.
BestFed.Com. An online resource for progressive parenting issues. Hosted by a mother of four, BestFed supports attachment parenting. If you're into home births, nursing, cloth diapers, baby slings, a family bed and homeschooling, this site is for you. Provides resources on pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, babies, toddlers, kids of all ages, education and parenting. Includes an online bookstore and access to discussion groups.
Children Coping With Grief and Dying. An annotated list of books about death, loss, illness and hope for children and their caregivers. Books are divided into the following categories: for very young children, for older children or children working with their caregivers, and books about life-threatening illness. A wonderful resource.
Coalition for Asian-American Children and Families. Cyberspace's only interactive forum for Asian children's policy and cultural diversity issues. As the authors of the website explain, "Asian-Americans are often called the 'model minority' because some achieve high levels of educational attainment and high median incomes. However, many Asian-American children and families do not fit this stereotype. One result of this myth is that policy makers do not view Asian-American children's health and human service needs as a priority." The Coalition challenges these barriers by advocating for social policies and programs which support Asian-American children and families, empower Asian-Americans to advocate for change, and give service providers culturally-sensitive training and resources.
The Coroner's Report: Information and Resources on Gang Intervention and Prevention. This invaluable site, run by Steve Nawojczyk, the coroner of Little Rock, Arkansas, opens with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King: "The choice today is no longer between violence and nonviolence. It's either nonviolence or nonexistence." The Coroner's Report provides information about the dynamics of street gangs, a parent resource guide on the warning signs of child gang involvement, recommended reading and videos, a newsletter, lists of resources and links, and useful tips for parents and educators.
The Daily Parent. Articles and online discussions on dozens on topics including: postpartum depression, sibling relationships, computers, desserts, dads, discipline, divorce, pregnancy nutrition, outdoors, summer camp, ritalin, autism, homeschooling, school choice, tourette's syndrome, phonics, bedwetting, and motivation (to name a few!).
Early Childhood Education on Line. This site, sponsored by University of Maine, includes resources in the following categories: diversity, children and development, observation and assessment, curriculum and environments, professional development, issues in early childhood settings, advocacy, and ECE and the Net. This site is aimed at early childhood professionals, but parents can get a lot out of these materials, too. Maintains listserv communities for parents, care providers, and teachers.
Early Childhood Educators and Family Web Corner. Articles, news, discussion groups and an incredible collection of links for both parents and early childhood educators. A wealth of practical, invaluable information. A site not to miss.
Family.Com. Disney's online magazine for parents and families. This huge commercial site is quite comprehensive. It includes articles and features on hundreds of topics, news, travel tips, chat rooms, recipes, activities to do with kids, questions and answers with a variety of parenting experts, online shopping, and of course, lots of ads.
Essential Information for Parents. Kathy Williams links of interest to parents are a wonderful potpourri of Internet resources. We suggest you take a look.
Family Education Network. A network set up to "help parents help their kids learn." Includes education news, expert advice, contests, learning games and thousands of pages of articles and interactive tools. Features interactive parent forums on topics including: children with special needs, education and technology, testing, summer movies, school prayer, sex education, learning disabilities, help with homework, health and safety issues, college planning, discipline, alternative schooling, gender issues, and much more. A comprehensive, award-winning site!
Family Pride Coalition A resource for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender parents, their partners and children, and supporters of their families. A wealth of information and connections. Site includes articles, support resources, advocacy, and networking opportunities. Topics range from domestic partnership to queer grandparents, from second parent adoption to strategies for interfacing with the school system.
Grandsplace: Grandparents and Special Others Raising Children. "We are a generation of older people between the ages of 40 and 80 who are deeply involved, in a non-traditional way, with our grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Because of varying situations in our lives, we have taken on the task, sometimes reluctantly, but always with love, of raising our children's children. At a time when we expected to be leading very different lives, we find ourselves enmeshed in diapers, PTA, Little League, Girl Scouts, not to mention the court system, social services departments, mental health agencies, special education services, and health care battles. At this site we hope to provide a safe and accepting environment where caregivers can join together and give each other the support and comfort we need." This much-needed site includes extensive resources, chat rooms, prayer circles, bulletin boards, advocacy information, and much more.
Hip Mama. Based on the alternative parenting 'zine, hip Mama, this well-designed lively website is one fabulous place to visit! Of the 'zine, The Chicago Tribune said, "Child rearing gets cutting edge treatment." The San Francisco Examiner called it a, "Hip magazine for cool young mothers." The website is even better: a wonderful, offbeat, political, supportive breath of fresh air in a world full of conventional parenting advice. The site features terrific articles, rants and raves, reviews, homeschooling resources, support and resources for single parents, birth info, discussion forums, and much, much more. Definitely check it out.
