Meltz, B.F. (2000, January 13). At parenting sites, credibility is the concern. The Boston Globe, pp. E1, 4, 5.

OVERVIEW

In preparing to write this article, the writer selected Yahoo! to find out answers for an inquiry she had received on thumb-sucking. She found four possibilities: one for adult thumb-suckers, a second a book advertisement…and then two porn sites. Bed-wetting brought up ten choices including a definition, chat rooms, and "free" consultation with a doctor which would actually cost $475. Her lesson learned: forget the search engines.

Consulted experts recommend that parents avoid easy question and answer formats that purport to give advice; "the best parenting sites offer information and research, not advice." Unidentified "experts" should be read cautiously and chat rooms may waste a good bit of your time.

Early-childhood Internet guru and curriculum coordinator at the Sharing Place Child Care Center in Orono, Maine, Bonnie Blagojevic, has some good general advice for parents. " ‘Look at the reputation of the group offering the information. A reputable site immediately spells out its goal or purpose and identifies the author and sponsoring organization. If there’s a bias, a reputable site will tell you so right away.’ "

Blagofevic also recommends ListServ discussion groups, "which are like chat rooms except that they are not instantaneous." You can find Blagojevic’s Early Childhood Education On Line. You can subscribe to this at no charge by sending e-mail to LISTSERV@Maine.edu and typing subscribe ECEOL-L and your name in the message field.

Here are some sites recommended to parents:

www.npn.org This site of the National Parent Information Network is sponsored by ERIC and funded by the US Department of Education. This is the world’s largest database for teachers and parents. www.zerotothree.org This is sponsored by a national nonprofit for the benefit of parents with children 0-3. www.umaine.edu/edhd This is mostly for teachers but plenty here for parents as well. www.naeye.org The National Association for the Education of Young Children is the nations most respected accrediting organization for day care and preschool. www.nmsa.org The National Middle School Association offers research materials for parents of 10-14 year olds. www.indiana.edu/~cafs Center for Adolescent Studies at Indiana University. Click on "Sites for Parents," Parenting Adolescents," and "Archives."  www.ldonline.org LDOnline is sponsored by the Learning Project of WETA-TV and radio Washington, DC and the Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities. www.familyeducation.com Family Education Network for parents and teachers. Too much advertising and too complicated but it contains good information. www.aap.org

•  The American Academy of Pediatrics is a definitive site for health information.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. Can you see how this Encyclopedia, though containing far less material than many other sites, is a first-stop beginning for research covering a vast field and pointing you in more specific directions?
2. What do you need to know? Who can best help you with you question or with advice on where to search for your answers?
3. Are you most confused about parenting or using the Internet?

IMPLICATIONS

• If your questions are primarily about parenting, we hope you can find answers in our Encyclopedia and the links and sources we have passed on to you. Realize that counselors and local pastors can also turn you in helpful directions.
• If you realize there is important information on the Internet but don’t know how to use it, ask those with more experience, especially young people, for help.
• For additional help regarding how to use our Encyclopedia or the Internet you might email us at cys@centerforyouth.org 

Dean Borgman cCYS