Let's face it, parenting is full of all the joys, and also all the challenges. In fact, we can soar to great heights and drop to low lows, all in a single day, on our parenting journey.
They can push our buttons, bust our chops, drive us cuckoo, and make us rock in a corner ... so sometimes it's good to read content (books or blogs) that make us know we're not alone, and even give us advice! Whether we take it or not, well that's by-the-by, but the fact that there's ideas, support and inspiration on any topic to do with parenting is super helpful!
Here's our list of the best parenting websites and blogs that we've found, and we'd love to hear from you if you have some favourites you could recommend.
Kidspot would have to up there in the list, and it's not because they rate themselves as Australia's #1 parenting website! It's because the breadth of what they share is enormous! You can read articles on everything from, Help, I don’t love my stepdaughter to The four surprising signs your child is anxious to POP! How to create rainbow bubble magic (we really love this one!!!)
For more than 10 years they've been offering information and advice to help mums and dads through every stage - from pregnancy to parenting teens.
They offer some great tools ...
and a podcast, too!
Next on our list, and this is in no particular order, is Natural Parent Magazine. It's both online and in print, "for conscious parents" and you'll find lots of articles that are mostly aimed at parents on babies, young kids and all manner of parenting styles, but also includes parenting support, pregnancy and birth, maternity fashion, parenting news, craft, photography, travel, events and more.
Click to watch this short but great video on how to cope when you're feeling a "little bit intolerant with the child's behaviour" https://www.facebook.com/TheNaturalParentMagazine/videos/781164893488807 ... a few quick tips could really help!
Next up, this is a great one - Beanstalk | Single Parenting Blog - which is chock full of great ideas for single parents. "Beanstalk is dedicated to supporting and inspiring single mums from all walks of life, wherever you are on your single mum journey." How good is that?!!!
From self-care to dating, Coping with lack of intimacy when you’re single to 30 Tattoos to celebrate single motherhood, plus co-parenting, single parenting and blended families they cover it all, and they too, have a podcast! 
... and a bunch of courses to help those newly single.
This blog, Siblings Inc., "Better support for siblings of children and adults with disability". It has some really helpful resources and articles for families, and this one in particular is a great read. Caring for all of your children when one has a disability.
We love that there's a fantastic list of books and movies for children of all ages. "Books and film can be a wonderful way for siblings – both children and adults alike – to feel less alone in their experiences. They can also be helpful for family, friends and service providers to better understand life through the eyes of a sibling."
Check it out here.
Their list of movies is great but check the rating before you launch into movie night with your kids!
- The Black Balloon (2008) All Thomas wants is a normal adolescence but his autistic brother, Charlie, thwarts his every opportunity. Will Thomas, with the help of his girlfriend, Jackie, accept his brother?
- The Other Sister (1999) A mentally challenged young woman seeks independence by obtaining her own apartment and attending college while her family plans her sister’s wedding.
- Love Actually (2003) This is a story that follows the lives of several characters as they deal with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England. One of the characters has a brother with mental illness.
- Riding the Bus with My Sister (2005) A woman spends time with her developmentally disabled sister after the death of their father.
- Wonder (2017) This movie tells the heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters the fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.
- My Sister’s Keeper (2002) Christine has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and must rely on others for support even though she longs for an independent and ordinary life. When her mother dies, her sister Judy becomes responsible for her care.
Our fifth and final mention in our line up of our favourite parenting blogs and resources for Australian mums, dads, caregivers and grandparents is Brisbane Kids. It's clearly (hello, the name BRISBANE gives it away!!) very QLD centric, however there's a great article on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail (in our neck of the woods)
We love that this website is all about getting out and about with your kids, but it also has great articles like, "The benefits of messy play" and loads of animal facts for kids! Well worth checking out - it's a fun read, and might just encourage you to find a similar website in your local area, and find what they have to offer and suggest for outings with your family.
We hope you enjoy these sites as much as we do, and we look forward to hearing about some of the blogs, podcasts, articles, websites, youtubers that you love to follow. There are so many out there, so much to listen to, learn from and explore, so let's share our finds!