Goodyear woman launches Web site to help parents

A Goodyear housewife and mother has started the kind of clearinghouse Web site of family resources for Southwest Valley parents that she wishes she had for herself in recent years.

Sandy Robinson launched SWValleyParent.com two months ago as a free, online resource guide for parents, “from pregnancy through the teen years.”

Everything from an events calendar to a resources area, to parent tips, a parent chat room and even classified ads can be found at www.swvalleyparent.com.

“First of all, they can find events and activities, from library story times to festivals and sometimes unique things that are going on in Phoenix, and some of the new kids fun places, like BounceU,” Robinson said. “There’s a resources section where they can find local businesses that offer birthday party packages, places for sports, teen activities, kid-friendly restaurant ideas, resale places for children’s clothing.

“They can find community support for family crises or if there’s a low-income situation, there are different resources there for that. They can find ways to help give back to our community locally; ways to teach your kids about volunteering. Summer camps, even pediatricians and dentists — more focused toward the children but also some things for moms — places where they can go for relaxation and mommy time. There are quite a few different categories.”

A lot of businesses may offer special things for children they don’t publicize, she added.

“A lot of places might be fun kids’ places, like for birthday parties, but not everybody knows that because the businesses don’t advertise it,” Robinson said. “We try to let people know that kind of stuff.”

Updating and adding information to the Web site is time-consuming, added Robinson, who has two children of her own, boys ages 2 and 4.

“I’ve been working a lot,” she admitted. “It takes a lot of time, and it keeps me busy

“I still have a long way to go, but it’s a really great starting point. I’m really happy and proud of what’s on the site at this point — but I think it will continue to grow and get better as I have more time to talk to more companies and get more resources on the site as well.”

Business evolves
Before starting SWValleyParent.com, Robinson had been providing daycare services in her home the past three or so years after quitting the business world to have children.

Late last year, she took a part-time job in which she spoke to mothers and clients “and really discovered over that time how difficult it was for those clients and my friends to find daycare or really anything for kids,” Robinson said. “So what happened is I actually became a networking guru for finding things …and I really loved doing it, helping people find jobs and boyfriends — whatever I could match somebody with, I would try to.

“So I just thought, you know, this is silly, we’re in this community and I know people who do daycare and I know people who need daycare — why can’t we just get everybody in one forum together?”

There must be a way to be able to do a small, local Web site, she thought, so she started “real rough planning in a notebook,” she said.

Ironically, Robinson had occasion to call her sister in Santa Barbara, Calif., and told her about the idea. Her sister told her such a Web site existed there, gave her contact information and Johnson took it from there.

The timing was perfect, she added, noting that that Web site had been operating for four years and its principal was ready to help people in other locales start similar sites.

“And there were so many more wonderful things on that site that I didn’t even think of,” Robinson said. “So I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel, but I got to customize a Web site … just for the Southwest Valley.”

Looking ahead
Robinson has learned a lot about running a business, including accounting and customer service lessons, she said.

“I’m really just getting going with the marketing aspects of the business,” she added. “I do send out e-newsletters every couple of weeks, and that’s really fun and usually gets a lot of questions and responses to that. And we have contests to make it a little more interesting and fun for the parents, too.”

Robinson looks forward to collaborating with area nonprofit organizations to provide information about them on her site as well. She expects the Web site will grow as time goes on.

“I hope the site will be used quite a bit by the people out here; that moms and parents find it really valuable,” Robinson said of her Southwest Valley neighbors. “It will have a lot more information on it, more resources and more of a complete listing of what’s really available in the Southwest Valley.”

For information, visit www.swvalleyparent.com or contact Robinson at 623-925-9388 or by e-mail at Sandy@swvalleyparent.com.

Darryl Henning can be reached by e-mail at dhenning@westvalleyview.com.