Meet a Mom Blogger: Parenting Zoo

Meet another awesome Mom Blogger that calls MomWebs home here on the internet.

If parenting is a zoo, then Annette Yen is the zookeeper. Her offering to the blogosphere (one of them, anyway) is parentingzoo.com, a fun space to pick up a helpful tidbits on parenting preschoolers and toddlers. The topics on this particular blog are varied, but they all fall nicely into the category of “stuff moms should know about.” Pretty much every single post is actually really interesting, and how often can you say that?

There are a lot of ideas shared on Parenting Zoo, and some of the best ones are found in the “Instead of TV” category. For those days when you feel like no one could possibly understand, there’s the “Stories from the Front” series that shares tales of woe ranging from cupcake icing on the upholstery to an entire bottle of shampoo on the tile floor (my, your house smells lovely). For activities that everyone can enjoy, the “For Kids” category delves into everything from classical music for babies to scrapbooking that even preschoolers can do.

One of the best features of Parenting Zoo is that Annette spends a lot of time finding great ideas on the ‘net and then shares links to them with her readers. Some of her recommendations include great podcasts for moms, a place to share home videos without fear that your kids will be witness to the worst YouTube has to offer, and even great deals and specials that everyone should know about. (Seriously, did you know that more than 70 museums in the U.S. give free admission on certain days just for showing your Bank of America card? I didn’t until I read about it on Parenting Zoo.)

Annette gets a little help from syndicated columnist Lisa Barker, aka, “JellyMom,” and you want to be sure you’re not drinking milk when you read her posts, because it might end up shooting out of your nose. She’s a funny, funny lady.

In addition to all of the free content, the blog also offers an option to purchase the Parenting Zoo Toolbox. This includes quite a few resources for parents in the form of downloadable book and guides, activities for teaching the alphabet, and even podcasts on relevant topics.

All-in-all, this blog is a great resource for those trying to manage their toddlers and preschoolers in a way that helps everyone stay entertained and sane. Please insert your own “zoo” metaphor in which you think of your children as silly monkeys, baby birds, or jackals that need a little help from the zookeeper.

This Mom Blogger Feature Written by Lorna Doone Brewer