Resources

Scroll through our alphabetized list of topics to find helpful sites offering solutions to any challenge, from allergies to working at home, and everything in between! This is a dynamic site, growing and changing frequently. We hope this site will help parents find the information and materials they need to "raise good kids in tough times." This is simply a service to parents.

Listing here does not mean that we recommend or approve any site, service, or program. Parents must use their own judgment, but we suggest a complete investigation of the credibiity of the organization and website. If you'd like to link to this site, e-mail us at linkexchange@parentsuccess.com.

ABUSE

Child Welfare Information Gateway
End Child Abuse.
Child Abuse Prevention Network
Child Help USA is one of the largest and oldest national non profits dedicated to the treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect.
Endabuse.org is the website of the Famiy Violence Prevention Fund. The site offers resources and information for ending violence against women and children.

ADOPTION

New Jersey Adoption Resource Clearing House is a state-funded service that provides support to anyone whose life is touched by adoption including those who receive or deliver services. Goal is to direct people to appropriate adoption services in New Jersey.

ADVOCACY

Special Education Law, No Child Left Behind law--See Wrightslaw for accurate, up-to-date information about effective advocacy for children with disabilities,
Children's Defense Fund's mission is to "ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities." It's a private, nonprofit organization supported by foundations, corporations, and individuals. It does not accept government funds. www.childrensdefense.org Address: 25 E St., NW, Washington, DC 20001. 1-800-CDF-1200.

AFTER SCHOOL

Unsupervised after-school hours are a prime time for vandalism, alcohol, drug use, and sex by kids. Research reveals that children involved in supervised activities after school have better academic performance, behavior and school attendance. Here are three organizations helping schools and communities create after-school opportunities for students and their families:
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program at the U.S. Dept. of Education, provides state grants for expanding enrichment opportunities for children attending low-performing schools. Contact www.ed.gov/21stcclc or call 1-800-USA-LEARN.
The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of after-school programs and advocating for quality, affordable programs for all children. Contact www.afterschoolalliance.org or call 202-296-9378.
Afterschool.gov is an online gateway to federal resources that support children and youths during out-of-school hours. Visit www.afterschool.gov.

ALLERGIES

American Academy of Allergy and Immunology. 1-800-822-2762. They have recipe books and other resources you can order.

ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER

The ADD Resources website has over 100 articles written by national ADHD authorities as well as adults with ADHD. Plenty of information for parents too. 100 plus links to ADHD-related websites. Includes the National ADHD Directory with over 1000 ADHD Service Providers listed as well as a National ADHD Events Calendar.
ADHDsupport.com offers information and support on ADHD.
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a national organization dedicated to helping children and adults with AD/HD succeed. Contact them at 301-306-7070 or on the web at www.chadd.org.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: The 1999 release of the final IDEA regulations specifically recognizes AD/HD as a disorder, making children with this disability eligible for special education and related services. For more information, contact the US Dept. of Education at 1-800-USA-LEARN or go to the website: www.ed.gov.
Free resources to professionals who specialize in the assessment and treatment of ADD/ADHD is available at www.ADDReferral.com

ANXIETY OR PANIC ATTACKS

Seek professional help when your child's anxiety becomes severe and long-lasting enough to affect his/her ability to conduct daily activities, perform in school or develop relationships. For more information, contact the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. 1-301-231-9350. E-mail: anxdis@adaa.org.
Anxietycure.org offers information and help for anxiety and stress. Anxiety drugs should only be taken under the supervision of a qualified mental health professional, and course of treatment should only be altered after discussion with your doctor.
Also see "Crisis Help," "Depression," "Terrorism," "Teenagers," and "Mutism."
www.socialanxietyassist.com.au/ provides shyness and social anxiety treatment programs - Australia. Offers information about social anxiety and treatment options and psychologists around Australia who treat social anxiety.

BABIES

The Frog and the Princess baby boutique features designer baby bedding, kids rugs, custom wall letters, nursery decor, diaper bags, kids lighting, and hundreds of unique baby gifts.
Articles, tips, etc., for new and expecting mothers brought to you by Spunky Turtle Baby Store at www.little101.com.
Babybeddingtown.com specializes in providing baby bedding, clothes, toys, etc.
High chairs for tots. See www.highchairs.com
4d Ultrasound, Pregnancy Ultrasound, 4d Baby Scans - Offers baby scans including 4D and 3D ultrasound scans.
www.babycarehelp.com for baby care information given in simple, easy-to-read style on topics ranging from how to change a diaper and burp a baby to finding the right kind of clothes .
www.baby-care-items.com also offers baby care information.
JustParents offers parenting and pregnancy advice for mums and dads. Baby names, gender predictor, forums, parent blogs and more.
Mamababybliss.com - Natural products for mothers and babies including holistic massage, baby massage and baby yoga.
PerfectlyEngraved.co.uk has a range of sterling silver baby gifts, including rattles, picture frames and bracelets. You can also get your item engraved, adding a special touch to your gift.

BABY NAMES

Find a unique baby name with this baby naming service. www.babynamingcentral.com.
Baby Names List - Search from 20,000 baby names and get their meanings.
Babynamesfamily.com lists baby names, their origins and their meanings.

