Welcome to Parents Interactive, your guide to the challenges of being a parent.
You’ll find quick recaps of all the stuff you’re supposed to know, helpfully organised into checklists and key points, plus links to specialised sites.
Parents Interactive is also a meeting place where you will find other parents discussing the issues that worry, anger or amuse them.
Each month we feature a different topic affecting you as parents. This month, as the summer holidays are in full swing, we discuss the issue of staying healthy while on holiday.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please email us at parents@businessdynamics.org.uk.
Interactive
Sharing the experience online
There are some excellent websites for airing parental grievances and wry anecdotes. Try the following to see which suits you:
- www.parentscentre.gov.uk - a website aimed at supporting parents in helping children of all ages in all aspects of education, health, safety and well-being.
- www.mumsnet.com – but dads are not discouraged! An intelligent UK site with a lot of interactivity and comment on parenting issues. Plus there is the tried-and-tested section where you can comment on products and equipment you’ve bought for your family.
- www.ukparents.co.uk – active messageboards on a number of subjects, plus arranged live chats.
- www.parents.com – a comprehensive site with active messageboards and articles from the respected American magazine, Parents.
Offering support
The parents’ charity Parentline Plus offers support to over 400,000 parents each year, most of whom initially call their helpline number.
If you have experience of a broken family or handling family problems you might be able to become a helpline volunteer.
Volunteers provide information and a listening ear to anyone in a parenting role. You’d be interviewed and then trained over a 10–12 week period. Volunteers spend around four hours a week at one of the charity’s call centres. Ring 0808 800 2222 for details.
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