RAISING HELL THE EASIER WAY! (raisingkids.co.uk)

Member Name: indigojade

Product:	raisingkids.co.uk
Date:	20/10/01 (112 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: packed full of expert advice, excellant message board for users

Disadvantages: none

The Raisingkids site is the work of Dr Pat Spungin, a senior lecturer in child psychology and mother to three children. Alongside Dr Spungin you will find Dr Sue Morrison an experienced GP with special interest in family medicine and emotional health, with three children of her own. Dr Bernice Krafchik, a professor of Dermatology and Paediatrics; David Swain Senior Paediatric dietitian and Elizabeth Cook former deputy head of a primary school and now a university lecturer.

The site went online in February of 2001 and is comprehensive in the extreme. Everything you ever wanted to know, will need to know and some things you perhaps don’t want to know are covered.

The site is well laid out; with easy to follow links for the section you wish to view


Babies - Everything you need to know about the first month onwards, a very informative page for new parents. The section includes advice and information on growing, learning, playing, attachment, childcare, feeding, nappies and sleep. I certainly wish I had use of this site when James was a newborn.

Toddlers & Pre-School - The section of the site I am finding most useful at the moment, it includes advice and reassurance on how to parent a toddler, development, behaviour, childcare, eating, emotions, sleep problems and toileting. Of course nothing beats talking to other parents about your children, this gives no nonsense advice and dispels any myths you might have heard about your growing child.

Primary School - This section again covers the development of your child and their behaviour, childcare, eating, emotions, house rules, school, sleep, siblings and changes in the family

Pre-Teens - Here you will find advice and reassurance on behaviour, emotional issues, house rules, school, sex and relationships, siblings and again changes in the family. I am sure that this will come in handy as James is growing.

As well as the information listed; there
are age appropriate articles for the different age groups. These articles are usually things covered that week by the media and they are updated weekly, so the articles are current.

As well as giving information about your children’s physical and emotional growth, there is a handy section about general family issues, such as finance. This includes information and advice on setting up bank accounts for children, encouraging them to save for the future, house and car insurance, especially with boy/girl racers in mind! There is also some advice about paying for chores around the house. The only thing I didn’t like about this was it focused on daughters!


There is a very comprehensive section on child safety, a must read for every parent and parent to be.


Not only are there links to follow for the above sections, but also at the top of the homepage are several 'tabs' to click on for yet more information.

Family Matters - at present hot topic includes divorce, siblings and step families. If you want advice on an issue you are invited to email Dr Spungin herself.

Parents tool box - Here you will find some great advice on communicating with your children no matter what their age. Included in the articles are some interesting case histories.

Discussions - perhaps my favourite place on the site, a message board. Here you can ask for information or support from other parents about any issue or dilemma you are facing. The feedback is genuine and very helpful, with the additional reassurance that it is carefully moderated by the experts on the site.

In-depth - will take you to more in-depth articles about issues, from breast feeding to school dinners to Bullying.


Ask an expert - A facility for you to ask question directly of the experts. There is a list of FAQ's and most recent questions asked which is handy to look through before sending an email.

Thi
s site is so comprehensive that it is impossible to tell you of all the articles and issues dealt with, I have just outlined the main sections of the site. It is certainly a site I would recommend for all parents to bookmark, no matter how young or old their children or even grandchildren are! It is most certainly a well thought out, well maintained and informed site, the best on children and their development I have found on the net to date. There is little or no jargon used and is easy to follow the advice and information given. It is reassuring to be able to email the experts directly to find answers to your questions. Although this is an excellent site packed full of information, it is NOT a substitute for visiting your GP or health visitor. Should you have any pressing queries - especially about your children’s health visit them for advice not a website.

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