Being a parent is a tough job. In the 21st century there’s no shortage of information available for parents to turn to, in fact, there might be too much. With parenting experts popping up every day like weeds, it’s hard to discern what’s useful and what are simply talking points presented to sell products. Thankfully, a few sites rise above the crowded parenting website landscape. Here are our picks for best and worst 2012 Parenting Websites.
The Good
1) PBS Parents
Unlike some other parenting websites that are parenting websites in name only, PBS Parents approaches parenting as an equal partnership. Offering useful advice from a myriad of experts and parents, it’s a refreshing balance rarely seen in the commercial world. What’s most impressive is there’s seldom a hint of condescension or self-aggrandizing in their content. It’s just a useful resource very much appreciated by parents contending with the daily challenges of raising children.
Too often perspective about content generated from the Media is skewed by the advertising dollars behind it. Common Sense Media is more of an advocate for truth over commerce. Offering reviews, of movies, apps, games, websites, and more, Common sense provides a wealth of unfiltered information.
Although the site clearly has a more mother-centric emphasis, Dr. Elaine Heffner’s advice cuts through those boundaries to offer advice that both Mothers and Fathers will find useful. There’s never a sense of one parent being more qualified then the other in raising children. Instead, Dr. Elaine Heffner’s thoughtful posts touch upon the human challenges of parenthood. In fact, her insightful points of view will leave you with food for thought offering opportunities to evaluate one’s own perspective.
A voluminous collection of posts that often turns conventional thinking on its head, there’s no topic too sacred to breach at Good Men Project. Notably, the site does not shy away from a woman’s point of view either. What matters most is finding the truth. And that’s not too shabby.
The Bad
We’ll preface with the fact that commercially popular Babble.com has wonderfully talented writers on its staff. And they also provide a nice mix of useful sections (crafts, food, health, etc.). But for the most part, the emphasis is on the personal told from a snarky entertainment point of view. The content of what’s being written matters little compared to how cleverly the post was written. There’s also way too much attention given to celebrity gawking. From a business perspective it makes sense to cover the world of celebrities but it doesn’t offer much other than eye candy to parents. Lastly, the site claims it’s for a “new generation of parents.” In reality, it’s just another mom-centric site with a few Dad writers added to the mix for appearances.
The Middle Ground
Another commercially popular site that offers a myriad of information on the surface but is largely skewed towards promoting products. In addition, Parenting.com is clearly a site for Moms with Dads playing second fiddle Similar to Babble, celebrity gawking is prominent to attract onlookers interested in vicariously living through the lives of the rich and famous. Yet the site does offer a rich feature set of tools and articles on a variety of subjects making it worth a look on a daily basis.
Do you agree with our picks? What are some of your favorites? Please leave your own choices in the comments section below.