Home-Based Working Moms: The Association That Helps Bring Working Moms Closer to Their Children. Home-Based Working Moms is a national association for mothers (and fathers) who currently work at home or would like to. Provides support and information to start a work-at-home career or to help make the one you have more successful and satisfying. Website includes opportunities and ideas, home business tips, a newsletter, links and resources, products and services and more. Joining HBWM as a member costs $39/year and provides additional resources not available on their website.
KidSource Online. Medical and education resources for parents of kids of all ages, organized by a group of parents who knew about computers and also wanted to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of families. As the founders of the site explain, "We've created an online community that shares our values and goals in raising, educating and providing for our children. We believe that parents and caregivers want to take greater responsibility for their children's health and education, but don't always have the right information, resources or advice to do so. Our goal is to provide that knowledge and advice." Site includes fact sheets, articles, online forums, product and software reviews, as well as an online store. KidSource also sponsors a public service program called Computing EDGE, which matches needy schools with used, obsolete or excess computing equipment from corporations or individuals.
KidsPeace: The National Center for Kids Overcoming Crisis. This site offers tips for parenting children of all ages and provides information about public awareness and treatment programs designed to help children overcome all kinds of crises in their lives. Site information available in Dutch, English, Spanish, Japanese and French.
The Mining Company: Family. The Mining Company, the virtual company whose motto is "We mine the Net so you don't have to," delivers with a big parenting site with VAST resources on topics ranging from: adoption to daycare to fatherhood: single dads to parenting of multiples; space and astronomy to penpals for kids. Wide-ranging information, chat rooms, listservs and fabulous links. Better than a search engine. The only drawback to this site is lots of advertising.
Moms Online. This AOL forum by and for moms is dedicated to nurturing and entertaining Moms of all ages and philosophies. The friendly, welcoming place is set up to give moms a chance to relax and a place to be in cyberspace. "We are here to nurture the nurturers — whether you need information and advice or a place to just relax, sip a well-deserved cup of coffee and soak up some moral support and encouragement." Site includes zillions of features including the Daily Alexander, a running chronicle of raising a toddler in the 90's; the Daily Sphinx, a quiz on maternal trivia; The Daily Dish, full of recipe ideas; Hot Tips, a weekly poll, advice columns, Mom of the Week, craft ideas, a baby name guide, avenues for activism, advice on raising teens, chat, news and a wide range of message boards. A veritable wealth of support.
Motherstuff. A fabulous collection of links to topics relating to pregnancy, health, birth, miscarriage, preemies, midwifery, breastfeeding, mothering, and parenting. Also includes a bookstore, a business directory, and a bulletin board. A lovely site full of connections to lots of unusual, worthwhile resources.
National Parent Information Network. The National Parent Information Network (NPIN) is a project sponsored by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education and the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. Includes a vast database of information, extensive articles, resources for urban/minority parents, electronic discussion groups, a monthly magazine and a question answering service.
The National Parenting Center (TNPC). A virtual magazine, which provides advice from a variety of experts in the field of child development. News and articles on issues related to parenting are featured, as is advice on family travel. Chat rooms are available by topic. TNPC issues product awards on a quarterly basis. This site includes information on the winners as well as a online shopping mall.
The Natural Child Project. This site opens with the words, "All children behave as well as they are treated." The vision of the Natural Child Project is a world in which all children are treated with dignity, respect, understanding, and compassion. As the project founders put it, "In such a world, every child can grow into adulthood with a generous capacity for love and trust. Our society has no more urgent task." The website includes a global children's art gallery, parenting advice, a quote of the month, a parenting site of the month, information on child advocacy around the world, and resources for curious families. A beautiful, friendly site that advocates respect for children.
Net-Mom. A terrific site edited by author, librarian, mother and Net enthusiast Jean Armour Polly, designed to help discover the magic of the Internet with Net-mom as your guide. Includes the excellent Internet Kids and Family Yellow Pages.
The No Spanking Page. Dozens of links to articles, essays and information about the problems with spanking, as well as alternatives.
Parenting Q & A. Sponsored by Parents Plus, a coalition of experts who answer parenting questions in periodicals nationwide, this site supplies answers to hundreds of commonly asked parenting questions. You can browse their vast database by topic area or age category. Site includes topic of the week and tip of the day. Online chat with other parents is also available.
