Mothers and fathers use the internet more when they have their first child and mothers using social media jumped from 11% in 2006 to 63% in 2009 (a Babycenter survey)!

As a stay-at-home mom or dad you may be new to the online interactions and never participated on an forum or social media such as Facebook. Or maybe you’ve joined parent groups on those sites but don’t feel like you’re connecting as much as you would like to with a lot of people because they’re not stay-at-home or work-at-home parents.

Your situation is specific and you might crave for somewhere to share with alike people. Well the wonderful news is that those places do exist online!

This article of our series explores the first two advantages of joining those communities :

1. HAVE A GREAT SOCIAL LIFE AND GET FRIENDS

A social media study confirmed that we perceive online friendships as real as offline ones. Yes, online friends can really grow to be your best friends! It is beneficial for stay-at-home parents nowadays because we can use it to our advantages and don’t feel isolated in our home – we easily have got access to others like us worldwide.

It’s heart-warming to be with your kid(s) all day but you might miss “grown-up” talks, not having a lot of stay-at-home people around you. Those places allow you to do that in the comfort of your home and whenever you have time, because in reality we can have different schedules depending on our children’s needs.

You can grow friendships and have daily fun with others. I know it’s the thing I missed from leaving work outside home, but with online communities it fills that hole, even better sometimes because I feel I can really connect with people having same values, the best interest of their children.

2. SHARE ADVICES AND HELP EACH OTHERS

Together we really are stronger. Those sites show online communities are powerful tools for stay-at-home moms and dads!

There are many advices and tips you find and share on them that can really help you doing better in your role, saving money, saving time and much more. I don’t know how many times a question I just began to consider was already responded in a group. It’s reassuring too when we’re alone at home to have people with whom we can chat.

For example you can share on working at home and contemplate together what would be the best part time job for you if you need it. You can also share tips for everyday situations with your kids with people that live them at about the same time as you!

Moreover, those sites are most of the time connected with other tools that you can use as well be a happy and accomplished stay-at-home mom or dad such as articles, newsletters and ezines, and information products.

Thanks to read part 2 for more information and visit our Blissful Stay-At-Home Moms and Dads site to join our community too and get a plus in your life at http://www.stay-at-home-parent.com !

Author Bio: You can use it for your site! But include this : Marie-Eve Boudreault is a sociologist and the author of the website and ebooks on how to be Blissful Stay-At-Home Moms and Dads. Improve your life by subscribing to her ezine and get 2 free ebooks as a bonus \’\’10 Tips to Be A Blissful Stay-At-Home Parent\’\’ and \’\’Activities For Bored Kids\’\’, a limited double offer! Articles, ebooks, exclusive stay-at-home parent forum, and more at http://www.stay-at-home-parent.com

Category: Parenting
Keywords: home parent, stay-at-home dad forum, child at home, work-from-home, stay-at-home mom forum,SAHM,SAHD