Parenting & Family Life

Wide-ranging resources offering guidance on the rearing of children.

Sub-headings:

Adoption

Resources in this category:

The Baby Name Wizard: NameVoyager
http://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager

Interactive graphs of baby name popularity from 1880 to present, based on data from the Social Security Administration.

BabyCenter
http://www.babycenter.com/

Searchable resources for new and expectant parents with sections on pregnancy, baby care, baby development, mother care, exercise and nutrition, and work and family. Plan ahead with interactive tools like an immunization scheduler, a baby namer, a college savings calculator, and a life insurance planner. Also includes a product recall database, book reviews, and news about pregnancy and babies. Includes an index and a glossary.

Boardman's Birthday Party Ideas
http://www.boardmanweb.com/party/

"A site for parents to find themes and ideas for their children's parties. Each theme is set up to include ideas on 'how to' do the party themselves including invitations, decorations, cake, goodie bags, games and activities. "

Child & Family Webguide
http://www.cfw.tufts.edu/

A directory that evaluates, describes and provides links to hundreds of sites containing child development research and practical advice.

Child Development Institute
http://cdipage.com/

The Child Development Institute provides information on parenting, child development, child psychology, learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and dyslexia as well as reading and study skills improvement. As well as information, the CDI Store offers materials.

Childcare.gov
http://www.childcare.gov/

"A new web site designed to bring all of the Federal agency resource about child care together in one place. You will be able to find Federal funding sources, keep up to date on safety alerts, find and share promising practices and much more."

Children Now
http://www.childrennow.org/

"A nonpartisan policy and advocacy organization for children."

Disney's Family.Com
http://familyfun.go.com/

Information for parents and others raising families. Sections include activities, computing, education, food and travel. You can also search for regional resources.

DivorceNet
http://www.divorcenet.com/

"Family law advice on divorce, child support, custody, visitation, alimony, etc." Includes interactive bulletin boards, chat rooms, a reading room and library, a state-by-state resource guide, and information for divorce lawyers. Searchable.

Family Education Network
http://www.familyeducation.com/home/

"The FamilyEducation Company's mission is to help parents help their children succeed. We provide parents with the information and resources they need to actively participate in their children's learning process." This site addresses topics related to children of all ages and contains resources dealing with schools, news and policy, parenting, the Internet, health, learning activities, and recreation, among other topics.

Family Information Center
http://reading.indiana.edu/www/indexfr.html

Includes two magazines: Parents and Children Together Online, featuring original stories and articles for parents and children to share together, and Parent Talk. There are also external links to many other sites useful for parents.

Fatherhood Online
http://www.fatherhood.org/

This site is a service of the National Fatherhood Initiative. Find a variety of resources on being a committed, responsible, and loving father.

Grandparents.com
http://www.grandparents.com/gp/home/index.html

Featuring everything a grandparent might want to know, including expert advice on games, movies, vacations, finance, food, toys, and more, including basic information like how to break the ice with your grandchildren. Advice is all for a grandparents' perspective, whether you are right next door or across the country from your grandchildren.

HealthyPlace
http://www.healthyplace.com/

America's Mental Health Channel. "We have an active mental health social network for support, online psychological tests, breaking mental health news, mental health videos, our documentary films, a live mental health tv show, unique tools like our "mediminder" and more." Includes communities for various mental illnesses, all sorts of addictions, parenting, and gay and lesbian issues.

Infant Potty Training Web Ring
http://www.timl.com/tt/

Describes the gentle and age-old method of infant elimination training, as used in much of Asia and Africa, and now adapted for use in Western countries.

Kellymom.com: Breastfeeding and Parenting
http://www.kellymom.com/

Kellymom.com offers breastfeeding support and information, including free, downloadable handouts. The site also includes information on parenting, when to start solid foods, nutrition for mom and baby, and post-partum depression. Searchable.

Kids Growth
http://www.kidsgrowth.com/

"A Resource for Parents by Pediatricians and Child Care Experts." Kids Growth offers information on parenting and behavioral problems, stages of development, and medical conditions. Visitors can participate in discussions on child health and development topics or ask questions of the "team of pediatricians and child care specialists."

KidsHealth
http://kidshealth.org/index.html

Information about children's health, with specific sections geared towards children, parents and practitioners. The site contains information on issues such as: child behavior and development, nutrition, general health, surgery, and immunizations. "KidsHealth is the mighty Web site devoted to the health of children and teens. Created by the medical experts at The Nemours Foundation, KidsHealth has trainloads of accurate, up-to-date information about growth, food & fitness, childhood infections, immunizations, lab tests, medical and surgical conditions, and the latest treatments.You'll find health games, How The Body Works animations, the KidsVote health poll and tons of surprises."

La Leche League International
http://www.llli.org//

The mission of La Leche League International (LLLI) is to assist mothers in breastfeeding by offering mother-to-mother support, information, encouragement and education. Find informative articles, information on upcoming events and conferences, or search by state to find a local La Leche League group in your area for support.

Lamaze International
http://www.lamaze.org/

Resources about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. For anyone considering pregnancy to those who have a newborn infant. Searchable.

Manners for Kids (and Parents) - FamilyEducation.com
http://life.familyeducation.com/manners-and-values/parenting...

