Raising children can be an overwhelming experience, especially for first-time parents. You might feel totally lost on what to do in certain situations, experience loneliness if you aren't able to socialize as much, or just be seeking advice from people who have gone through this before.
As it turns out, YouTube can be a great resource for parents. You'll find plenty of channels with fun ideas for entertaining your kids and tackling the everyday challenges of parenthood. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the best YouTube channels for parents...
1. WhatsUpMoms
We start with the most popular parenting YouTube channel, which has racked up over 1 billion video views. It releases new videos weekly in several different shows. These include Play for kids' activities, Mom Hacks that offers tricks, and Eat for great family recipes. You'll find vlogs and similar content as well.
The above video is from the Eat series. It covers easy snacks for a movie night at home if you're tired of boring microwave popcorn. The recipes are simple, so you don't have to be a master cook to whip them up.
In this Play series video, you'll see a few fun games one of the moms came up with; all of which revolve around numbered stickers. It's a great way for toddlers to practice fine motor skills and some basic numbers/letters.
As you'll notice, the videos on WhatsUpMoms are quick, varied, and informative. Every mom should give them a look for some simple ways to make every day a little more fun.
2. St. Louis Children's Hospital
Recommending that you subscribe to a hospital's YouTube channel might sound a bit weird, but there's a surprising amount of content for parents here. You'll find videos on various parenting topics from toddlers to teenagers, with advice from medical professionals.
The above short clip discusses the differences between the types of ear infections your child could suffer from. Knowing this can help you determine whether it's a routine infection or has a different cause, and take the appropriate action.
Another video takes a similar quick-fire look briefly at the evolution of the car seats you can expect to use as your child grows up.
Not all of the videos are of professional quality, and most are short. But there's some good advice here for the puzzling situations you might find yourself in during parenthood. And it's better to get advice on these topics from qualified professionals rather than random people online.
3. Nick Jr.
YouTube has endless entertainment for kids, but it's vital for parents to know what their children are watching. If you're not familiar, YouTube has had issues with creepy videos masquerading as children's entertainment showing up thanks to the autoplay feature.
Because of this, it's important to stick to trusted channels for the best kids shows to watch on YouTube.
Take a look around and you'll find full episodes of popular Nick Jr. shows. This one is a full 11-minute episode of Top Wing, a show where young bird cadets at Top Wing Academy help their community.
If you don't have time for a full episode, this channel also hosts quick clips from various shows. In the one above, Thomas the Train talks about his trip to China.
Some of Nick Jr.'s channel content is in other languages, so you may have to skip a few videos. But you can rest assured that everything here is appropriate for all ages.
4. The Parenting Junkie
This channel revolves around the "peaceful parenting" method. Avital, the channel host, looks at various aspects of this style of parenting and life and provides advice around it in weekly videos.
One of the best ways to keep a positive attitude in your home is staying thankful. The above video looks at practical ways to raise grateful children and hopefully make that a pattern in their lives.
Busy parents will appreciate this look at how Avital stays so productive. She gives practical ways to get more done every day. Give it a look if you feel like you've been stuck in a rut lately.
Of course, this parenting style isn't for everyone, so you might find it's not a fit for your family. But there are still some solid suggestions and thinking patterns to consider from this perspective.
5. The Mom's View
This channel is run by a community of moms who discuss all sorts of aspects of the parenting journey. Some of them are tips videos, others are podcast-style talks, and others still are features on specific topics.
The above video is the hosts' 2019 kickoff, which makes it a great place to start if you're new to the channel. It details their plans for The Mom's View for the coming year, so you'll know what to expect.
TMV features guests from other channels sometimes, too. This featured clip shows Piper Backholm, another parenting YouTuber, talking about vulnerability. It's an open and honest look you'll appreciate if you're sick of the filtered content you usually see on social media.
Even Parents Can Learn Something From YouTube
If you're feeling a little lost in your parenting and could use some tips, take a trip to YouTube. Of course, how you parent your children is up to you, so you shouldn't make any major decisions based on these YouTube channels for parents. However, we're sure you'll still find something to enjoy.
As a bonus, the Millennial Moms channel has lots of quality content. However, it hasn't posted a new video in almost a year, so we didn't include it above.
For more on this topic, check out the best sites for parenting tips and advice.
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