Parent Soup. A sophisticated electronic town meeting hall for parents. Features expert advice, daily features, and extensive resources on education. One of the biggest, most comprehensive sites for parents, Parent Soup is welcoming, warm and visually attractive. Includes online communities for expecting parents, parents of babies, parents of toddlers and preschoolers, parents of school-age children, parents of teens. There are also over a hundred messages boards where parents can connect on diverse topics such as alternative health care, stepparenting, stillbirth, genealogy, dating as a single parent, conception after miscarriage, parents in recovery, family prayer, gay and lesbian families, scouting, and infidelity. Definitely check it out.
Parents' Resource Network. Brought to you by the Children's Defense Fund. Includes extensive resources and links to information on adoption and foster care, Black families, child care and early intervention, children with disabilities, child support, education, violence prevention, health and safety, and more.
ParentTime. Owned by Time Magazine, this is one of the big "find it all here" sites for parents. There are chat groups and advice given by age of your child, a newsletter, daily features, experts answering questions, a baby name database, parenting advice from A to Z, message boards, travel advice, and much more. A flashy commercial site with lots of ads.
Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). The PFLAG website is for anyone who wants to support gay and lesbian family members or friends (including those who are parents!) Includes fact sheets and information on homosexuality, action alerts, advocacy information, and information about local PFLAG chapters.
Principles of Parenting. The Principles of Parenting publications are part of a parenting program sponsored by the Family and Child Development Department of Auburn University. Their three subject areas are Strengthening the Parent, Developing the Caring Child, and Developing the Strong Child. Each section contains numerous four-to-eight-page online articles which are supportive, helpful and clear.
Sassafrass Grove. A personal website from a homeschooling family that includes wonderful resources and links dealing with homeschooling, ADD/ADHD, nurturing peace in your family and in the world, and an online art gallery. A fun place to visit.
Sole Mothers International. Sole Mothers International is an organization that exists for the benefit and encouragement of single parents. Their mission to provide single parents with helpful information and resources to ease the everyday burdens associated with parenting alone. Website includes articles, resources, questions and answers, self-help legal advice, inspiring first-person stories, career information, tips on saving money, and more. Despite its name, the site has expanded to include resources and information for single dads too.
Support for Single Parent Families. A collection of online bulletin boards, book excerpts, links and newsgroups related to single parenting.
Talking with Kids About Tough Issues. This site offers parents and caregivers concrete tips and techniques for talking with young children, ages eight to twelve, about some of the most sensitive, powerful and hard-to-discuss issues of today's world: sex and sexuality, drugs and alcohol, AIDS, and violence. Includes basic guidelines for talking to kids, developmental information about what is and isn't appropriate to discuss at different ages, sample question and answers, as well as resources and referrals. An excellent, helpful resource. Some of the material is relevant for younger kids as well. A joint project of the Kaiser Family Foundation, Children Now, and the Boys and Girls Clubs.
Today's Parent.com. An online version of Canada's premier parenting magazine. Includes Steps and Stages articles, live chat, an Ask Us advice column, Parenting Forums, a Pen Pal service, a hot topic of the week that parents get to write in about, and much more. It's easy to navigate through this complex and comprehensive site. Like many of the more commercial web sites, there are lots of ads as well.
The WonderWise Parent. A unique, interactive site for parents who want to improve and think about their parenting. Features online courses dealing with discipline, self-esteem and other topics. Also includes humor, resources for reading to kids, short commentaries, and Butterberry Hill, a virtual story to explore with kids.
Watoto World: An Africentric Website for Children, Parents and Educators of African Descent. Watoto is Swahili for children. Watoto World was created with the following goals in mind: to bring the creativity of African-heritage children to the Internet, to provide information and instruction for African-American parents to meet the challenges of parenting now and in the 21st century, to encourage educators and school systems to provide and utilize Internet access and computer technology in the classroom, and to highlight African-Centered education and independent Black schools. Watoto World creates partnerships between businesses, non-profits, communities, and schools so students and teachers can gain access to computers and the Internet. A Mentor Program matches African-American students with African-Americans familiar with the Internet, so students can receive on-line mentorship and help using the Internet for homework, research, and classroom projects. Site also includes recommended reading material for African-American parents and educators; Watoto World, an online magazine by and for children; tips on parenting; information on Black Colleges and Universities; numerous links, and more. A beautiful, dynamic site.
Working Mom's Internet Refuge. News, articles, columns, and discussion groups for working moms. Includes resources for single moms.
Zero to Three. This visually beautiful website, sponsored by the National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families, opens with this descriptor: "a virtual space dedicated solely to the healthy development of infants and toddlers — our youngest explorers." Zero to Three disseminates key developmental information, trains providers, promotes model approaches and standards of practice and works to increase public awareness about the significance of the first three years of life. Their website is divided into two sections, one for parents and one for professionals. Includes developmental information and a tip of the week.
