Top 100 Parenting and Child Rearing Blogs
Blogging is cathartic, which is probably why so many parents are turning to the medium to share their ups and downs. Rather than consulting a dry, pedantic text on parenting, why not learn from those who are in the trenches and ready to share candid photos along the way? Some parenting blogs are more utilitarian than personal, but those can be just as accessible and entertaining.
Compiling a list of parenting and child-rearing blogs is not difficult, as there is no shortage of them out there in cyberspace. The difficult part is actually deciding which ones make the “top 100″ cut. Is this list exhaustive? Hardly. However, the following 100 blogs are what we feel are the most informative, unique and/or entertaining. They have been categorized and alphabetized rather than ranked according to importance.
General
These are the parenting blogs that cover many topics, offering advice and/or sentimental musings.
- About Babies and Toddlers – Stephanie Brown updates this blog about babies and toddlers. She spent four years at iVillage Parenting (formerly ParentsPlace.com) and was a pioneer in the field of online communities.
- About Fatherhood – Wayne Parker maintains this blog about all things father. He is the father of five active children ranging in age from 13 to 24.
- About Pregnancy & Childbirth – Robin Elise Weiss is a trained childbirth and postpartum educator who updates this helpful blog on the art of babymaking.
- Baby Toolkit – This long-running blog offers some great product recommendations for babies, toddlers and beyond.
- Coming to a Nursery Near You – This is a compassionate and well-written mommy blog that features some fantastic photographs.
- Cool Mom Picks – Find great product recommendations for all your parenting needs on this site.
- daddytypes.com – This is the blog for new dads to find parenting advice, product recommendations and any other amusing tidbits related to fatherhood.
- Disney Family – This is an official Disney blog for parents, offering helpful articles on the importance of family time.
- Exploring Adoption – If you are considering adoption or have already adopted and need some help adjusting, this blog is a great resource.
- Frugal and Opinionated – Here are the frugal and opinionated thoughts of a homeschooling mom of four. The up-and-coming blog features some endearing stories about parenting, as well as tips on saving money around the house.
- Graco Blog – This is the official parenting blog of Graco, the popular baby brand. Here, Graco offers both parenting advice and updates on the company.
- Joy Unexpected – This is a popular mommy blog that covers the whole gamut. Poignant and easy to read, you will also find joy with Joy Unexpected.
- lilSugar – This sponsored site offers advice and product recommendations to parents.
- Mama Drama – This is a group blog about children written by Stephanie Auton, Margaret Moellenberndt and Mindy Sterba.
- Mamalogues – Dana Loesch, a twenty-something wife and mother of two boys, writes about parenthood and life on this delightful blog.
- Mighty Girl – Maggie Mason is the mighty mom behind this popular blog. She is also the proprietor of Mighty Goods.
- Miss Britt – This is an up close and “way too personal” look at Miss Britt and her family. She blogs about parenthood, shopping, depression, politics, religion and more.
- Mommy Bloggers – This blog offers exposure to the wide variety of mommy bloggers on the Web.
- Mommy Daddy Blog – Sheena (Mommy) and Greg (Daddy) have been sweethearts since junior high school. Now they are new parents and are chronicling their adventures on this wonderfully sentimental blog.
- Mommy Needs Coffee – This is a celebrated mommy blog written by Jennifer Satterwhite, a freelance writer and online community builder.
- A Mommy Story – Christian writes this blog about motherhood. She is a student and mother to baby Mira and Cordy the Amazon Warrior Princess.
- MotherLoad – This blog offers parental advice, as well as helpful links to various resources. Amy Clark, the founder of MomAdvice.com is the author.
- The Not Quite Crunchy Parent – This blog offers news and advice for parents who are in the middle of being crunchy and mainstream.
- Notes From the Trenches – This long-running blog is only growing in popularity. A mother who has seven children writes this site, so she obviously has a lot to say about parenthood.
- On the Upside – Kellan is a mother to four and has some wonderful stories to share here about parenthood.
- Parents Blog – This group blog features regular articles and posts on the many facets of parenthood. It is both informative and sentimental.
- ParentDish – This blog is written for all parents, offering news and information that could affect any family household.
- Parent Hacks – Here are parenting tips from real parents. This is one of the most popular parenting sites on the Web.
- Parenting Blog – Here, both new and experienced parents can learn about how to deal with the most enjoyable and frustrating job in the world.
- Parenting Weblog – This is both a sponsored personal blog and a general parenting blog that offers news and advice.
- PHAT Mommy – In this case, “PHAT” stands for “parenting, homeschooling and technology.” Here, the PHAT mommy blogs about all of the above and more.
