My first recommendation is for 2 sister websites:
www.parentcenter.com
www.babycenter.com
I think I found these sites when I was pregnant with Abbie. I was deathly afraid that I wasn't fully equipped to be a mom so I sought out all sorts of sites and books to defend myself against the unknown. When you enter the ParentCenter site it will ask you all sorts of questions like how old your kids are, if your pregnant, do you want weekly emails filled with helpful information, etc. As the scared mom-to-be I whole heartedly filled it all out and signed up for the weekly emails. I am SO GLAD I did. Starting with the first week I was send growth status updates called "My Baby This Week" emails about where Abbie should be in each stage.
This is the first one I got:
Hello, Stacie!
Welcome home! Right now, your new baby won't be doing much besides nursing every two to three hours and sleeping off and on around the clock. You may be feeling a little shell-shocked. That's normal — and it's your cue to take it easy. Your main job right now is to tend to your post-delivery aches and pains, learn how to breastfeed, and shower your baby with love. Concentrate on those basics, and when your baby drifts off to sleep try to grab a catnap yourself — the laundry can wait.
Learn more about your newborn's development.
Or as she got older they read like this:
Hello, Stacie! (Your 5 month-old this week)
Your baby's ability to interact with his surroundings, you, and other people grows daily. For instance, he may start playing little games as he begins to understand cause and effect and the results of simple actions. He may drop objects just to watch you pick them up, or he may throw something to see where it lands. Get used to it — games like this will only amuse him more as time goes on. Don't tell him "no" — he doesn't understand the word, and he needs to experiment and explore. But it may help to praise him when he does something a little less frustrating for you.
And:
Your Little Storyteller (Your 3 year-old This Week)
By reading books and making up stories for your child, you've been priming the pump for storytelling. A 3-year-old may tell stories to you, his friends, his teddy bear, or himself as he walks, plays, or lies in bed. These stories can be disjointed mishmashes of some of the stories he's heard from you. Whatever their source or form, you should encourage tale-spinning. It's a sign that there's some real thinking going on in there.
I still get them even now that she is 4 1/2 years old. I keep them in their own separate email file so I can refer back to them for future children. Yes, sometimes Abbie was/is farther along or a little behind than what the emails are about but it is a nice gage for what my child's learning or developing process should be.
Then, every so often, I get extra emails that links to their sister site BabyCenter where they have all sorts of information. They've given great advice on how to deal with bullies or picky eaters, when to enroll her in pre-schools and what to look for in preschools or how to handle nightmares. Fun tips for holiday food, games, crafts, etc. and easy ways to manage your time. On the site you can participate in other mom blogs and opinion pages as well as look up answers to questions you have and much more.
I REALLY love these 2 sites and look to them often as a resource on many topics concerning my kids. I highly recommend them to any parent.
If you have a book or website you'd like to recommend please leave a comment or email me and I'll make sure it get's it's own special feature!
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