just announced the winner here

Bummer I was away for the weekend..  And what a great weekend it was.. xxx

Thanks everyone - they were all great.

We have narrowed it to two entries and will have the decision to you within 24 hrs.

Well,

It seems that I am way to busy myself to sit down and do this BUT I'd like to wish everyone who has a go GOOD LUCK . .

Cheers Kellz

So, I see there are several other people who have posted something for this, and I have no confidence that mine is what you're looking for, but I thought a sentence or two might appeal to you, anyway. Here ya go...

In a world where people are rapidly turning more and more to the Internet for information, it would be expected that parenting advice and a place to connect with fellow parents dealing with similar issues would be an easy find. In 2008, it is. Now, there's a site known simply as Minti. Three years ago though, when co-founder of Minti, Rachel Cook, had recently become a new parent and was looking for just such a social networking site for parents, she came up with nothing. This is what inspired her and her husband, Clay, to create Minti.

In that short time, Minti has grown to be a site of over 23,000 members, parents who share experiences, offer advice, and even get involved in different interest groups–all online. The only experts on Minti are real-life parents who are dealing with the rigors of raising their children in a manner that works best for them. Whether a parent is in need of advice, is just looking for other parents to share interests and frustrations with, or is wanting to offer advice on a breakthrough moment they had with their own child, Minti is the place to do it.

Advice is written by parents themselves, and then other parents on the site rank the advice as to how useful it is. This makes it easier to sift through articles and find the one that is most pertinent for the parent doing the search. In addition, if a parent doesn't want to look through the advice and just wants to ask a question, this can be done on the Q&A section of the site. Once again, those answering the question will be other parents who have had experience with a similar issue or problem.

Also, by far one of the best ways to share interests is by joining one of the numerous groups that have formed on Minti. In this way, parents can also connect with other parents who share an interest in anything from cooking to remembering odd things from the past. There are also several groups for Christians to connect and support each other, as well as a recently formed group that offers prayer for those who wish it and wish to offer it to fellow members in need. If the group a person is looking for doesn't exist, starting a new group is always an option too.

The fact that it is an international site means that no matter what time of day or night a user logs on to Minti, there is likely to be someone else on at the same time and with a comforting thought or a useful bit of advice to offer. For moms who don't seem to be able to find someone to connect with locally, or who are maybe looking for someone more to connect with, Minti is a great place to turn.

Minti is very user-friendly and it is easy to immediately become involved in all the benefits of the site. Unlike some parenting websites, users are not overwhelmed with ads and so many forums they don't know what to do with them. The members are all friendly, helpful, compassionate and ready to be there when a fellow member is in trouble. New members are always welcomed and made to feel like part of the community. If someone new has questions, administrators are always only an email away and ready to offer help in a timely manner. It is very easy to make friends on Minti, as, in addition to the more "technical" aspect of advice, Q&A, and groups, many members also regularly update personal blogs.

Joining Minti is a great way to get to know parents the world over and be exposed to parenting outlooks that may not be conventional where a new member lives. The opportunities to broaden one's parenting view and make friends while they're doing it is nowhere more accessible than on Minti.

 

Hi Clay, Here's Mine :)

For every mother or father, parenting is very much a learning curve. Amidst all that trial and error is distress, frustration and isolation from the world. Yet, to know that there are others out there, to not only numb that pain, but experience it too, is music to each parent’s ears.

Here’s my story.

Late one night, when my daughter was teething and my husband and I didn’t know what to do; we jumped onto the internet to see what we could find. Through our search, I came across a website named Minti, that not only helped me then, but is continuing to help me everyday of my life.

The most enlightening part of Minti, I found, was the support each parent had for one another. It was all about encouragement, filling each other in on their daily events, and the mischief that their children got up to. They was normal parents, just like us, sharing what they had tried with and on their own children.

Before Minti came into existence, Rachel Cook, the Co-Founder, once stated that parenting was a “trial and error” job. However, as a first-time mother, she wanted to discover methods that had already been used by parents, and were tried and tested, in bringing up their children. What she needed was “first hand” experience from parents themselves, and so, she went searching for a site that might guide her to that. However, she couldn’t find a site that solved the problem without excessive advertising, where parents rather than “experts” were giving advice, as well as a simple way to search for information.

Therefore, in 2005, with those thoughts in mind, Cook considered the benefits of the open content encyclopaedia, ‘Wikipedia’. She felt there was a need for a "parent to parent advice-opedia", where mothers and fathers could submit their own experiences, through articles that would be tagged, rated, and commented on. Hence, Cook began her first business plan for this idea and Minti was created.

Through its use of reaching like-minded mothers and fathers, Minti congregates parents just as MySpace congregates friends on the Web. The website, being a virtual place, helps each parent to successfully raise their children. As Cook is now at home with her two lovely children, the website is now managed by Clay Cook (CEO and Co-Founder) and Matthew MacFarlane (CFO and Co-Founder). It is the only English speaking global parenting reference site and social network that allows parents to publish and rank parenting advice.

Minti’s mission is to provide a platform for parents to voice their own experiences, warnings, pass on advice, and provide the support that only a peer going through the same issues can provide. By tagging, rating and commenting on articles written by the community, this encourages integrity and relevancy of the information created. Topics can range from pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, babies, early childhood, schooling, tweens, teenage years and beyond.

