Resources - Parenting

• www.mothering.com - Mothering celebrates the experience of parenthood as worthy of one's best efforts and fosters awareness of the immense importance and value of parenthood and family life in the development of the full human potential. As a readers' magazine, we recognize parents as the experts and wish to provide truly helpful information upon which parents can base informed choices. Each issue contains philosophical inspiration and practical advice about family living. Topics are as diverse as circumcision, vaccinations, organic foods, childhood illnesses, home birth, ear infections, parenting teens, web site information, midwifery, and homeopathy. "Excellent resource for those of us that are a bit more 'crunchy.' Great monthly magazine and on-line discussion group."
• BabyCenter - "I registered when I was pregnant and got weekly emails detailing what my baby was doing in utero. Now, I continue to receive emails about my toddler's development!"
• ¨ The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two by Dr. William Sears - "This book covers everything: eating (formula, pumping & nursing), being at home & working moms, sleep, health, illness... it's the only book you need for the first two years, seriously! Read this before the baby is born - you won't have time afterwards!"
  DiaperFreeBaby is a network of free support groups promoting a natural approach to responding to babies' elimination needs. This practice is followed worldwide and is known as Elimination Communication (EC), Natural Infant Hygiene, and Infant Potty Training. The process involves observing one's baby's signs and signals, providing cue sounds and elimination-place associations, and can be done with or without any diaper use.
• ¨ The Hurried Child: Growing Up Too Fast Too Soon (3rd edition) by David Elkind, Ph.D., David Elkind - "For the first time in ten years, a fully-revised edition of the classic book on how and why we hurry our children into adulthood. With the first two editions of this landmark work, Dr. David Elkind eloquently called our attention to the dangers of exposing our children to overwhelming pressures, pressures that can lead to a wide range of childhood and teenage crises. Internationally recognized as the voice of reason and compassion, Dr. Elkind showed that in blurring the boundaries of what is age appropriate, by expecting-or imposing-too much too soon, we force our kids to grow up far too fast. In the two decades since this groundbreaking book first appeared, we have compounded the problem, inadvertently stepping up the assault on childhood in the media, in schools, and at home. Taking a detailed, up-to-the-minute look at the world of today's children and teens in terms of the Internet, classroom culture, school violence, movies, television, and a growing societal incivility, Dr. Elkind shows a whole new generation of parents where hurrying occurs and why and what we can do about it."
• Megan's Law: Information on Registered Sex Offenders in California - As a result of a new law, this site will provide you with access to information on more than 63,000 persons required to register in California as sex offenders. Specific home addresses are displayed on more than 33,500 offenders in the California communities; as to these persons, the site displays the last registered address reported by the offender. An additional 30,500 offenders are included on the site with listing by ZIP Code, city, and county. Information on approximately 22,000 other offenders is not included on this site, but is known to law enforcement personnel. This site includes pictures of the sex offenders. For states other than California, check out criminalcheck.com.
• ¨ Protecting the Gift by Gavin de Becker - Quote from the book "I am determined to teach my daughter not to be nice to every man simply because she is a female. That would be the equivalent of saying 'It is better to be hurt by a male than be thought unfeminine by the male who seeks to hurt you.' As for me, I learned the hard way that the road to peace of mind is being armed within myself. I will not let anyone take away my openness to the world, but true openness is realizing that the guy across from me is not who I want him to be, but who he is." p. 75. Excerpt from Chapter Five entitled "Never talk to strangers."