NE Pdx Parents Listserv: Join Up!

Heidi, new to Portland from Boston, started up a listserv for NE parents to get more connected and hopes all you NE parents will join. She writes:

When I moved here from Boston, one of the things I missed was my neighborhood parents email list. It was a great forum to talk about parenting issues, local parenting news and events, and find free (or nearly free) kid gear. But more than that, it really made my community, and especially the parenting community, feel closer-- something that is very important to me. I decided that rather than simply miss my old list, it was time to start one here! By creating a list for Northeast Portland, I hope to bring a new circle of parents closer-- connecting my friends, my neighbors, and their friends.

Subscription to the list is free and, for now, this parents list is for those of us in the Northeast (generally speaking)-- the reason being that Portland is large and if we start including folks further away some of the value of making it a truly local list is lost (like being able to find an event you'd really go to before nap time arrives).

One of the great things about the list is that it's not just for one kind of parent-- it really works best when you have parents of all types (and ages!). It is great to get advice both from parents who have been doing this for a longer time and those who are experiencing the terrible twos (or thirteens) in the moment with you. So spread the word and feel free to forward this information to those parents you know and meet in Northeast Portland.

You can subscribe at www.pdxneighbors.org, just select the NE Parents List. All you need to provide is your email address (and your name if you wish).

I hope that you all enjoy this list as much as I do! I included a bit more information below about how the list works, but feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Best,
Heidi (and Gus)
heidi@tejasa.com

P.S. Those of you living in Hollywood might also be interested in subscribing to the Hollywood list-- it's not just for parents, but for general neighborhood/community stuff.

MORE ABOUT THE LIST:

How does it work?
Once subscribed, you can send an email message to the list's main email address and it is sent out to all subscribers. Subscribers can then reply to the message to have their responses sent to all subscribers. If you send a message that doesn't need the replies to be shared with everyone (like if you're looking for a used kid's bike), you can include your email address in the message and ask people to contact you directly off the list.

What would I post about, can you give me examples?
- ISO ("In Search Of") anything- bikes, car seats, strollers, diaper covers, ANYTHING parenting related. It's useful to title the message "ISO scooter" so that we can see immediately if it's something we want to read.
- Free items - Free Umbrella Stroller, tickets to play, etc.
- For Sale - This isn't Craigslist, so if you want to sell something for the most you could get for it, I'd recommend posting there. If you want to get rid of it fast to a friend or neighbor on the list at a low price or free, this is a great place to post your item.
- Parenting Advice - How do you manage to get your toddler dressed in the morning, because mine won't let me, can't do it himself, and we have a meltdown every morning. Any tips?
- Local Services in the Northeast- Looking for a piano teacher, a green house cleaner, a teen babysitter?
- Local Events in the Northeast- book groups, play groups, spanish classes for parents and their kids, music, etc.
- All Topics Parenting Related!!

Is it a lot of email?
You can set it up your preferences to receive one daily digest of the messages or just receive all messages individually as they come in. There are only messages when subscribers have something to say-- and yes, some days that might mean more email than other days.

Can I subscribe/unsubscribe on my own?
Of course! The members list is private and won't be shared with anyone. Your email address appears in the "from" line when you post to the list so members can reply.

Comments

[Molomatic]

Thanks for putting this together, Heidi! It sounds great! I'm signing up right now. :-)

[pdx mom]

not sure if this is a great idea...
portland's neighborhoods N/NE/SE/SW are all pretty inclusive. Although we live in NE we constantly seek out family friendly events throughout our fair city.

If looking for baby gear or baby sitters - craigslist is the main destination & it's easy to search via area.

I just signed up for the site & it is pending approval - not sure if this will really be a useful tool - I also think heidi is not giving credit where credit is due to URBANMAMAS.com!!!

What a great site from the updated calendar, to sections on childcare, to the activistas - why would we urge others to start posting else where - sure _ i gues in addition to urbanmamas...
eh?

Thanks.

[Melinda]

I have to disagree with pdx mom somewhat. I think what Heidi is starting is a great idea. I don't think there's anything wrong with promoting neighborhood bonding. And, it sounds like one thing that this listserv will bring is the ability to post something yourself (or send out your own messages) and get immediate responses. I moved here from DC a couple of years ago and STILL visit my old parenting site (DC Urban Moms) almost daily because of the difference in format. In addition to offering a listserv, it also has a message board where anyone and everyone can submit their own posts and get instantaneous feedback when they need/want it w/o having to go through a moderator first. I find that type of format really helpful when I just have a quick question about something parenting-related, which is often. I've only submitted posts to urbanMamas twice (I think) and both times it took a couple of days to get posted which kind of rules out this site as an option when I'm looking for timely feedback. (For example: Ah! My son woke up this morning with red dots all over his face. Has this happened to anyone else before? Should I call the doctor?)
That all said, unfortunately I don't live in NE or I'd sign up in a heartbeat, so I do wish there was something like this in my area (SW) or throughout Portland. Actually, my first thought was how do I start something like this myself for my neighborhood? Or, as pdx mom points out, in order to be more inclusionary of the whole area, perhaps something like what Heidi is doing could be an extension of urbanMamas current format at some point? Just my two cents.

[Lisa]

It's true PDX mom... urban mama's are great. But Heidi has a great idea as well. I'm glad she's doing it!

Thanks Heidi

[catmom]

Does anyone know if Seattle or Vancouver BC have websites that are anything like urban mamas? It would be a nice travel resource, for sure. Also San Francisco...

[Sarah C]

For Seattle I have read this one for ideas - http://blog.parentmap.com/. This one looks good for a number of cities - http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/choose-a-city/. If nothing else I love the tag line - We are not perfect. We are parents.

I also really like yelp.com for restaurant suggestions. It allows you to do many filters including kid friendly. I know it has activities and other things also.

[LTF]

Urban Mamas does have the Exchange, where you can post directly. There are times when it takes a few days for it to go up, true, due to busy mamas doing other things.

[Baby Portland]

A new place with a message board is Simple Life. You can post yourself. We give tons of credit to Urban Mama's. Credit is certainly due to them.

Simple Life. It's just an additional resource for Portland parents to take advantage of.

http://babyportland.yuku.com/