These sites have everything you need to know about parenting in the Bayou City.
They say it takes a village, but when you live in the fourth largest city in the country, that “village” can be hard to find. For new parents, babysitters, and nannies in Houston — where the metro area is roughly the size of New Jersey — finding out where to go and what to do with kids can be a bit daunting. Thankfully, some Bayou City moms are happy to share their wisdom. Here are five mommy blog sites every Houston parent should bookmark.
Houston Moms Blog
The Houston Moms Blog has dozens of contributors from all walks of life: suburban moms and Inner Loopers, stay-at-home and working parents, traditional and non-traditional families — you name it. The site offers humorous and sometimes serious personal essays about parenting struggles or superpowers, product reviews, and local activity guides.
One of the greatest resources available on the site is the Family Directory. The online guide lists info on local child-care facilities, photographers, birthday party venues, and more.
The Simple Parent
Whether it’s toy storage tips, apps to help parents juggle it all, or craft ideas to survive summer vacation, The Simple Parent gives suggestions on how to make life with active kids just a little bit simpler.
After becoming a parent herself, Mariah Moon first launched the blog as a means to share her own experiences with trial and error as she navigated the crazy whirlwind of parenthood. The blog has since evolved to offer a wide range of tips, including recipes, crafts, and parenting strategies.
Houston the Cheap
Get ready for #July4th fun with my BIG list of 30+ Houston-area parades, fireworks, & events! https://t.co/zuX4BpQjDT #houston pic.twitter.com/viEbCWyPxe
— Houston on the Cheap (@HOUcheap) June 29, 2017
Launched by local journalist Vicki Powers, Houston on the Cheap has everything you need to know about raising a family in Houston on a budget. The site has a calendar with links to free and cheap events throughout the metro area, information on where and when kids can eat free at Houston restaurants, and roundups of all the best low- or no-cost activities happening each week.
Big Kid Small City
Big Kid Small City is all about making the fourth largest city in the country feel just a little bit more manageable for parents of young children. Follow along as founder Jill Jarvis shares her first-hand experiences, advice, and warnings as she explores Houston with her kids. The photos on the site are taken by her and her family, and all recommendations are her honest reviews based on first-hand experience. Or as she puts it on her site, she’s “pushed a stroller through the giant crowds, found restrooms in the worst of locations, and pleaded with three tired kids to get from the very back of the zoo to the parking lot” — all so you don’t have to.
Houston New Moms
When Katerina Manoff moved to Houston in 2014 and had her first child, she discovered a lot of great websites for Houston families — but not many specifically geared toward those with very small children. As parenthood is the mother of invention, she decided to launch one.
Houston New Moms is a bonafide repository of helpful information and resources for parents of infants and toddlers. Each week the site features a “Park of the Week,” offering insight into the best baby-friendly play spaces around the city, and the site’s interactive map makes it easy to find things like toddler dance classes or where to donate your old infant gear. For new and often frazzled parents, this one-stop-shop for all things baby can be a huge time — and sanity — saver.
