The abundance of online parenting advice can be both a welcoming presence and an overwhelming nightmare. The internet is chock full of guidance on every conceivable aspect of child-rearing and development. It’s fantastic to have such a wealth of information at our fingertips, and yet there is one glaring issue: the vast majority of advice is too generic, ignoring important realities about your family life.

Consider these potential factors often overlooked by online resources: your personal values, your child’s specific temperament and needs, or your family’s lifestyle. In my case, it was navigating a multigenerational home. When I searched for advice on balancing my parenting style with the influence of my in-laws, who live with us, the results were disappointing. The internet seemed obsessed with adult children living with parents, rather than the complexities of raising kids in a household with grandparents.

No matter how I tweaked my searches, I kept hitting the same irrelevant topics. This told me that either no one values information about this topic, or it’s simply not ranking on any search platform. What a strange way to find yourself in a lonely corner of the internet. I do have real life support for my family situation, so I was able to manage independently. I can’t imagine how this might pan out though for other sensitive topics that parents may need assistance with immediately.

As a therapist for children and youth, especially those with unique mental health or developmental needs like ADHD, I frequently find myself critiquing the impracticality and inapplicability of generic tips online. Whether it’s influencer click bait, blogs, or parenting sites – it’s difficult to really drill down on specifics that could be applicable to what you need for that minute, hour, or week of parenting. Not every neurodivergent child has the same coping tools. Not every working or stay at home parent has the same schedule. Even when two or three variations are provided, a careful peruse of the majority of advice often appears oversimplified.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the internet doesn’t personally know your family. It doesn’t know what makes you tick or the journey you took to become a parent. It can’t tailor advice to your specific situation. It’s designed to provide a broad overview, not situational guidance that your family life deserves. Even parenting ‘experts’ often fail to address the diverse realities of their audience. The truth is, while there’s no shortage of parenting advice online, no one admits the truth of parenting as a whole – it’s a rollercoaster, it changes constantly, it’s deeply relational, and it’s an abundantly mixed bag of experiences that never fits in a box.

What’s different about Parents Without Guilt?

We don’t claim to revolutionize the world of online parenting resources, but we do offer something distinctive: our focus is on the parent’s experience of satisfaction in parenting. This approach is a clear divergence from the norm. We’re not about drilling down on the latest “best” practices. Instead, we’re here to extend that virtual supportive hug and to affirm that “you’re not alone.” In today’s world, there’s a scarcity of genuine, empathetic support for parents that’s invested in who you are rather than what you do.

While we can’t be everything to everyone, we can be your cheerleader, your coach, your supportive presence reminding you that “you are enough for showing up as you are.” We believe most parents are doing their best, trying to harness their strengths toward good parenting. This belief is the cornerstone of our content. Welcome to our haven of encouragement in the sea of shitty parenting advice.