BEDWETTING

PeeJ's Bedwetting Pants, Alarms, Sheet Protectors and other products to aid in managing bedwetting and incontinence. Their website is www.peejs.com.

BIPOLAR DISORDER:

The Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation is a ntional, not-for-profit organization offering education, support and advocacy for families. www.bpkids.org

BREASTFEEDING

La Leche League: International nonprofit, nonsectarian association dedicated to providing information, education, support and encouragement to women who want to breastfeed. www.lalecheleague.org
Expressyourselfmums.co.uk is a site for specialist breastfeeding and expressing products, useful supplies of breastpumps and their accessories as well as baby art and gifts.

BULLIES

CAMPS:

Campshane.com - Weight loss summer camp for children of all ages, offering useful articles and tips on kids weight loss and fighting childhood obesity.

CAREERS

Medical assistant training schools have programs focuses on medical assistant training, medical transcription, anatomy, healthcare administration, technician training and more.
careereducationweb.com provides information on career education.
Also see COLLEGE: Selection, Schools' EDUCATION

CHARACTER EDUCATION

Character Counts! Nationwide nonprofit initiative to support nonpartisan, nonsectarian character education. www.charactercounts.org

The Character Education Partnership: www.character.org

Teaching Moral Values: www.character-education.us offers an e-book on teaching ethical and moral values and ethical decision-making to children.

CHILD CARE

Aupaircare.com has placed over 25,000 au pairs from 40 countries with families in 36 states since 1989.
HelpingHero.com is a cooperative community approach to swapping common services like babysitting, pet sitting, garden chores and house sitting within your community, without fees and in an easy, fair and reciprocal way.
www.nynanny.net - Listings of child care providers in New York area.
www.collegenannies.com - Serves the short- and long-term child care needs of today's working families as well as fosters the growth of children's education and development through experienced nannies.
www.sunriseschools.com - Phoenix (AZ) day care and Sunrise Preschools of Arizona offering learning and care for preschoolers since 1982.

CHILD CUSTODY

Your Child Custody War - CustodyWar.com provides essential information and how-to books needed for winning your child custody war.

CHILD SUPPORT

Childsupport.com and Supportcollectors.com are links to companies that help parents collect delinquent child support payments. Supportcollectors.com also offers a free child support arrearage calculator to find out how much back child support you are owed.

CLOTHES

www.nanasboutique.com offers a variety of clothing for newborns, babies, toddlers and children, including hard-to-find items such as christening gowns, etc.

COLLEGE

www.schoolsintheusa.com offers free career and college prep resource lists to schools in the USA.
U101.com also offers a directory of over 3000 college and university websites in the US and Canada.
Stateuniversity.com is an online university which offers online degrees and information on all U.S. Universities and other colleges.
Most of the resources listed below are revised each year. Be sure to use the latest edition of each guide you select.
Onlinedegreeuniversities.com offers information and resources for earning a degree online from a wide range of online universities.
www.distance-learning-college-guide.com/online-phd-programs.html provides iinformation on online doctoral programs, advice about doctorate degrees online and other distance learning degrees. Also offers links to online college courses.
Distance learning doctoral programs - information on online doctoral programs, advice about doctorate degrees online and other distance learning degrees, and llinks to online college courses.
Online University - a source for online courses.
Onlinebestcolleges.com - Source for finding the best online colleges and universities to earn your degree.
Hattoss.com - Search for top accredited universities and colleges to earn your required degree.

College Selection

The FindYourArtSchool.com directory features quick and easy searching and browsing to help art students find art colleges around the U.S.
Large directory of accredited online colleges to find an online college degree, career training degree or college courses via online degrees.
The Best College for You published by The Princeton Review (not related to Princeton University) and Time Inc. in a magazine format. The book lists costs, admission standards, location, and other particulars of 1,220 colleges.
www.edref.com presents unbiased information on substantially all colleges in the country and includes minority and athletic, religious search options.
Collegesearch.org offers a comprehensive guide to the nation’s colleges, universities and online degrees including regional colleges on the Internet with a database of 9734 schools and universities.
Another helpful site for selecting a college is www.collegetrends.org which features a behavior and attitude survey to help students match their style to the college.
The Princeton Review's The Student Access Guide to the Best Colleges by Tom Meltzer, Zachary Knover, and John Katzman. Villard Books, New York.
CollegeNet - www.collegenet.com This web site includes the chance to create an "Applyweb" account at the site to store your information for applications.
For information on California colleges, go to http://www.california-colleges-search.com/web-resources.php.
Visiting College Campuses by Janet Spencer and Sandra Maleson, Villard Books, New York, 1995.
Education-portal.com allows prospective students to search for schools by state or by degree type.

College Applications:

College Applications Made Easy, by Patty Marler and Jan Bailey Mattia, VGM Career Horizons, Lincolnwood, IL.

