9. Lisa Belkin
Photo: Andrew Schwartz
Once moms turned to each other for advice over the backyard fence. Today, they turn on a computer. Lisa Belkin, family life columnist for The Huffington Post, represents the explosion of online community voices who are redefining the way mothers (fathers, too!) find and share advice on raising their children.
Exact figures are difficult to nail down, but the sheer number of websites and blogs devoted to or written by moms is staggering. From popular advice sites like Babble.com, which boasts 5 million unique viewers a month, to individual star bloggers like The Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond), there are thousands of online spots where moms connect virtually.
Belkin doesn’t speak for every mom, but she understands the impact of the movement. “It’s changing family life,” says the mother of two sons. “Our moms didn’t have places like this to go for advice. Now you can go online and find an entire world that is dealing with the same thing. That is where the Internet and parenting meet in its sweet spot. And that’s what I have great respect for.”
