If you’re reading this right now, chances are you’re part of a massive trend. In the 21st century, parents are turning to the internet to get tips and advice on parenting that our grandparents used to get over the backyard fence! 

Australians are going online in force. In the ten years to 2009, the number of Australian households with access to the internet quadrupled. There’s now a whopping 8.4 million Aussies using the internet! (ABS data).

The desire to find advice and also to share and connect with other parents, is driving the success of websites like Bub Hub. Co-founder, Brad Lauder from Bub Hub said that at any one time, over 1,200 people are on the site. 

As the national peak body, advocating for access to playgroups by all Australian families, Playgroup Australia was keen to find out about this trend and to understand the internet needs of today’s generation of new parents.

“After doing some research with Fresh Advertising Communications surrounding this trend, Playgroup Australia found out that parents aged 18-24 were using the internet as their number one preferred method of getting advice and information, before seeking word of mouth advice from family and friends.

“With parents aged 25-30 the internet was the second most-used method of getting parenting advice, just slightly less important than word of mouth from family and friends,” Karen Merange, CEO of Playgroup Australia explained.

“Overall, the research demonstrated that the internet is extremely important for the new generation of parents.”

In addition to using the internet as a handy source of parenting information, parents are also logging on to simply connect.

Online forums, such as Bub Hub’s, with its more than 60,000 registered users, are the new places to share, swap stories, have a laugh, and get a sense of community, of not being alone.

“Our research revealed that many parents with young children use the internet to form social connections - they are hungry for contact with other parents at home with little ones,” Karen Merange from Playgroup Australia said. “Typical comments we heard in the research focus groups were that socialising online can be easier at times than going out, and many mums in particular value the friendships they form with other mums online.”

Karen has seen how the internet wave has changed playgroups in the last decade.

“Go to any online parenting forum and chatroom and search for ‘playgroups’. Hundreds of conversation threads come up, involving thousands of parents who want to connect with others like them. We realise that more and more parents are starting up playgroups that way, through the online connections they make.”

Because today’s generation of parents are so reliant on the internet for playgroup information, Playgroup Australia has launched a brand new, simple, fun and helpful website, www.joinaplaygroup.com.au

The site aims to explain what a playgroup is and to dispel any confusion between playgroups and child care. You can watch videos about playgroup, read and comment on the blogs, link to playgroup on Facebook and Twitter, and find great play ideas that will help keep children aged 0-5 happily playing!

“If you’ve ever wondered what playgroup is all about and how to go about becoming a member of playgroup or starting one up with some friends, this new site is for you!” Karen said.

The families involved in the research project also helped shape the new website, and the site contains many testimonials from parents about playgroup, and how it has benefited them and their children.

This article was kindly supplied by Playgroup Australia. 

Don't miss out on the family fun and make sure you find out what's planned for National Playgroup Week, or about joining a playgroup, at www.joinaplaygroup.com.au or call 1800 171 882 (toll free) to speak with your State or Territory Playgroup Association.