Financial Aid:

Simpletuition.com is a free online resource center for students and parents looking to finance a college or grad school education. Information on financial aid, student loans, consolidation, and a loan comparison tool.
College expenses: College Answering Service, 1-800-891-4599.
www.salliemae.com
Barron's Complete College Financing Guide, by Marguerite J. Dennis. Barron's Educational Series, Inc., Hauppauge, NY.
College Check Mate: Innovative Tuition Plans that Make You a Winner, by Debra L. Wexler, Octameron Associates, Alexandria, VA.
College Costs and Financing Aid Handbook, College Entrance Examination Board, New York, NY.

The SAT and Other Qualifying Exams

www.ivybound.net - preparation for the SAT, LSAT, and ACT.
Barron's How to Prepare for SAT I by Samuel C. Brownstein, Mitchel Weiner, and Sharon Weiner Green. Barron's Educational Series, Hauppauge, NY.
The College Handbook (latest edition), College Entrance Examination Board, New York.
Preparation for the SAT (new test), An Arco book by Macmillan, Inc.
The Princeton Review's Cracking the New SAT and PSAT by Adam Robinson and John Katzman, Villard Books, New York, NY.
PSAT / NMSQT (Covers the Preliminary SAT's and the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) Barron's Educational Series.
The Very Best Coaching and Study Course for the SAT I, published by the Research and Educational Association.
ACT Cram Course, by Suzee L. Vlk, Prentice Hall, New York, NY.
Barron's Students' #1 Choice (for the) ACT (American College Testing program) by George Ehrenhaft, Robert Lehrman, Allan Mundsack, and Fred Obrecht. Barron's Educational Service, Inc., Hauppauge, NY.
testpreparationweb.com offers information on preparing for any test. Learn about different types of tests and find the best test passing modes.

Doing Well

Toolkit for College Success by Daniel R. Walther, published by Wadsworth Publishing Company, Belmont, California. Part of the Wadsworth series of study books for college students.

Advice for Parents of the College-Bound

Peterson's (of Princeton NJ) Smart Parents Guide to College by Ernest L. Boyer. Available at www.petersons.com
www.go4ivy.com is the site of College Admissions Services, Inc., which offers parents extensive information about the entire college process. Also at www.go4college.com.

College-Related

www.etextshop.com - buy and sell college textbooks and get instant quotes for textbook buyback.
www.worldwidelearn.com - Research great education and career development opportunities - search for colleges, universities, and online degree programs.

COMMUNITY WEBSITES FOR PARENTS

South Florida - ParentPark.com lists local activities, classes and events for parents who are looking for things to do with their children in South Florida.

COMPUTERS

Encourage information literacy. For suggestions and several family-friendly sites from the U.S. Department of Education, see our tip, The Internet and Your Kid.
Keep the computer in a central location, like the living room or kitchen, rather than in a bedroom.
Set limits.
Use the Internet with your child and get to know which sites your child visits.
www.SafeKids.com has a list of filtering software to keep your child out of inapporpriate chat rooms and web sites. It also offers a "Family Contract for Online Safety" that you and your child can sign.
Parental control software is available at www.software4parents.com.
AOL has built-in settings that bar kids from inappropriate sites. AOL keyword: parental controls. For other Internet service providers, you can use "filtering" software such as Solid Oak Software's Cybersitter 20000 (www.cybersitter.com).
For guides to kid-safe sites: www.getnetwise.org

COOPERATIVES

HelpingHero.com is a cooperative community approach to swapping common services like babysitting, pet sitting, garden chores and house sitting within your community, without fees and in an easy, fair and reciprocal way.

CRISIS HELP

KidsPeace, The National Center for Kids Overcoming Crisis, was established in 1882 to help chidren and teens overcome crises in their lives. Their 24-hour crisis information and intervention hotline is 1-800-334-4KID. It is available for kids, parents and professionals across the U.S.
TeenCentral.Net is part of the "You're Not Alone" campaign, a nationwide outreach and awareness effort launched in 1998 by KidsPeace to reach teens who are confronted by crises and struggling to overcome them independently. TeenCentral.Net is a website that connects teens to other teens from around the country and offers a variety of problem-solving resources for teens. It provides help for teens from teens anonymously, opening them up to dialogue and providing safe, useful advice.
Oceanrecovery.com provides information about an alcohol rehab and drug dependency treatment center in Southern California.

DEPRESSION

Depression and bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depgression) are both highly treatable medical illnesses. So why do so few people get the treatment they need? One of the main reasons is the lack of accurate information patients and their families can understand. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance is a not-for-profit organization that offers a number of resources and educational programs about these illnesses.

DISABILITIES

Special Education Law, No Child Left Behind law--See Wrightslaw for accurate, up-to-date information about effective advocacy for children with disabilities,

DRIVER EDUCATION

Driversedguru.com is dedicated to providing free, useful information and guidance in learnig how to drive.
www.driversed.com offers information relating to driver education, licensing, basic car maintenance, and general DMV information.
www.teendriveronline.com offers easy, fast, and self-paced online driver education and training programs that maintain high user attention throughout with the aid of colorful graphics and animations.
Driving Safety: For parents of teenagers in Maryland, there's a booklet called The Teen Driver Survival Guide, written by Steven J. Blank, a professional driving instructor. It includes a multitude of tips and techniques as well as the 6 most common crashes and how to avoid them. Maps of the Baltimore metro area show where the fatal crash sites are in the area. To order, call 410-377-8787 or email, sjblankbook@usa.net.

