Website of the Week: 4/6/2009

Daughters.com ...

New Moon Girls is a far cry from CosmoGirl and ElleGirl. And that’s a good thing. The magazine—made for girls, by girls—prides itself on being an educational and advertising-free resource for “self-discovery, creativity, and community.” Instead of diet tricks and beauty tips, New Moon Girls provides readers aged 8 to 12 with articles and ideas meant to promote self-esteem and positive body image. Essentially, it’s girl power in print.

Now, New Moon Girls is bringing the girl power to parents. The magazine’s creators recently launched Daughters.com, an online resource for parents centered on raising girls ages 8 to 15. New Moon Girls has worked for over 17 years to build a community for its young female readers; the creators of the site felt it was time for parents to have a similar resource. Instead of asking a friend or relative, or spending endless hours on Google, parents now have a place to turn to get answers, share thoughts, and seek advice on how to raise healthy, empowered girls, in our “media-saturated culture.”

The site is full of helpful resources, including over 250 articles written by experts on raising girls. The articles cover topics like health, communication, education, family life, and friends. Parents with specific questions can submit a query through the Ask an Expert feature, or talk to other parents facing similar challenges on the parent-to-parent discussion board. There are also blogs from New Moon’s founder, Nancy Gruver, and Joe Kelly, author of Dads and Daughters and a blog by the same name.

So whether you’re wondering what to do about your 9-year-old Britney Spears imitator, or how to convince her to practice the violin without starting a fight, or how to support your 15-year-old cheerleader when you disapprove of the sport, check out Daughters.com for helpful hints, tips, and answers to all sorts of questions about your girls.