clicking my way to be a better mom: the chronicles of a babywise mom (part 2 of 3)

I am, no doubt, an internet-loving mommy. As I said in clicking my way to be a better mom, part 1 (featuring the baby whisperer), I love and appreciate having the information of the world at my fingertips... especially when it comes to getting better equipped about parenting.

I wanted to continuing sharing with you my top three favorite internet resources. These are my most well-clicked and loved mommyhood resources. (If you missed Part 1 on how much I love the Baby Whisperer Message Boards, make sure to check it out too and then visit the BW message boards.)

Now, for my second favourite resource site: The Chronicles of a Babywise Mom.

This is a blog started by a mom who follows the Babywise methods of sleep training. She started her blog after scouring the web for resources to expound on some of the principles taught in the Babywise series of books… and not finding any. As a woman who’s had a lot of success implementing the Babywise strategies with her three children, she’s able to write endless “how to’s” (with the authority that comes from experience and success!) that the books could never have contained unless they were far, far too long.

Although I am not a Babywise “follower” myself, I’ve had lots of friends go the Babywise route (for sleep training their babies) and sing of its praises. The Chronicles of a Babywise Mom covers anything and everything you’d like to know about the Babywise method of sleep training… but also so much more: tantrums, reflux, high chair manners, teething, milestones, feeding issues, discipline, diapering, staying sane as a stay-at-home-mom, and the list goes on!

She has a huge list of labels down her side-bar that cover an incredible array of topics, and I have spent many an hour clicking through them even before I became a “blogger” myself. (And this is actually one thing I really love about her site – it’s a great resource for any mom, even those who aren’t into blogging.)

The Babywise Mom also has posts week-by-week about her children’s development and milestones so you can follow along and compare with your own little one’s progress. (And I’ve never seen someone record so meticulously… and yet still manage to not sound tedious!) I found these really interesting and helpful as a first-time-mom always wanting to know if what we were experiencing was “normal”. Especially during my first two months as a mom when I had questions about everything, it was nice reading from a real-live woman at times, rather than just organization websites like What to Expect (which of course is always great too).

The only drawbacks to her site are that it is a little weighed down with gismos along the side bars, which can slow page-loads down a bit, and she doesn’t have as many photos as I’d like (which is really just a personal preference). However, because her site is quite information-driven, I can look past these things since the content is more than worth it to me.

Oh, I should also mention, she does post back (directly on her blog) to her readers’ comments when they have questions in regards to specific problems they’re having with their kids. I understand the wait-time for a response is two weeks, which she’s clear and up-front about this (another thing I like). I’ve not had personal experience with soliciting tailored advice since I visit her site much more like I would a website (informational resource) rather than the way I approach blogs. But as I’ve read comments from other readers, and her responses back to them, I can tell that they are served tremendously by her help.

Overall the Babywise Mom writes good, practical information and always relates back to her readers, even those who aren't "Babywise parents" in philosophy. She does not push the Babywise sleep training methods for those that aren’t into CIO (although teaches well for those that do), and she offers outstanding advice for any mom on so many subjects. I’d highly recommend for you to have a browse around her site.

The "clicking my way to be a better mom" series:

If you missed part one of this series, you can read it here – clicking my way to be a better mom: the baby whisperer (part 1 of 3). My final post in this series (for now) will be – clicking my way to be a better mom: the kelly mom (part 3 of 3).

In closing…

I’m sure as my son gets older I will find other resources that are age-appropriate on things like discipline, creative play and learning activities, etc., but for now these are my top three visits on the world wide web for practical help in caring for my baby.

Dear mommy-friends, what are your favourite online resources that have helped you care for your little one(s)?

P.S. Until becoming a mom for myself I had no idea how controversial "sleep training" is! I know amazing parents who have polar opposite philosophies when it comes to things like scheduling, feeding on demand, cry-it-out, and so on. My intention is not to debate which is better than the other - I've seen these parents with hugely differing philosophies raise well-adjusted, happy, healthy kids and I'm of the firm belief that each family needs to decide what's best for them. I personally believe you should research a bunch of different philosophies and then piece together what fits with your values, personality, circumstances, etc. etc! As you will see through all three parts in this series, I think you can find incredible truth and practical help from an array of angles.

[Above photo: momma, daddy, and Levi at just a few hours old on our first night together... love. x]

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