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

johncfleming.com website on his book, Preventing Addiction, which describes his research on drug and alcohol prevention, suggests ideas to prevent drug use, and explains benefits of drug prevention.
www.theantidrug.com - This website is designed to help parents learn how to talk to their children about staying clean, safe, and drug-free. It's part of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. The site offers a brochure called "Parenting Skills: 21 Tips and Ideas to Help You Make a Difference." Toll-free number: 1-800-788-2800.
www.drugfreeamerica.org - Partnership for a Drug-Free America, a private, non-profit, non-partisan coalition of professionals from the communications industry. Mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in America through media communication.
www.nida.nih.gov - National Institute on Drug Abuse. Offers publications and information.
www.health.org - National Clearinghouse for Alcohol & Drug Information. Offers publications and information.
Information and resources for parents about the teen drug abuse problem in America is at Teendrugabuse.us.
www.aboutrecovery.com is an understandable and comprehensive resource about drug rehabilitation and mental health treatment.
Alcohol rehab and drug dependency treatment program - Offers drug, chemical and alcohol rehab programs to help with addiction in Southern California abuse treatment center.
Therapistunlimited.com is a national directory of centers and counseling services for those seeking help with family and marriage counseling, or treatment for substance abuse, mental and physical disorders, and more.
Eatingdisorderschannel.com - An exclusive resource guide about eating disorders, causes of eating disorders, symptoms, treatment methods, anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorders, bulimia, pica eating disorder, etc.

EATING DISORDERS

Eatingdisorderschannel.com - An exclusive resource guide about eating disorders, causes of eating disorders, symptoms, treatment methods, anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorders, bulimia, pica eating disorder, etc.
The Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. The Center provides informaton and treatment resources for all forms of eating disorders. The Center also offers general information to the public about the treatment and prevention of eating disorders. For more information or referrals, contact The Center at its website above.
For an online catalog of books and resources on eating disorders, go to www.bulimia.com.
Aanorexia.com provides tips, resources, information and advice about this eating disorder.
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, Box 7, Highland Park, IL 60035; 847-831-3438; anad20@aol.com

EDUCATION (also see SCHOOL)

Parent Involvement Matters site of The National Parentnet Association dedicated to improving parental involvement in schools and education.
After-School activities are important. See After School above.
Here's the National PTA site on which former school counselors answer questions and discuss issues such as grandparent's rights. www.familyeducation.com
Partnership for Family Involvement in Education--This is a program of the U.S. Dept. of Education to increase opportunities for families to be more involved in their children's learning at school and at home. For more information, call 1-800-USA-LEARN or visit the website at http://pfie.ed.gov.To locate your state Parent Information and Resource Center, call toll-free 1-888-385-7222.
Reading: Preschool programs that focus on building skills such as letter recognition, vocabulary use and sound awareness prepare a child for kindergarten and later school success. For tips on evaluating a quality early reading program, get a copy of A Guide for Parents: How Do I Know a Good Early Reading Program When I See One? by First Lady Laura Bush. It's available by calling 1-877-4ED-PUBS or on the web at www.ed.gov/inits/rrrl/guide.html.
Questions about teaching math: http://forum.swarthmore.edu/t2t/
Http://math-and-reading-help-for-kids.org offers an article and resource directory offering math and reading help for kids and a variety of children's education topics.
Math and reading help for kids Education Planet: www.educationplanet.com <
Special Education Law, No Child Left Behind law--See Wrightslaw for accurate, up-to-date information about effective advocacy for children with disabilities,
Education portal site focusing on distance learning with various resources including online course, online degree, and college and university information. Site also hosts forums. www.cgedonline.net/dir/en.
Distance learning doctoral programs - information on online doctoral programs, advice about doctorate degrees online and other distance learning degrees, and llinks to online college courses.
www.biblio.com/textbookwarehouse.php Biblio has millions of college and high school textbooks at an average of 40% less than retail textbook prices.
careereducationweb.com provides information on career education.
mydistancelearningweb.com offers information on distance learning opportunities for students, including the numerous types, methods and evaluation systems of modern distance education.
Online University - a source for online courses.
testpreparationweb.com offers information on preparing for any test. Learn about different types of tests and find the best test passing modes.

ENVIRONMENT

EnvironmentalLawyers.com is an association of environmental lawyers or law firms specializing in environmental law. Cases include lead poisoning, toxic tort, toxic black mold, toxic waste, clean air act, oil pollution act and clean water act.

FAMILIES

Gradchild.com is a family community website with articles on family concerns.
Familyejournal.com is a site designed to improve and promote communication within the family.
The Family Compass brings together a collection of resources to help families find their bearings. Includes informational articles and books, hotlines and helplines, advice, a directory of related websites, how-tos, recommendations, support and more.
Articles about building a family - Articles on starting a family, adopting, being pregnant and raising children.
Directory of marriage and family counseling resources in the U.S. and Canada. Articles written by professional therapists, live phone counseling, recommended books and more.
Build your own website. Learn how to build your own website for your family, church group, or other organization. Go to familylobby.com.

