How Parents Use Online Communities

As today’s parents navigate the challenges of raising a child, many are turning to online spaces where fellow parents share their experiences. One such space is the r/Parenting community on Reddit. It is the largest community for parents on the site, with more than 8 million members as of November 2025. To better understand the discussions about parenting that take place online, we examined six months of user submissions and comments on the r/Parenting subreddit. We also conducted a survey of U.S. parents with a child age 12 or younger to ask about their experiences with online parenting communities. Some key findings:

• Posts on r/Parenting frequently mention kids’ technology use and the division of parental duties.
• Parents often turn to these online communities in times of distress.
• Commenters are there to help.
• Moms are especially likely to look online for advice from other parents.