One of the best things about the Internet is that it’s free, at least for the user. Yet so many of the sites directed towards parents–not to mention kids– are little more than virtual shopping malls. Especially when my daughter was an infant, I spent an ungodly amount of time searching the Internet for useful information. Here are the fruits of my insomniac’s search: five sites whose content will enrich your mind without depleting your wallet.

1) Mombian: There are lots of parenting websites, and even a sprinkling of lgbtq ones, but Dana Rudolph’s Mombian is consistently the most informative, best organized, and most frequently updated. Her weekly news roundup will keep you informed about issues pertinent to LGBTQ parents, and her commentary on a range of issues is always well-researched and thought-provoking. Though Rudolph identifies as a lesbian, she is pro-active about including news and information relevant to all queer parents. And while most of the cite has meaty, substantive content, she’s not above a little queer celebrity parenting gossip!

2) Babble: Babble might seem like an odd choice for my list; it often gets knocked as the avatar of yuppie, over-indulgent, consumeristic parenting. Though it does seem geared to wealthy, youngish, style-obsessed parents, it also features diverse, thoughtful blogs. Meet the Fosters, which is written by two gay foster parents of color, is my favorite; check out Jane Roper’s blog if you’re parenting twins. And avoid all those pop-up ads for $40 onesies!

3) Lookybook: I confess: I have a Lookybook addiction. This ingenious site places the entire text and images of new children’s books online. That’s right: the entire book is clickable! So you and your kids can read the book and decide if you like it before you buy it. This eliminates many a gas-guzzling trip to the bookstore, and also prevents read-and-throws—books that you purchase for your kid because he or she seemed interested in the bookstore, but when you get home, he or she reads it once and then tosses it on floor, never to be read again.

4) Askdrsears.com: As any worried parent with a sick child who’s cruised the Internet at 3 a.m. for medical advice knows, there are a million sites out there proferring pediatric advice.

None of them are a substitute for a doctor or emergency room. But if you want sensible yet progressive advice about general children’s health issues, I think Ask Drsears is a good one. Dr. Sears is famous for his “attached parenting” approach; love it or hate it, it will provide a different viewpoint than that of the hyper-interventionist, lawsuit-conscious ones of most other mainstream medical practitioners. I don’t agree with every aspect of this approach, but his perspective has been helpful at times in sorting out developmental and health issues that don’t have black-and-white answers. But let me say it again: if it’s an emergency, get off the computer and get to the ER. And if it’s not, you still need to consult with a living, breathing doctor.

5) COLAGE: This is a great organization designed to serve the needs of ‘œchildren, youth, and adults with one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer (LGBTQ) parents.’

They have terrific links to resources, as well as a description of their own programs and chapters. Even if your kids are babies or toddlers and seem too young to make use of all this yet, you should peruse the site; it will give you a sense of what resources are out there, and also provide insight into the real-life experiences and perspectives of the kids of lgbtq kids.

Do you know of other great parent-oriented (lgbtq or otherwise) non-commercial sites? List them in the comments. Happy clicking!

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