By Debbie Moellendorf
Positive Youth Development and Health and Well Being Educator
UW-Extension Cooperative Extension Lincoln County
Face-to-face classes and parent groups have served and continue to serve as important sources of parent education. Participating in parent education programs provides increased opportunities to learn about childrearing, meet other parents, and discuss common experiences. As life grows busier and more challenging for families, many parents are looking for alternative approaches for accessing parenting resources and support. Digital technology – computers, smart phones and tablets – have created powerful and accessible new ways for educating and supporting parents.
With this in mind, UW-Extension created a website, https://parenting.uwex.edu where parents can access well-researched, quality information about parenting and family relationships. This site is organized in categories based on the age of the child.
For example, if you are pregnant or the parent of a new born, one of the resources you will find under the Prenatal/Infant tab is a link to the Just in Time Parenting newsletter. This free monthly email newsletter is for parents with children from birth to 5 years of age. This newsletter is timed to their child’s age. Parents get specific information as their child grows and changes. Parents have told us that knowing what to expect as their child changes each month is very helpful. Parents can find answers to questions like: What should I do about crying? When do babies sleep through the night? Should my child be crawling? When should I start solid food? The newsletter is commercial-free, no links to toys or products. It is written by university parenting and child development experts.
Or maybe you are the parent of a teenager. Under the Teenagers tab one of the resources you will find is a link to the Parenthetical. Parenthetical is an online teaching and learning website sponsored by UW-Extension Family Living Programs and UW-Madison School of Human Ecology for parents of youth ages 10-16. Parenthetical provides reliable research-based information about adolescent development and parenting practices. The site consists of a weekly blog post on a current topic related to parenting teens and tweens, a place for parents to comment, a forum where parents can dialogue with one another and with facilitators, and a resource library. Registered participants receive a weekly email update with the newest post. In addition to parents, educators, family professionals, and volunteers who work directly with youth and their families can use the site.
These are just two examples of the many resources you will find on the Parenting and Family Relationships website at https://parenting.uwex.edu. All of the resources on this site are free and contain well-researched, quality information.
UW-Extension offers timely access to University of Wisconsin research and knowledge through educational colleagues in 72 county offices, on five 4-year campuses and within three tribal nations, offering educational programs that address the important issues of individuals, families, businesses and communities. Find your county extension office at http://www.uwex.edu/ces/.