- Rocks In My Dryer – This is a self-described “sappy blog” about parenting, written by a 30-sometime stay-at-home mom of four.
- Rookie Moms – Here, two mothers offer advice to rookie moms who are trying to survive the first year of parenthood.
- Surfette – BlogHer co-founder Lisa Stone writes this blog. It covers many topics in addition to parenting.
- this woman’s work – This excellent mommy blog is written by a professional writer and adoption advocate.
- transparent – These are the true confessions of moms and dads, offering advice for parenting children in the city and suburbs.
- An Untraditional Home – This is Heather’s endearing blog about life as a homeschooling, Libertarian, geeky mom.
- Weary Parent – This blog is all about parenting tweens and teens. This, of course, makes for a weary parent.
- What Works For Us – This is candid parenting blog with some fantastic photography to accompany the fun posts.
- Z Recommends – Here, Z recommends what is fun, smart and safe for parents everywhere.
Contests, Freebies and Giveaways
Once kids enter the mix, winning free stuff has never been more appreciated. Below are blogs that sponsor or recommend contests and giveaways for parents.
- 5 Minutes for Mom – This is a fun blog dedicated to helping mommies. This includes hooking up moms with almost daily contests and giveaways, so don’t delay in checking this one out!
- An Island Life – There are many contests, giveaways and product reviews posted to this blog that are suited to parents.
- The Domestic Diva – Here, the Domestic Diva offers reviews of the latest products that may interest parents. The site also sponsors some awesome giveaways on occasion.
- Freebies 4 Mom – The name says it all. This blog is heaven on Earth for freebie-hunting parents.
- From Dates to Diapers and Beyond – This site doubles as a personal mommy blog and a great resource for contests and giveaways.
- Mile High Mamas – This is a parenting community and blog in one, which also sponsors some fantastic giveaways.
- Pajama Mommy Community – This is a community that any parent will want to frequent, as it offers some great product reviews, freebies and contests.
- Table for Five – Here, Elizabeth blogs about life, parenting and awesome product giveaways.
- This Full House – This is a fun mommy blog that offers endearing stories, as well as awesome giveaways, promotions and contests.
Special Needs Parenting
These blogs are written by or for parents of special needs children.
- About Parenting Special Needs – Terri Mauro writes this informative and general blog for all parents of special needs children. Mauro herself has two teenagers with special needs.
- Adventures in Autism – This blog is written by a family therapist who is focusing on one patient at the moment: her autistic son Chandler.
- Fighting Monsters With Rubber Swords – This amazing blog is written by Robert Rummel-Hudson, father to a special needs daughter with a rare condition known as Bilateral Perisylvian Polymicrogyria.
- MOM – Not Otherwise Specified – Written by a progressive mom who is raising a son on the autism spectrum, this is a smart and touching site that will hook you immediately.
- Slurping Life – Here, an extraordinary mom through birth and adoption shares her parenting tales. She is raising boys who live with autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, cerebral palsy and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
- speak softly… – This celebrated blog, written by child advocate Vicki Forman, addresses her experiences with her special needs son Evan. Sadly, Evan recently passed away, which sent shockwaves across the blogosphere and within parenting communities. Our condolences to Vicki and her family.
Cultural
Is that spit-up you see on your yoga mat? Is Dora the Explorer drowning out your favorite NPR program? Maybe you can relate to the cultural and sophisticated parenting blogs below.
- Adventures in Babywearing – Stephanie Precourt writes this blog about her adventures in babywearing and attachment parenting.
- CityMama – Stefania Pomponi Butler is a noted blogger who covers subjects like style, food, pop culture and — of course — motherhood.
- DC Metro Moms – This blog features a collaborative group of moms writing about their lives in Washington, D.C.
- Design Mom – New York art director Gabrielle Blair is the epitome of cosmopolitan chic. However, she is also a mom, making Design Mom a unique perspective on parenting.
- Friday Playdate – Susan writes this funny and frank mommy blog. She is a former literature teacher who is now a celebrated online writer.
- HipWriterMama – Here, the hip writer mama (Vivian) muses about life, writing and children’s books.
- IzzyMom – This parenting blog is written by a cultured, progressive work-at-home who reluctantly lives in Florida (“the land of sprawl, serial killers and an inordinate number of registered sex offenders”).
- Kimchi Mamas – This fascinating blog is about parenting, culture and what it means to be Korean (or married to one).
- Literary Mama – This is the blog of Literary Mama, which is a literary magazine for the “maternally inclined.” If you are a writer, you might even find some great leads on this blog.
- MetroDad – These are the adventures of a jaded, New York City-dwelling fashion executive who just entered fatherhood.
- Mindful Momma – This is a fun and informative blog written by a crunchy momma who is trying to balance parenting with a sustainable, green existence.
