Better Health & Living: Article: Consult The Childcare Experts

Issue: February 2006

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Consult The Childcare Experts

Internet parenting gurus are on call 24/7

by Eileen Buckholtz

Published in health •health_online | 0 Comments, Talk about this article »

Do you remember the time when new parents learned all about the care and feeding of children from their moms, their grandma, or that weary mother of three next door? Don’t spend too much time yearning for the good old days. Now, with the Internet, you have access to the wisdom of millions of experienced mothers, fathers, doctors, and childcare experts to guide you through the stages of child development—from pre-conception to potty training. Conveniently, these experts make “house calls” with advice that’s available 24 hours a day—especially important during those problem situations that inevitably crop up at 3 a.m.

General Infant Websites

www.babycenter.com, one of the Web’s most popular baby sites (and winner of the 2005 Webby Award, the online version of the Oscar for best baby and parenting site), offers a baby name finder and parenting advice, plus a free newsletter and a magazine with tips and coupons. Other features include an online store, message boards, and live chats. Select from the pregnancy, baby, or toddler editions. For $2.50 a month, you can become a member of Baby Center Plus, which gives you access to consumer reports for baby products as well as a video library.

www.babyzone.com has 100,000 pages of content on infant care and parenting. One of its most popular “zones” deals with adoption. Personalize the site and gain access to pregnancy planning and baby development tools. Shop for infants’ and children’s products at the site’s partners.

www.americanbaby.com offers a free newsletter and tools such as a pregnancy and baby calendar that provides information about what’s happening each week in the developmental cycle. Browse hundreds of articles and tools related to babies, parents, adoption, pre-conception, and more. You can also subscribe to American Baby magazine, hit the message boards, or get photo tools.

Tips for Parents Online

Check the credentials of the experts giving advice on the site. You may find this information on the homepage or by clicking on “about us.”
Legitimate websites always have contact information, including a mailing address and an e-mail address. Many e-commerce sites also have toll-free customer service numbers.
Be aware that some informational sites are sponsored by companies, and recommendations may be slanted toward the sponsor’s product line.
Don’t give out too much personal information about your family or child.
When you register, read the site’s privacy policy, often linked at the bottom of the homepage, to see if the site owners share your information with other companies. If so, you may be able to opt out.
To further protect your identity, set up a separate e-mail address to use when subscribing to online parenting websites and newsletters.
Check the date the site was last updated or the copyright year to see if the site is still active and adding new advice and articles.