FATHERS

DictionaryforDads.com offers advice, resources and information to assist fathers in raising healthy and happy children and nurturing a great relationship with them. It also addresses issues that pertain to the father's rights and child custody in a divorce and how to discuss and protect the Children through The divorce process.
www.toddlerdad.com is a community and resource center for fathers of 1-3 year olds.
Greatdad.com provides advice for fathers on parenting, dad care, pregnancy care, adoption, child care, bringing up kids, and teens--all from a male perspective.

FEARS

See Anxiety or Panic Attacks above.

FUN

Family Fun Shop: Getting Families Together for Fun! A variety of unique products and lots of free family fun.

FURNITURE

Goodnitemoon.com provides furniture & Accessories for your child's room.

GIFTED CHILDREN

National Association for Gifted Children: www.nagc.org/ Nonprofit association of parents, educators, other professionals and community leaders to address the unique needs of children and youth.

GIFTS (see also PLAY, TOYS):

The Frog and the Princess baby boutique features designer baby bedding, kids rugs, custom wall letters, nursery decor, diaper bags, kids lighting, and hundreds of unique baby gifts.
PerfectlyEngraved.co.uk has a range of sterling silver baby gifts, including rattles, picture frames and bracelets. You can also get your item engraved, adding a special touch to your gift.
Peasepod Books offers children's picture books and middle grade novels that blend engaging, humorous stories with educational content and fun activities.
www.educationaltoysplanet.com offers a world of educational toys, games, crafts and puzzles, to encourage your child's curiosity, discovery, and creativity.
www.kidsource.com was developed by parents and includes articles on toy recalls.
Awesome Care Packages is a company that offers gift and snack care packages especially for kids. Order online.
Goodygiftbox.com makes and sells care packages for all occasions, including college care packages and kid's care packages. Phone 360-786-9559.
BooksForMe.Com offers personalized books for children. Go to their website and try their sample. We did, loved the result and ordered one for our little nephew!
Giftdirectory.org offers unusual, specialized gifts from all over the globe for anyone, any occasion.
Free greeting cards for kids.www.123greetings.com/kids.
Educational Toys, including Leap Frog and baby BumbleBee Educational Toys and DVDs. Go to Little Smarties Educational Toy Store.
Child Educational Toys - Including Anatex, Leap Frog and Baby BumbleBee Educational Toys and DVDs. Wide selection of wooden toys, puzzles and more at educational-toys-mart.com.
Games to Educate - Educational software for children of all ages. Education software games that teach children skills as they play a fun, guided, interactive game.

GUNS

Guns kill 12 kids a day. Get involved in the fight to license and register all guns and to make sure that those who use guns for assault, intimidation, and other illegal purposes receive mandatory, severe sentences. www.millionmommarch.com
If you think guns belong in the home, perhaps you'll push the NRA to work for mandatory gun safety locks and gun safety education with gun purchase.

HALLOWEEN

Costumecauldron.com offers Halloween costumes for kids and adults including pirate Halloween costumes and Star Wars costumes. Ships worldwide.

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Just Exercise – Back Exercises - Fitness and exercise advice for everyone young and old.
www.Dentists4kids.com - This site provides a searchable database of over 4300 pediatric dentists nationwide to help parents find a dentist best suited to threat their child's dental health needs. Dentists4kids.com is a for-profit organization made up of professionals within the specialty of pediatric dentistry.
MUMS is a national parent-to-parent network whose mission is to "help parents who have a child with any disorder, medical condition, mental or emotional disorder or rare diagnosis to make connections with other parents whose children have the same or similar condition." www.netnet.net/mums/
National Network for Health - www.nnh.org Comprehensive source for hundreds of sites dealing with all manner of health issues. Draws upon the resources of many universities and government agencies.
For help on emotional issues, try this site. www.wholefamily.com
Relaxation music, positive affirmations and online counseling for reducing stress and anxiety, promoting health, wellness and healing and improving self-esteem are at www.enhancedhealing.com.
Women-health-care.com - Care Center for Women's Health provides information on women's health, beauty tips, pregnancy care, baby care, gynecology problems, women's health issues, makeup advice, etc.
Yoga4beginners.org provides information on yoga and yoga therapy and how it can help us to increase our fitness level.
Also see our online bookstore for books and CDs to help kids facing serious illness.
www.warehousefitness.com is an online source for fitness equipment. Offers detailed product information and fitness professionals available by phone or online for additional information.

HELPING OTHERS

The Heifer Project International. Here's a great group project-raise money to buy a goat or a beehive or some chickens for a family struggling to survive in an underdeveloped country. www.heifer.org 800-422-0755.
UNICEF. Offers cards and gifts that help children around the world.

