Children Mercy’s Parent-ish
KC Parents are Getting More Connected!
Parents have always sought out advice from others for guidance in solving parenting dilemmas. Some generations looked to their parents and grandparents. Others relied on books from trusted parent experts. A recent study from Pew Research discovered that today, 71% of millennials value the advice and insights they receive from parenting blogs, parenting websites, forums, and social networks.
And we aren’t talking about posting pictures on Facebook. Over one-third of the moms and half the dads surveyed state that they use social media and online resources daily for help in parenting. More than 90% found online sources to be very helpful. However, while many go online for parenting information, few say they come across specifically useful information. Around 59% of parents state they have come across information specifically about parenting in the last 30 days.
Now, thanks to Children’s Mercy Kansas City and its new online resource Parent-ish, with a few clicks, parents today can access advice from peers, or experts, or experts who happen to be peers.
“Parent-ish is an online resource for parents developed by Children’s Mercy. With more than 8,000 employees, most of whom are parents, we have access to a lot of “experts” on a wide variety of parenting topics. We understand that sometimes parents just need someone to get it, to be encouraging and to help celebrate all of the craziness and challenges that come with parenthood. We publish weekly blogs on everything from tooth fairy fails to the flu and everything in between,” shared Rachel Rahe, Director of Marketing & Communications with Children’s Mercy.
Stepping Up
Parent-ish fills the online resource gap of parent-specific information and covers everything from common problems such as developing routines to complex issues such as talking to your kids about tragedies. The articles are written in a highly scannable and digestible form by experts in the field. Accessing the information feels much like calling up your best friend who is a pediatrician for some in-the-moment “what do I do” advice when your 2-year-old is having a major meltdown at the grocery store. It’s where to go for solid advice on potty training, and a quiet respite from parenting challenges.
The Parent-ish resource was developed when Children’s Mercy identified the information gap and wanted to fill it with truly valuable information.
“We know that health care, in general, is an avoidance topic. No one wants to think about a loved one being sick, but especially not their child. We know that when parents think of Children’s Mercy, they think of a place for very sick kids. And while we are proud of the work we do to help provide outstanding care to sick children in our community, we also want to use our expertise to be a trusted resource for families that thankfully will never need our services. We wanted to create a way to connect and become a partner for parents as we all work to raise healthy, happy kids,” continued Rahe.
Making Information Accessible
The online blog-style parenting magazine publishes weekly, and not only features experts from Children’s Mercy, but also real-life Kansas City parents. This combination of expertise also gives the resource its accessible, real, “in-the-trenches” life hack feel.
Today, online resources such a Parent-ish are critical for parents suffering from issues that make gaining information in person more difficult, such as language barriers, geographic isolation, disabilities, or poverty when doctor visits are fewer and farther between.
Parent-ish, though new, has already become a valuable resource for area parents, aiding in support, enhancing the parent-child and parent-teen relationship, and highlighting the joys of parenthood. We invite you to visit this tremendously valuable resource and enjoy the expanding content library.
