The Power of Facebook Parenting Groups

January 12, 2018

Hi guys! Happy New Year! Hope you’re kicking off 2018 with a bang.

I had a wonderful suggestion for a blog post from a fellow hugabugger, who is going to be a new parent! He mentioned that his wife had recently joined several Facebook parent groups and was really enjoying them for all the information they provided.

He’s right - what a great idea for a blog post topic! I’m a member myself on about 8-10 Facebook groups online, and I read through posts from these groups daily.

So. Let’s dive in. Why are these “Facebook groups” so awesome for parents?

The biggest power of these groups is the ability to post a question and gain immediate feedback from a shared (and usually similar) group of people. The idea is that there is always someone out there who has probably had the same experience, and can provide help or feedback.

For instance, if you were unsure of the type of skin rash on your son’s back, you could post a photo and ask the group. Or if you were searching for a baby stroller, and wanted to know about a particular model, you could ask the group’s thoughts. If your FB group is local, many folks use them for recommendations on the best doctors, vets, dentists, and other services.

One of my particular favorite groups that I belong to is the Triad SAHM (Triad Stay-At-Home-Moms). I can talk to over 4,000 of my fellow moms in the Winston-Salem/Greensboro NC area at any point, which is super helpful when it comes to checking in on schools, local sales, weather, conditions of roads, crime, or even local scam artists.

And as a new parent of a toddler or infant, these groups can be invaluable, especially when they are experiencing something for the first time, like introducing solid foods or a treating an ear infection. After all, we all remember how anxious we were when we were responsible for a human being’s life for the first time!

If you end up joining a couple of Facebook groups, here are a couple of tips:

All groups have a “search” button where you can search previous posts and conversation threads. For instance, “best tips for going to Disney World with young children” gets asked all the time, so there’s a wealth of information already out there on it. Many admins of these groups recommend using this feature before posting a question to avoid duplicate posts.
If you’re worried about being spammed with too many posts from your groups, you can always click on the upper right-hand corner of a post from a group in your feed and select “see fewer posts like this” or leave the group whenever you want.

Ultimately, there are a zillion FB groups out there and in other social media, and the opportunity for knowledge is endless. To get you started, I’ve pulled five of my favorites. However, be sure to search for groups local to your area, as I’ve found these provide the most value for your time.

Hope that helps! Email me at Crystal@hugabugg.com with any questions!

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Social Media