- Mommy Life – Here, a “Montessori megamom” blogs about motherhood, politics and the spiritual side of life.
- MOM & Pop Culture – This blog is written by a freelance writer and independent filmmaker who lives in suburban New Jersey with her husband and children.
- Painted Rainbows and Chamomile Tea – This blog offers many great recommendations and reviews of children’s books that you may have otherwise overlooked.
- Queen of Spain – Erin Kotecki Vest was an award-winning broadcast journalist for 10 years. Now, she is a noted online writer who is active on many high-profile sites, including the very clever Queen of Spain.
- Silicon Valley Moms Blog – This is group blog where over 40 Silicon Valley women write about being CEOs and CFOs, as well as moms.
- Sweet Juniper! – This is a blog written by two parents who are raising their children in one of the most dangerous cities in America. “Wood” is a lawyer and “Dutch” is a former lawyer who now calls himself a Gentleman of Elegant Leisure.
- Velveteen Mind – Here is an articulately written and beautifully designed blog about motherhood.
Humorous
Without a sense of humor, you won’t make it six months into parenthood with all your marbles. Embrace the silly side of child rearing with the witty blogs below.
- Absolutely Bananas – This mother and blogger describes herself as “absolutely bananas.” We agree and we love it.
- amalah – Amy writes in a frank, funny and fearless manner about life, motherhood and anything else that crosses her path.
- Baby on Board – This mother of one preschooler and two infant twins has a lot of great advice, such as “sippy cups are not for Chardonnay.”
- Best Parent Ever – Find out the difference between you and the Best Parent Ever on this satirical blog.
- Busy Mom Blog – Better parenting through coffee, eh? That’s the motto of busy moms everywhere, as this hilarious blog will attest.
- Chicky Chicky Baby – This popular blog is written by a hilarious mother of two who shares her funny, yet sweet stories with the world.
- Dad Gone Mad – This is an award-winning, nationally acclaimed blog that spares no four-letter word when musing about life as a “dad gone mad.”
- dooce – Heather B. Armstrong is a former Web designer who offers a humorous and frank look at life as a stay-at-home mom.
- Dorky Dad – This is the blog of a dorky, albeit witty, dad. As he describes the blog, it is “where hope and testosterone go to die.”
- finslippy – This hilarious, no-hold-barred mommy blog should entertain even the most frazzled parent.
- Fussy – Eden Marriott Kennedy writes this popular blog. She is a celebrated writer who has given birth in her bathroom. Really.
- Geekdad – Geeky dads raise geeky kids. It’s a scientific fact. Learn more about nerd fathering on Wired magazine’s resident parent blog.
- Geek Parenting – This is the blog for pop culture geeks who have spawned yet refuse to give up their nerdy obsessions. It is written by a mom who prefers the comic shop to Gymboree.
- Jenandtonic.ca – This is another humorous mommy blog that chronicles the sweet and absurd moments of parenthood.
- Look, Daddy! – Here, Brian chronicles his experiences as a stay-at-home dad. Hilarious and touching moments ensue.
- Magneto Bold Too! – This Aussie mother of three can find the humorous side of any serious situation, making this one of the most endearing mommy blogs on the Web.
- Mom-101 – Here, Liz offers her sardonic take on motherhood. She promises that she has no idea what she’s doing, either.
- MommySaid.net – This is Jen Singer’s award-winning blog of mommy humor. Jen describes herself as the “mother of two boys who talk to me through the bathroom door.”
- Motherhood Uncensored – If you are offended by foul language, then you will be missing out on an excellent mommy blog here.
- Petroville – Kimberly is the brilliant author of Petroville. She is a former actress and current stay-at-home mommy who is well-known in the blogosphere.
- Plain Jain Mom Blog – This blog is both humorous and sentimental. Plain Jane Mom is just an everyday parent like us.
- Ravings of a Corporate Mommy – Here, corporate mommy raves and we smile. This is a well-written blog with a unique perspective on parenthood.
- Sarcastic Mom – Sarcastic Mom is, you guessed it, a sarcastically written blog about motherhood. This is a funny and often sweet read with some fantastic photography to boot.
- Sarah and the Goon Squad – This is a charming and funny blog about a stay-at-home mom to two-year-old twins (eek!).
- Suburban Bliss – Here, the very witty Melissa Summers writes about suburban bliss in Detroit, Michigan.
- Suburban Oblivion – Sara writes this blog. She is a stay-at-home mom to three, whom she lovingly refers to as “the trio of Satan’s spawn.”
- Sweetney – Read about the adventures of a geeky Generation X mom here. She believes that “being a smartass is a virtue.”
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