HIV/AIDS

HIV is the fifth leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 25 and 44. Many of these young adults were probably infected as teenagers. It is estimated that at least half of all new HIV infections in the United States are among people under 25, and the majority of young people are infected sexually. Research from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that early, clear communications between parents and young people about sex is an important step in helping adolescents adopt and maintain protective sexual behaviors. For more information about this critical health problem, contact the CDC National AIDS Hotline at 1-800-342-AIDS (Spanish: 1-800-344-SIDA); CDC Natl Prevention Information Network at 1-800-458-5231, or on the web at www.cdc.gov/hiv or www.cdcnpin.org.

HOME SCHOOLING

Myhomeschoolingweb.com - Offers articles to help you make the right choice concerning home schooling and find the most comprehensive and accurate information available on that choice.

HOUSEHOLD TIPS

Common Sense Community is brought to you by SCOTT® products and provides a site for sharing common sense wisdom, tips and solutions for everyday household tasks.

INFORMATION

ReallyGreatInfo.com features on-line information, CDs, books, home-study courses, and seminars. Subject matter experts offer a variety of viewpoints, all conveyed in positive terms.
Babyart.org offers information on all aspects of bringing up children from advice on pregnancy, birth, and childcare from baby to teen.
Howstuffworks is an online publishing company widely recognized as a leading source for clear, unbiased, reliable explanations of how everything actually works. Thousands of articles, features and illustrations.

INSPIRATION

Silverlining.news.comArticles, poems and other items for all age groups that take a positive viewpoint.
LifeLearningDevices.com offers small devices that can be placed on the kitchen table and when pressed, verbally relay quotes, mantras and secrets of life from some of the world's most accomplished people. For parents, teachers, and others who might need or want inspirational and motivational messages in their lives.

INTERNET - Also See Computers above.

Build your own website. Learn how to build your own website for your family, church group, or other organization. Go to familylobby.com.
A-Z Web Directory - A guide to the internet for useful sites.

MARRIAGE

http://talkaboutmarriage.com is an open forum on marriage and relationships.

FOR MOMS

Mom To Mom Chat.com - A site for Moms, by Moms - Find support, encouragement, articles, discussion boards, business opportunties, resources, chat rooms, link and flyer exchanges. A friendly place to meet for ALL Moms. StepMoms, GrandMoms, Work-At-Home Moms, Divorced Moms, Charitable Moms, Moms of Special Needs Kids, and more can find other Moms to chat with, meet new friends, find work-at-home ideas, recipes, places for Moms to shop, share ideas and more!
http://neenmachine.com offers parenting tips and other information for parents.
www.parentsoup.com is sponsored by iVillage with information for Moms on just about any topic. Includes message boards and a live chat with a pediatrician every weekday.
Of parents with minor children, 74 percent do not have a will. What will happen to your children if you and/or your spouse die? www.gotawill.com offers free help in drafting up a legal will.
www.savvymama.com.au/ - A fun site where busy moms can get tips on cool products, travel, family activities, services and more.

MONEY

How to educate kids about money: www.kidsenseonline.com

MUTISM

Selective mutism is a childhood anxiety disorder where a child cannot speak in select settings, such as in school, despite their ability to speak normally in situations where they are comfortable, such as at home. The Selective Mutism Group, Inc. and Childhood Anxiety Network (SMG-CAN) is dedicated to the education, promotion of public awareness and the early identification and treatment of Selective Mutism and related childhood anxiety disorders. See their website at www.selectivemutism.org.

OTHER SERVICES

Medical News - Medical news and health news headlines posted throughout the day, every day.
DNA Testing - Easy, discreet, painless, accurate DNA Testing Services.
Superconfidencecoach.com offers techniques in building self-esteem and enhancing the total well-being of every family member with a step-by-step guide.
Smoking Test In Private provides smoke screen smoking tests to determine the consumption level of nicotine in body.

PARENT COACHING

The Parent Coaching Institute offers parent support, family resources and useful research. Referrals to PCI Certified Parent Coaches with expertise in parenting needs. PCI trained coaches offer coaching services to parents, schools, community agencies and corporations. Also offers the only accredited Parent Coach Certification program in the nation, designed for active and retired professionals from around the globe. Phone - 1-888-599-4447.

PARENTING
Connectwithkids.com which also offers videos on a range of parenting topics.

Parenting4U.com
Parentingtipstoday.com
JustParents offers parenting and pregnancy advice for mums and dads. Baby names, gender predictor, forums, parent blogs and more.
Indiaparenting.com - The definitive guide for Indian parents on pregnancy, parenting, child development and children's health, with a panel of doctors.
ParentClick.com is an online guide that offers free local information and resources for parents and families in selected cities across the U.S.

POISON CONTROL

More than one million calls concerning children under age six were made to the Poison Control Center's national toll-free hotline last year. The hotline is sponsored by the Am. assn of Poison Control Centers, which offers free, life-saving poison emergency information at its website, www.1-800-222-1212.info.

READING--Also see EDUCATION

Fun Family Phonics offers a program for making learning to read fun. They're at Funfamilyphonics.com.
Reading for Charity is a nonprofit organization that aids literacy causes while providing publicity and promotion for authors and writers.
Peasepod Books offers children's picture books and middle grade novels that blend engaging, humorous stories with educational content and fun activities.

