www.rollercoaster.ie
Founded last March, Rollercoaster, the Galway-based website for parents was already getting 8,000 visits a month by July.
One of the site's (www.rollercoaster.ie) co-founders is Anne O'Connor, who holds a BA in psychology and a master's degree in clinical psychology.
"One of my interests was a sleep clinic for little ones," she says. "I thought it would be great to get this information out to parents. The initial idea was just for a sleep website, but it expanded from there." In fact, it has expanded considerably. Since the site went online six months ago, it has doubled in size. "We aim to have a very comprehensive site covering as many topics as we can," says O'Connor.
A big draw to the site at the moment is its new education section. This offers practical, easy-to-follow advice on the Central Applications Office system, getting or not getting a college place, what to do after an offer has been made, finances and living away from home.
"Education will be one of the big sections of the site. The whole ethos is education," says O'Connor.
One of the most popular, and busiest, areas of the site is its discussion forum. Divided into four main sections - childcare, entertainment, family matters and pregnancy/new baby - and designed to allow parents to help each other, the discussion is lively, easy to use and guided by sensible rules of etiquette.
There are also sections on technology, cars, several aspects of baby care and a question of the month which so far has focused on childcare, education and parent's experience with such things as toilet training.
Feedback on the site is very important to O'Connor: "In terms of the future we will continue to build on the content. Parents tell us what they want to read and we try to source an expert in that area." Among those that have already written for the site are speech and language experts and dieticians.
Another important aspect of the site is the monthly newsletter. You can sign up for this free service by entering your email details on the site. It includes a research section, a quirky stories slot and information on what's new on the site.
Overall, Rollercoaster is a well designed, easy to use and informative site.