Offers resources to help parents teach children manners. A variety of situations are addressed, including table manners, sportsmanship, introductions, and gift giving and receiving.

Miscarriage Support Auckland
http://www.miscarriagesupport.org.nz/

Includes information regarding: Tips & Suggestions for Coping after Pregnancy Loss; Grieving after a Pregnancy Loss; Medical Information about Pregnancy Loss, Information for Partners, and more.

Nanny's Place for Parents
http://www.moonlily.com/parents/

Resources for parents, both current and expecting. There is an emphasis on alternative childbirthing practices, such as the use of midwifes and doulas. There is a good index of information on children's health and safety, as well as fun resources online for kids.

The Natural Child Project
http://www.naturalchild.org/

Dedicated to parenting and education that respects children. Research articles by leading writers in the field about attachment parenting, breastfeeding, child advocacy, homeschooling. Also book reviews and letters from readers around the world.

News for Parents
http://www.newsforparents.org/

NewsForParents.org is directed at parents. Updated daily, the site provides clear, concise, jargon-free news and information related to children’s health, development and education. Founded by a licensed clinical psychologist.

Our World Too: The Ultimate Gay and Lesbian Parenting Resource
http://www.ourworldtoo.com/

With a focus on "building strong alternative families," this site is a resource for same-sex couples raising children. There are informative sections regarding creating a family, spiritual and legal issues, and a collection of articles from the queer community relevant to family life. There is also a large marketplace of books and other goods that may be of interest to gay and lesbian parents, and links to various organizations.

Parent News
http://www.parent.net/

This comprehensive site features articles on parenting, movie revies, tips, resources, facts, and a wealth of other information. A must visit site for parents and children.

Parenting Adolescents
http://www.parentingadolescents.com/

This site, maintained by a licensed clinical social worker, answers readers' questions about parenting teenagers. It is "the only site on the net where parents can get free, extended expert advice on parenting teens and preteens."

ParentsPlace.com
http://www.parentsplace.com/

"This parenting site is a family-run, home business, operating under the belief that parents are the best resource for other parents in the adventure of childrearing. We offer articles on pregnancy, breastfeeding, baby, adolescence, parenting twins, step-parenting, single parenting, children's health and education, family activities, and more." Lots of good material in the Reading Rooms."

Raising Kids
http://www.raisingkids.co.uk/homepages/homepage_default.asp

"Raisingkids.co.uk is a site for anyone who is raising kids, whatever the age of your children, from birth to...well whatever. We're a community of parents and caregivers who come together to share the pains and pleasures of raising kids. We offer information and advice on all aspects of bringing up children. As our motto says: if it's about raising kids...it's here!"

Sesame Street Parents
http://www.sesameworkshop.com/parents/

Sesame Street Parents offers expert advice on a variety of topics to help raise happy and healthy children. Interactive flash story books on topics like going to the doctor help kids and parents work through day to day problems in a fun way.

Special Child: For Parents and Caregivers of Children with Special Needs
http://www.specialchild.com/index.html

This site is the work of a mother of a special needs child. It includes anecdotes from other parents of special needs children, a section devoted to legal issues of concern to special needs families, as well as large collections of resources regarding diagnoses, therapies, and other pertinent information.

Talking With Kids About Tough Issues
http://www.talkingwithkids.org/

"Talking With Kids About Tough Issues is a national campaign to encourage parents to talk with their children earlier and more often about tough issues like sex, HIV/AIDS, violence, alcohol, and drug abuse." The site offers tips to parents, along with helpful booklets, public service announcements, an online forum, and related links. Much of this site's information is also available in Spanish.

The Committee for Missing Children
http://www.findthekids.com/

This website serves as an information clearinghouse for a parent advocacy group that provides photographs of and information about missing and abducted children. This web site is created as a resource for parents of missing children as well as lawyers, other non-profits and non-governmental agencies, and the agencies that must deal with child abduction. There are links to almost one hundred non-profit child-find organizations and Non Governmental Organizations (NGO's) throughout the world. There is also information about the Amber Alert system. A link to the European site is also available.

Think Baby Names
http://www.thinkbabynames.com/

This is a searchable database of baby names, including historical meanings and popularity.

The Vaccine Page
http://vaccines.com/

Annotated directory of Internet resources relating to vaccination. Includes separate sections for parents (laypersons), practitioners, and researchers.

Vaccine Place
http://vaccineplace.com/?fa=home

This is a resource about immunizations and vaccines for children. This is an excellent resource for parents who need up-to-date information on what kinds of immunizations they should get for their children. Included are links to immunizations schedules.

The Whole Family Center
http://www.wholefamily.com/

Interactive site is aimed at understanding and improving all kinds of family relationships. Produced by experienced psychologists and includes articles on marriage, parenting, kids and teens, families, problems, coping with daily life. RealAudio presentations dramatizing family issues and their resolution. For a fee, users can sign up for online courses, but most content is free. Deals with such topics as infertility, anorexia, divorce, suicide as well as everyday family problems.

A World of Prevention
http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/prevention/

"A directory of programs, research, references and resources dedicated to the prevention of child and adolescent problems and the promotion of youth development in families, schools and communities."