REVIEWS OF PARENTING MATERIALS

Parents' Choice is a nonprofit service organization established in 1978 to provide adults with unbiased reports on children's learning materials. The winners are selected by volunteers who are prominent journalists, educators, artists, critics, publishers, storytellers, computer and other scientists, business people, musicians and filmmakers. www.parents-choice.org
Parent Council, Ltd., is also an independent review organization. It finds, selects, and reviews the best new informational materials for children through age 12 plus parenting titles. Reviewers are parents who are also librarians, teachers, and other professionals trained to work with children. www.parentcouncil.com

SAFETY

See our tip, Safety for Children.
Safekids.org offers safety tips to prevent accidental childhood injury and death. It's the website of SafeKids Worldwide, a global network of organizations working to prevent childhood accidents, a leading killer of children ages 14 and under.
The Polly Klaas Foundation at www.PollyKlaas.org is a national nonprofit that helps find missing children, prevents children from going missing in the first place, and works with policymakers to promote legislation like the Family Abduction Prevention Act and Amber Alert. Email them for their free "Child Safety Kit."
Staying Safe Stories: Rory Stays Safe is written by a retired police captain for little children to teach them what to do if they are approached by a molester. The story is entertaining, non-threatening, and simple and helps parents open up a discussion about this sensitive topic. For more information and to order, see www.SafeStory.com.
State Farm provides a wide variety of educational materials to schools and community groups. These programs offer instruction on topis ranging from insurance basics to fire safety. www.statefarm.com/educate.htm
Child photo ID - Consider having a durable photo ID made for your child which would include the child's photo, name, name of parent or guardian, thumbprint, eye color, height, weight, date issued, medical information, etc. Making photo IDs could be part of a school, church or community event. See (a href="http://www.childphotoid.com">www.ChildPhotoID.com.

SCHOOL (also see EDUCATION, COLLEGE, HOME SCHOOLING, TEENAGERS)

High School Web Pages offers information related to high schools and informative and interesting school web pages.
Littlefroggies.com - Elementary school toys, teacher supplies, home school supplies and learning toys. - Little Froggies toy and teacher supply site built for teachers, students and elementary schools. Official purchase orders from elementary schools are always welcome!
Volunteering in schools: See our tip on Parent Power in Schools. The PTA website (www.PTA.org) and www.FamilyEducation.com (Family Education Network) also offer dozens of ideas on how parents can support and raise funds for school projects.
After-school activities are important--most teenage crime and pregnancies occur between 3 and 6 p.m. See After School above.
Alternative schools for troubled teens, see "Teenagers" below.
Education-portal.com allows prospective students to search for schools by state or by degree type. Includes hundreds of articles about the schools and various career possibilities.

SELF-HELP

Selfhelpbible.com provides information on various fields such as Financial Success, Stress, Setting and Achieving Goals, Parenting and Time Management.

SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE PREVENTION AND RECOVERY

We are working on this entry and would welcome suggestions for helpful resources and websites.
If I'd Only Known...Sexual Abuse In and Out of the Family by Dorothy Neddermeyer, LCSW, CRT, Ph.D.(cand.) Available from her website, www.Gen-Assist.com.

SPECIAL NEEDS - See also Disabilities

Braille Books for Blind Children, a program of the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, 1800 Johnson Street, Suite 100, Baltimore, MD 21230-4998. 410-659-9315. Also, Seedlings Braille Books for Children. www.seedlings.org
Special Education Law, No Child Left Behind law--See Wrightslaw for accurate, up-to-date information about effective advocacy for children with disabilities.

SUICIDE PREVENTION

The SOS High School Suicide Prevention Program educates teens to the signs of suicide and outlines action steps for dealing with this mental health emergency. To implement the program in your local school, talk to the school psychologist or contact Screening for Mental Health, 781-239-0071, or their website, www.mentalhealthscreening.org.
See also Teenagers.

TEENAGERS

ParentSuccess.com receives many requests to include links to sites regarding services, camps and programs for troubled teenagers. We cannot evaluate these services but, when they are appropriate to the problems that are a part of our mission, we include them has as purely informational.
If a visitor to our site is interested in one of these links, we encourage a complete investigation of the credibility of the organization and the persons who would be in contact with your children. Particular attention should be given to the religious orientation of the staff, policies, and program.

Parenting Blog - information for parents of teens, including troubled teens, parenting tips, teen education and more.
TeenCentral.Net is a unique website for teens that offers them an anonymous, personalized and safe resource to help them face and overcome crises and life's daily challenges. It provides help for teens by teens while also offering a wealth of helpful resources.
High-school-websites.com offers a resource guide that helps in building high school websites for classrooms.
Parentingteens.com offers information and articles on parenting teens, troubled teens, teen education, teen boot camps. Also allows parent forum on their views about military schools, boarding schools, and parenting issues.

These sites offer information and resources for parents about teen drug abuse,conduct disorders and other problems -

www.teendrugabuse.us
www.parentresources.info
www.partners-in-parenting.com
www.troubledteensinfo.com provides parents with articles and advice on dealing with their teenagers. The site covers a diverse number of relevant subjects on troubled teenager matters, from the latest news on teen help to parenting strategies one may use indealing with defiant teens.
Troubled Teens - Offers information about this problem.

