Why Mom Bloggers Are Important

In America, there were, according to Forbes , 3.9 million mommy blogs in 2011.
That’s a lot of blogs.

(According to this article there will be 4.4 million by the end of 2014)

I started writing this piece by Googling “Why Mommy Bloggers are Important” and found this post and immediately felt a bit depressed.

The author insinuates that we are only there to collect freebies, write unbalanced, positive reviews, and in between post unoriginal information about our kids.

So, without further ado, here are some reasons why I think mom blogging is important:

It’s a digital memory scrapbook.

Words, pictures and videos are collected of the moments of a child’s life that can never be captured again. One day Nicky will be able to read exactly how his learning to walk progressed and the fun stuff he did (like collecting various treasures on his truck).

Furthermore I put a lot of thought into my posts. I try and see his developmental milestones along a theme (e.g. I just wrote how he is kicking in two different styles like a rugby player). For me, it is about appreciating the cute little things that he does and seeing the significance in his development. It is a journal of my experience of motherhood and I’m proud of my writing.

People relate to a particular blogger and follow her.

It’s similar to the attraction of soap operas and reality TV. We like following a story. I remember reading Single Infertile Female’s story of her boyfriend in installments and being glued to my phone at work during break times. For the stay at home mom, like the unending laundry and housework, never ending stories are what we relate to. There are certain people I just enjoy reading and can’t wait to read their next post.

Balanced reviews

Mom bloggers are more educated and balanced in their reviews than what this writer makes out. I have a BA (Hons) and I am an educator. I recently wrote a review for a Tracing Letters app drawing on my own experience teaching kids to read and write. I compared the Montessori Sandpaper Letters method, and of course the concrete materials came out superior. However I showed how the app would be a great compliment.  I still got paid for the post. Sharon recently wrote how the dinosaur exhibition was probably not worth the trip from out of town. Another blogger wrote on a parenting Facebook group her problem about writing a review about a bad product. We are not blindly positive, but we don’t pretend to be journalists either. We are real people, real mothers, sharing experiences, and I think people can relate to that.

Inspirational

Mom bloggers have taught me a lot. I am sure there is more you could share with me, but here are some that have made an impact:

• Living Lionheart’s Stacy Vee is an amazing writer. She recently wrote a post about her special needs son and described his silence back to her as having “sharp edges”. I think she is an inspirational mom.
• Laura-Kim of Harrassed Mom is just amazing, not only because she is handling four kids, but she is quite open about the challenges that this involves.
• Sharon of The Blessed Barrenness is someone I admire for going through a very severe infertility struggle and coming out the other side with two beautiful daughters. We also cheer her on for an amazing weight loss journey she is documenting.
• There are also several American women I follow, but I am sad to say not all of them all still blogging. I just loved reading Nisha (who originally wrote Runny Yolk about her infertility) and now blogs infrequently at Water for Mothers. Even my Single Infertile Female now only blogs a round up once a week of her freelancing gigs. I absolutely love Mo from The Baby Is Fine, but she seems to have stopped too. An excellent writer is Mel from Stirrup Queens who has brought the infertility community together. She also has twins and has written some excellent books.

A fellow mom in the trenches with you

I think the real reason why mom bloggers are so valuable is, at 2am, when the baby is waking you up and you need a good laugh before you go totally insane, it really helps to read another mom’s story of how she is having a sleepless night too.

When your little one is throwing his third tantrum for the morning and you are desperately trying to cook a meal and keep yourself from yelling at him, it helps to read about other moms who lose it too, and are working to stop yelling at their kids (aka the Orange Rhino Project).

But it isn’t just about the hard times. We value the posts that have depth, for sure, but we also want to bake cupcakes and host the perfect party for our tot, and having access to the recipes and ideas online is great. For sure, it may be superficial to drool over shoes, but it also gives us an escape from the daily drudge.

In conclusion, I would like to argue that there is a place for the SA Mom blogger. To read posts that inspire and challenge us, uplift us and cheer us on in the parenting journey (which is one of the hardest challenges there is) is something I consider very valuable. To create online friends, to encourage with a comment or a tweet, to know that you are not the only one going through a struggle, this is what makes all the writing worth it.