I haven’t really voiced my opinion on the topic of Chicago’s online parenting resources (shocker), but since I started blogging a mere 6 months ago, I’ve noticed that Chicago lags behind some other cities in online parent communities. Ok, it really just lags behind the state of California, which is a mommy (and daddy) blogging mecca. I’ll cut us a little slack because we have way less people and we pretty much don’t go out between the months of November and February (which would intuitively suggest that we have more time to blog, but since we don’t get out as much, we don’t see as much, and thus, less things to blog about. Anyway, I digress.)
This week, however, it seems that Chicago is getting on the interactive parenting bandwagon with the launch of two new websites.
I got wind of one of the sites, the lila guide, while on a walk today with my son. The flyer for the site was tacked to a kiosk in my neighborhood. I thought it was a one-woman shop (good marketing schtick!) but when I logged on tonight, I found out that the lila guide is a veritable Citysearch for moms (and dads, I suppose, if they can get over the effeminate name of the site.)Â
The lila guide provides reviews and opinions on city-specific products and services ranging from Baby Furniture Stores to Diaper Delivery (not sure they need this category because there is only one option listed and it’s in the suburbs.) Restaurants deemed “kid-friendly” ranged from Corner Bakery Cafe (it’s a local chain and I think like 10 of its outlets were listed, uhm, conspiracy?) to Indian Garden (this sounds like a bad diaper change waiting to happen.)
Unfortunately, when I tried to talk to someone online about their recommendations, that option didn’t seem to exist. All you can really do on lila guide is read and write reviews. Well, the site is owned by the knot, so what did I really expect from an offshoot of a wedding planning site? But I may go back soon anyway, if only to improve the recommendations for maternity shopping in this city. Preggos of Chicago, there are other options for maternity clothes outside of Target and Old Navy. I promise.
The second online parenting community that launched this week is ChicagoParent.com. I get the free monthly on the way to and from work, and I have checked out the website a couple of times (always wondering why it looked circa 1991.) But don’t fret, I have to say the new ChicagoParent.com is much improved! You can search for events via a calendar feature, find good parenting information you need via much easier-to-read categories (thank you, site taxonomist). And of course, you can talk away to your mommies-in-crime via discussion boards or blogs.
The discussion boards look similar to others I’ve seen, but a little better organized. Of course I checked out the “Working Moms” discussion thread only to see another post of a working mom feeling guilty. Can we get past the guilt thing? At least some of us are trying.  Next, because I’m feeling quite loopy and exhausted this evening, I went to the Gifted AND Proud discussion thread. I could not go further than the landing page. I definitely don’t have the energy tonight to engage in a discussion of parents boasting about their kids. Yet. (Remember my son is only 11 months, and he’s already fluent in Spanish, French and can recite the alphabet backwards.)
Anyway, I wouldn’t have felt right if I also didn’t check out the site’s blogs. There’s a “Crafty Mom” blog, Working Mom blog, and Field trips in Chicago blog. Shocker again, I decided I only had time to check out the Working Mom blog, called, “mommy guilt: whinings & joys of a working mom.” (Overplayed title, yawn.) I read through the posts, and while I’m happy there is a dialogue going between moms in the area, I’m still waiting for a little more of the “what it’s like to be a working mom in Chicago” thing. Overall, I’ll definitely go back to the site and check the updates. But I just might stick to the feature stories.
*[Added on 3/15]* Thanks to Devra for reminding me that we are also getting the annual BlogHer conference this year as well. We are so cool. Another addition- check this out on the Chicagoist blog - kid friendly restaurant reviews (a friend just sent me this today). Maybe I’m the one out of the loop, here.
Tags: Chicago blogs, chicago mommy bloggers, Chicagoparent.com, lilaguide
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
ChiTown is also the location for BlogHer ’07, so your town is catchin up! Slow and steady wins the race right?
You are so right- I forgot to add that! Thanks.
Alot of new parent-owned sites are popping up all over, like ParentClick.com. What amazing about these sites is that they are all mom-owned and community focused, which I find MUCH more interesting that sites for moms that are corporate owned. I’m one of the mom-owners of a site on Long Island (NY) and think it’s a great way to get involved with your communities and the parents that live there. No better advice on parenting than that coming from a parent!
Thanks for the linky love sweety! Aviva and I will be at BlogHer in ChiTown!