2005 Year in Review

Parenting 24/7 Website is Valuable New Resource

Source: Aaron Ebata, Extension Specialist, Adolescent Development, ebata@uiuc.edu

Parenting 24/7, a new University of Illinois Extension website, is geared toward meeting the needs of today's families, said website developer Aaron Ebata. Check it out, moms and dads, at Parenting 24/7.

New parents can subscribe free to Web newsletters that will follow their child's development for the first three years of life. "They can access the first issue when the baby arrives, and they'll receive information applicable to each new stage in their child's life as the baby grows," said Ebata, a U of I associate professor of human and community development.

"We'll discuss the sorts of things parents can do to promote development at a particular age and how to deal with issues they may be having then," Ebata added.

But Parenting 24/7 will be useful for parents with older children and teens as well. "We'll feature articles and videos on lots of topics--from monitoring children's media use, to promoting fitness and good nutrition, to reclaiming family time by managing children's activities. We'll also offer tips for couples who want to work on their relationship. It should be interesting to anyone who is raising a family today," he said.

Users will be able to rate and review the articles "the same way readers review books on Amazon.com," so first-time visitors will be able to determine whether other parents found a particular article or video helpful.

“With that kind of feedback, we’ll be able to get an idea of what parents want to know, and that will help us make the website better,” Ebata said.

Ebata believes round-the-clock Internet access to information is important to today’s young families. “We know that families with young children are more likely to have Internet access than any other segment of the population, and they’re turning to the Web for a variety of reasons, including help with child-rearing.”

“We also know that parents value information and advice they get from other parents,” Ebata said.

Ebata believes that Parenting 24/7 will be a great resource for families because it brings two sources of advice together. “It gives parents access to advice from child-development and family-life specialists, but it also lets them see and hear what other parents have to say about an issue.”

by  Editor, theCity1.com
September 27, 2005