| Isolation | |
Feelings of isolation are very common among stay-at-home parents. Being home day-after-day with infants and children can lead to a very real need for some adult interaction. Fortunately, there are several types of support groups for parents, both online and in "real-life", that can help ease the isolation. This week I will discuss an online type of support group, mailing lists.
There are hundreds of email lists specifically for parents. These range from groups for pregnant women, single parents, and adoptive parents. There are also very specialized mailing lists, such as list for working moms who want to stay-home, or for women who are pregnant again and don't want to be pregnant. The size of the mailing lists vary from just a few people, to thousands of people.
I currently belong to three mailing lists. We discuss parenting concerns, recipes, humor, and even share websites we enjoy. The following is a list of the groups I belong to, along with their descriptions and website addresses.
Before joining a mailing list, I strongly suggest you learn more from the following sites.
Do you have comments or questions about mailing lists? Please stop by our bulletin board and leave your message.
Mailing Lists
A mailing list is basically a list of the email addresses of people who share similar interests. When anyone who belongs to this list responds to the group, the email is sent to every other person on the list automatically. These lists are managed by programs called Mailing List Managers or by Mail Servers. You subscribe to a list by emailing the "list administrator", an automated procedure, and you are then added to the list. Normally, you will receive an email confirming your subscription, details about posting to the mailing list, and how to unsubscribe if you wish to do so later. Finally, most mailing lists have websites that also give detailed instructions about subscribing, unsubscribing, as well as information about the interests of the list.
This is a support group made-up mostly of stay-at-home moms. (This is NOT a list to put-down working moms.) This group is very relaxed and friendly, and we discuss child-rearing, exchange recipes, or just discuss everyday life as stay-at-home parents.
This list is slightly more formal than SAHM. This group discusses almost anything related to parenting children, such as child development, childhood illnesses, discipline issues, and education.
This is a very active list, mostly stay-at-home moms (and dads). It is also a group to discuss parenting concerns and ideas.
Other Discussion Groups
This list is primarily for stay-at-home dads. It sounds like a fun list to discuss everything from kids to sports.
A list for parents to discuss fatherhood, family information, resources, support and education.
This is a support list for parents who have children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This is a closed, unmoderated list, unlike the other lists I have mentioned. Posting is only allowed by members of the mailing list and subscription requests must be approved by the list owner.
A list for adoptive parents, birth parents, adoptees, and others to talk about how adoption
has affected them.
I used to belong to this mailing list, but I made the mistake of joining too many mailing lists at once. It is a great group for women only. It's for moms and moms-to-be.
A comprehensive description of mailing lists; an easy-to-understand explanation of just what mailing lists are all about.
Learn the DO's and DON'Ts of mailing lists.