Alternative Education Programs

www.wildernessprogramsetc.com provides information for parents about wilderness programs and also offers options and resources for parents with troubled teens.
www.teenprivateschools.com helps parents choose the best of private schools for teens considering all the related factors.
www.bootcamps.com - boot camp and military camps for troubled teens.
Boardingschooladvisor.com assists parents in choosing a boarding school that is the right fit for their child by offering useful information regarding different types of boarding schools.
www.myboardingschool.com offers resources for parents looking to place their troubled teen in a specialty boarding school.
www.bootcampsforteens.com. All of their schools only take willing participants and they offer Christian, secular and government-based programs as well as a 24-hour hot line for parents.
www.teenplacementservice.com.
www.boot-camp-boot-camps.com.
Boot Camp Video is a parent self-help packet for troubled and defiant teens, also information about boot camps.
Top Flight Academy is a residential treatment center providing pilot training to teens to build self-esteem. Specializing in treating teens dealing with low self-esteem, bipolar disorder, ADD, ADHD, substance abuse, oppositional defiant disorder, teen depression, anger management, teen suicide, and a variety of other issues.
Aboutmilitaryschools.org offers a wide array of information about military schools, military safety and military knowledge.
Military school options
Military schools for troubled teens.
Boarding schools for troubled teens.
Teen boot camps. Boot camps for teens and juveniles.
Teenbootcamps.com offers information and resources for parents looking to place their child in a teen boot camp.
www.myboardingschool.com provides resources for parents looking to place their troubled teen in a specialty boarding school.
Teen Help - Military and boarding schools.
Resolutionranch.com is a therapeutic camp for teenage boys ages 13--17 that offers individualized therapy focused on the personal needs of each teen.
boardingschools-troubledteens.info
Parentingteens.com - Information for parents of teens, including troubled teens, parenting tips, teen education, and more.
Helpfortroubledteens.net/ blog - Help for Troubled Teens Blog focuses on schools,programs and therapy for troubled teens, help for parents of troubled teens,and various other measures to overcome the problems of troubled teens.
teenbootcamps.com - An extensive blog for helping parents raise their teens appropriately thus helping teens and families make positive changes in ther lives.
Also see the book, The Whipped Parent described and offered in our online bookstore.

THERAPY

Therapistunlimited.com is a national directory of centers and counseling services for those seeking help with family and marriage counseling, or treatment for substance abuse, mental and physical disorders, and more.

TOILET TRAINING

Zipbaby.com offers a large selection of potty training products, including potty chairs, potty seats, potty training dolls, travel potties, comprehensive potty training information and a potty training message board.
Http:www.pottytrainingguide.com provides a guide, article, tips and free newsletter about potty training for children.

TOYS

Galt Educational Toys offers fun educational toys for infants, toddlers, children and pre-teens. Find everything from activity gyms and crawl mats to wooden toys, interesting crafts and challenging science experiments.
Littlefroggies.com offers elementary school toys, teacher supplies, home school supplies and learning toys. - Little Froggies toy and teacher supply site built for teachers, students and elementary schools. Official purchase orders from elementary schools are always welcome!
www.1888toys.com offers a selection of educational toys and developmental games for children of all ages, along with richly decorated unique kid's furniture..
Educationaltoysplanet.com offers toys from Quercetti, Educational Insights, Ravensburger and more to encourage the kid's curiosity, discovery, and creativity.
Mybabyboutique.net is an online store specializing in children's educational toys.
Mychildplayhouses.com offers over 1000 unique educational toys and games for children. Children's furniture including theme furniture. Children's educational toy store online.
Wooden Toys and Kid Furniture - Handcrafted wooden toys featuring rocking horses, building blocks, child furniture and computer desks, toy train sets, toy pianos, rollercoaster, puppet theaters, doll houses, and more.
Brainbuildingtoys.com - Increase your child's learning capacity with Montessori toys from Brain Building Toys. These are high-quality Montessori toys selected by a Montessori teacher.

TUTORING

www.risingscores.net source for academic turoring for grades 3-12.

VIOLENCE

The Lion & Lamb Project is an initiative to stop the marketing of violence to children. It's a grassroots organization helping parents and others understand how violence is a learned behavior - and what adults can do to teach their own values to their children. It offers Parent Action Kits, workshops, toy trade-in manual, and T-shirts with the message "STOP Marketing Violence to Children." Phone: 301-654-3091. Website: www.lionlamb.org.
Endabuse.org is the website of the Famiy Violence Prevention Fund. The site offers resources and information for ending violence against women and children.

WILLS

Of parents with minor children, 74 percent do not have a will. What will happen to your children if you and/or your spouse die? www.gotawill.com offers free help in drafting up a legal will.

WORKING AT HOME

If you're at stay-at-home Mom looking for income opportunities, try these sites.

Caution: The Better Business Bureau receives thousands of inquiries each year related to work-at-home scams. Don't be a target. Please be careful.

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