TOC Kids recommends: 25 Twitter profiles we love

Twitter: The constantly-changing, often-overwhelming microblogging service we got along just fine without and yet find ourselves checking constantly. Twitter directory WeFollow lists 2,002 accounts self-tagged “parenting,” but we’ve got our own long-standing faves and exciting new finds. We thought we’d share them with you.

Are there other tweeters you love? Anyone we’re missing? Offer your suggestions in the comments below!

alphamom Upbeat and responsive, consumer reports and marketing research site Alpha Mom tweets everything from news items to April Fool’s Day craft projects, with the occasional giveaway or diversion to break up the promotions.

NPNParents Chicago-based site Neighborhood Parents Network retweets local pubs and orgs (including TOCKids—thanks!) and chirps out an NPN Parents Daily aggregate newsletter of top posts.

Momfilter Light on the mentions and replies, this isn’t a very converational feed, but the Twitter arm of Pilar Guzmán and Yolanda Edwards’s website serves articles on food safety and heads-ups to sales among links to site content like hip goody bag ideas.

Swellbeing “Simply put, we’re the missing manual to parenthood,” says this New York–based feed’s parent site. It offers the occasional product shout-out but most updates consist of tips and tricks or links to same.

letspanic_ Break up the sweetness and sunshine of most parent-directed media by following the Twitter feed of Alice Bradley and Eden M. Kennedy’s hilariously irreverent book. Mostly entertainment, but what’s wrong with that?

DailyParentTip spreads the love through a lot of retweets; following this feed might introduce you to more new favorites. Links tend to be on the serious side, but a running item called SMILE offers enjoyable distractions.

iMOMTweets If you’re a reply-happy, interactive tweeter, follow this account to answer pop-quiz parenting questions and discuss issues with moms and dads who share your boat. A good feed for parenting researchers, too.

Kicksprout Chicagoan Leasa Navarro’s feed is casual and personal, including updates about her own child-rearing experiences. Her site focuses on community-minded events and offers a weekly deal to visitors.

bigcitybelly Kate Schott Bolduc’s blog categorizes posts as “for the belly,” “for the baby” and “in the Windy City” alongside updates on her own baby boy currently 21 weeks in the making. Follow her conversational feed for moral support, and discussion about preeclampsia.

strollerderby links mostly to its own content, newsy items on parenting issues both great and small. If you’re a regular Babble reader this follow isn’t necessary, but if you prefer Twitter to bookmarking or RSS, it’s an add.

BumpClubChicago puts the social in social networking with its events for moms and mothers-to-be centered around shopping, exercise and workshops like a baby food cooking class in partnership with Whole Foods.

rookiemoms Bay Area parenting website rookie moms tweets out helpful hints, how-tos and money-savers from a variety of sources. It’s made quick work of becoming essential, garnering more than 66,000 followers with just 3,000 updates.

fitzwillie is Ken Denmead, editor of Wired’s GeekDad and GeekMom blogs. A cheerful tweeter on design and tech-related subjects of particular interest to hip parents like yourself.

parentingsquad primarily tweets its own content (“tips, hacks and news for parents and their families”). Topics vary broadly, which is nice, but volume is high: Unless you follow a lot of tweeters, this stream will drown your timeline.

FreeRangeKids Writer and speaker Lenore Skenazy blogs about raising “safe, self-reliant children, without going nuts with worry.” Her Twitter feed is thoughtfully paced and generous with links to other writers’ content.

whenparentstext isn’t a crucial follow—we’re happy just checking the Tumblr each morning—but if your feed could stand to lighten up, add WPT for its hilarious transcripts of interfamilial correspondence.

MrAsWorld is Kevin Adkisson of the Florida Virtual School. His frequent updates are mostly education-related, but it is a one-way street—we scrolled for quite a while without seeing a single reply.

TargetBaby hit the Twit about a week ago, so most of its feed thus far consists of thank-yous for welcomes. Once it’s up and running, you can probably expect a parent-focused version of the Target feed’s mix of customer interaction and sale promotion.

familyevents_IL is an arm of Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect, which offers events listings and articles on parenting with frequent brand tie-ins. A harmless follow, as it only tweets once every few weeks.

momlogic unwittingly unleashed some spam awhile back, but seems to have gotten things back under control. Its updates are short and sweet, with the occasional hot deal between sock monkeys for good causes and advice for helping kids deal with the death of a pet.

PPDiva Coupon lovin’ site Penny Pinching Diva and its blog are more focused than this feed, but the Diva is serious about savings and often gets the early word on deals online.

mychicagomommy Follow Chicagoan Maria Tiongco Ramos for a steady but not-too-heavy stream of coupons, deals and steals, mostly for everyday chains like Aldi, Walgreens and CVS.

dailycandykids follows some 1,500 users and its tweets vary broadly as a result. DCK calls out deals and giveaways all over the country, making it a great choice for pass-alongs to moms and dads in other cities.

MindfulMomma tweets from Minneapolis with links to news on health and safety issues and tips for lower-impact living. Similar to EcoMom, out of Los Angeles, but more active and without the forgotten links.

And, last but not least, TOCKids of course! Follow us on Twitter, say hi and feel free to ask anything—we’re here to help.