Justine Roberts of Mumsnet

Justine Roberts, co-founder and Managing Director of Mumsnet, had the idea for a parenting network in 2000 after a disastrous 'family-friendly' holiday with her then one-year-old twins. The plan was to set up a website where parents and parents-to-be could share their know-how. Its philosophy was simple: to make parents' lives easier by pooling knowledge, experience and support. 

Fast-forward ten years and it is now, as former Prime Minister Gordon Brown put it at Mumsnet's 10th birthday party, one of the Great British institutions, which is changing the way that Britain lives. More than a million people a month visit the site and literally everything is up for fast, funny (and sometimes furious) discussion, alongside a 24/7 ready source of support if life, the universe (and your children) are getting you down.

JUSTINE'S FAVOURITE SITES

Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down - What every parent needs on a regular basis (and as Mumsnet guests know, the biscuits we consume at MNHQ are many and various). What's not to love about a site that reviews biscuits in a manner akin to Jeremy Clarkson reviewing cars?

Abe Books - So once the tea and biscuits bit is sorted, you obviously need a good read. Mumsnetters are big fans and Abe Books is just the job. It searches through gazillions of books so if you can only remember the name of the lead protagonist from a childhood book and not the name of the book or the author, you can still find it by searching here.

Culture24 - For most mums CBeebies is what counts for culture on a day-to-day basis, so this site provides a blissful antidote. Thousands of UK museums, galleries and libraries are at your fingertips. And it's also great for getting ideas for family days out.

Met Office - Essential for checking just how much wet weather clobber you need to take on UK outings. Tap in a postcode and get a five day forecast that's much more accurate than most.

Streetmap - What did we do before Streetmap? Find out exactly where you're going before you set off (heads off the "Are we nearly there yet?" moaning).

Down for everyone or just me? - This site is for those moments when you're mid-Mumsnet conversation and t'internet starts playing up. Find out whether you should cuss your ISP (or the Mumsnet server).

Amazon - What Mumsnet is to parenting, Amazon is to shopping. One click gets you just about everything you could wish to purchase. Caution: may seriously deplete your bank account.

27 July 2010