On Minti, it is about sharing advice with others around the world, regardless of each person’s sex, age, race, or even religion. People of all walks of life are welcome, whether they be: Christian parents, parents with special needs children, home schoolers, working parents, stay at home parents, single parents or even divorced parents.

In this virtual space, we are all one, with one simple goal: to be the best parents we can be. And on a website like this, it is easy, as we have loyal friends to help us achieve our goal, and experiences that will change our life forever.

Each member contributes by offering their own piece of advice, from breastfeeding to caring for their special needs’ children. Yet sometimes it’s just nice to know you’re not alone, and that someone else knows what you are going through.

Subsequently, the effect of Minti is also very evident. It is a means of support for 23 000 parents all over the world. These parents have put together a large amount of information and advice, consisting of over 6 000 articles, as well as questions and answers. There are also over 800 groups of parents seeking support and advice for specific needs and situations. 

However, these statistics do not even give credit to the happiness that members feel when logging onto Minti. Every parent I have come across, has had a story, experience or piece of advice to share, that has had a positive influence on the lives of other parents. That is why I know that everyone can and will make a difference, as a future member of Minti.

I am sure that your church group could benefit from Minti, as its warmth has done nothing but brighten up my life. When I felt reduced to my home as a means of looking after my daughter, I wanted to feel less isolated from the world. And in Minti, I have found that and so much more. I have found friends that I will cherish for life, as they have been many of the greatest I’ve ever had. This is because we not only offer each other relevant, tested advice, but also non-judgmental, emotional support. 

And for me, no other website is like ours. On Minti, I have learnt new parenting methods, adapted to what I already previously knew, and become friends with the greatest people possible. This, I have never found anywhere else but here.

It is a great feeling to know that my own parenting methods are supported by many others around the world, and that even my jokes can be shared by all. As parents, we always strive to do the best for our child, and Minti helps us to achieve that goal, whilst also making friends along the way.

For me, Minti saved my life. It reaffirmed the notion that I am not alone, and if ever I need a parenting question answered, that somebody will be there for me. And even at times where I do not need help, but just want someone to share a laugh with, Minti is the answer, and will remain the answer for many years to come.

Hey Clay, I stewed about how to approach this and then a real-life situation today gave it to me in an instant. I've taken a personal approach to it, writing it as a story of what happened today, from a minti member to the person reading it. it might not be quite what you're looking for, but I thought maybe a personal story perspective from a member might be a bit of a different twist to the usual sort of official promotion. Everyone loves a personal story after all, and this one is real. LOL

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Is there an ideal length on this? How many words, roughly?

Just want to point out a few things

1. You haven't said when entries close.  Not everyone is on the same time so some members may miss out
2. I would like to be able to have a copy of the finished email to print off and take around my local community like the maternity hospital, schools, youth services (for young parents) playgroups etc etc.  Will permission be given for this?

Once again, I'm going to sit this one out, though my partner might already have something amongst his own sites that he can change and submit.  Best send him the link to here then.

couple more days until entries close ;)

In a world where the traditional family support unit is fragmented due to a variety of reasons Minti offers a guarenteed real time support network 24hrs a day seven days a week. A support network that works on the same principle as extended family, where one can seek understanding, fellowship, and advice from a global community that all have one thing in common, to love and care for children.

Who you ask would turn to a virtual community for advice on raising a child. The answer is Parents just like you, 23,000 Mums, Dads, GrandParents and Child Carers have worked to build a community who will lend a shoulder at 3am in the morning when a Mum is feeling a bit overwhelmed with night time feeding, when Dad is in need of practicle advice on how to help Mum cope with PND. These very same Parents have written over 6500 advice articles from their own experiences giving help and tips on Teething through to Teen Angst, from Early Pregnancy to Birth and Beyond. If you have a question there is a 99% chance that there is a Mum or Dad who has been there, if not they will go out of their way to help you find the information you seek.

Minti provides a space for Mums and Dads from Australia to Canada, America to New Zealand, United Kingdom to Africa, to come togeather and share their thoughts,fears,life experiences and family life, through blog post and group support. There are many Christian Groups who support each other and share their faith, and family values, there are groups on Early Years Education, Special Needs groups and groups for The Berieved.

Interaction is encouraged through commenting and blogging in your own web page and the wider community, also allowing one to build a library of photographs of and for your family and friends. Advice is written, commented and voted on by members to ensure the validity and usability of the information. Minti also provides its own private e-mail service so members can communicate privately with one another. Minti thrives on member participation, its heart is in the giving,sharing and caring of its members. We as a communty invite you to come and share your experiences and joy of Parenting.

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Well thats my effort, not the best but certainly a bit of fun and writing practice. I am sure there are members who will come up with the right words. Best Wishes on promoting Minti.

Luv Winnie.xx

Oh dear, I'll see what I can do. But I don't want the mulah, give it to charity or something, I seem to keep getting it given to me just for existing and I don't spend it often enough as it is.

just a few more points...

1. there will only be 1 winner, however I may still use parts of others.
2. the winner will be picked by me (not sure if i mentioned this already)
3. will draw the winner Mon morning my time (sunday night US time)
4. i REALLY appreciate all your help here :)

thx