Friday Favourites: Why Blog?

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I hope you all survived the first week back at school!  We only have one in school so far, and he’s in Grade One, so back to school wasn’t quite as anxiously anticipated as it was last year.  It’s still nice to get back to the routine and structure of the school year.

Today I wanted to talk about a topic that I’ve been wrestling with lately – why am I blogging?  If you know me in real life, you know that I’m a pretty private person.  I don’t like to be the center of attention, so publishing my thoughts and feelings on the internet is a pretty considerable departure from the norm.  I’ve been weighing the pros and cons of blogging, and thought it might be interesting to share, especially for any of you that blog or have ever considered blogging.

CON: Sacrificing privacy

I started this blog last Christmas, on a whim.  I’ve read blogs and loved blogs for years, and always wanted to start one, but have hesitated because of my job.  The role I’m in now is not as public as my previous job, so I don’t have to worry as much about potential clients Googling me and finding my blog.  That said, I’m still very aware that anything I publish is fair game for anybody to find.  I like to keep my professional life and my personal life very separate, so for me that’s a significant downside.

PRO: Building a community

From the get-go, my goal for this blog has been to build a community of like-minded women who want to support and encourage each other through the highs and lows of motherhood.  I’ve been only moderately successful with that.  I’ve “met” some wonderful bloggers, and have reconnected with old friends that I had previously lost touch with.  But I’ve also learned that 98% of the people who visit this blog will read an article or two and then leave, so I’m missing the chance to build that connection and community.

PRO: Creativity and personal growth

On the plus side, blogging is a lot of fun.  It’s a creative exercise for me, and it’s taught me TONS about building a website, graphic design, and social media.  It’s also made me a better writer, which I think is carrying over to my regular job.  I really do enjoy the process and having something that’s just for me in the craziness of my day-to-day life.

CON: Time

But there’s no denying that this blog takes up a LOT of time.  Time that is very scarce right now, and could perhaps be better spent elsewhere.  Spending more time with my husband and kids, cleaning my house, reading a book, getting back to the gym – there are a multitude of things that I could be doing with the time that I spend blogging every day.

PRO: Living intentionally and increased confidence

A nice side effect to starting this blog and writing down my thoughts on parenting topics is that it’s given me more confidence as a parent.  I tend to suffer from imposter syndrome, and often question whether I’m making the right decisions for my kids.  Writing things down has helped me to realize that lots of the decisions we make are well thought out, and we aren’t just flying by the seat of our pants as much as I sometimes feel like we are. 🙂  It’s also made me more intentional in terms of what I do with my kids and the kind of parent I want to be.

In short, I blog because I love it, but I do question whether it’s worth the time spent and putting myself out there so publicly.  I will say that if you’re considering starting a blog, do your research first.  And not just reading the “How I Made $10,000 in my First Month Blogging” articles, because that’s not realistic.  Jeff and Ben at Breaking the One Percent are refreshingly honest about their path to success, and the work that goes into building a successful blog.  Suzi at Start a Mom Blog has some great resources if you’re considering starting a blog of your own.  As always, feel free to email me if you want some honest advice and tips on starting a blog.

What I’m Loving This Week

I stumbled across this fantastic article from Steph at Racing Elephants on 5 ways the internet makes parenting harder.  She has five kids, ranging in age from 2-11, so she has an interesting perspective on how parenting has changed as we’ve become increasingly reliant on the internet and smartphones.  From dealing with information overload, to mommy wars, to the  pros and cons of social media, so much of what she says rings true to me.

If back to school is inspiring you to get stuff done, check out Sarah’s post on tackling your unending to-do list.  Time blocking is something I need to get better at, to avoid aimlessly spinning my wheels and spending too much time getting nothing done.  She’s got some great, practical tips on how to accomplish those things that have been languishing on your to-do list for far too long.

Parents of Twitter

And finally, some gems from the parents of Twitter this week:

Parenting hack: Instead of screaming for your kids to hurry up, just stand by the front door quietly and open a bag of chips.

They come running every time.#momlife #dadlife

— The Salty Mamas (@saltymamas) August 30, 2018

Wife: There’s a burglar downstairs! Do something, think of our baby
Me: Oh my God
[Hurries downstairs]
Me *to burglar* please, I’m begging you, don’t wake him

— The Dad (@thedad) September 1, 2018

Oh, you defuse bombs for a living?

But, have you ever moved a sleeping toddler from their car seat to their bed?

— Just Heather (@dishs_up) September 1, 2018

I can’t wait till my baby can talk so he can tell me what he wants to spit out for dinner instead of me just guessing.

— Newish Mom (@LifeThrewLemons) September 5, 2018

Let’s get married and have kids so instead of using our years of education to change the world we can be butlers to tiny people who won’t stop screaming at us.

— Dad and Buried (@DadandBuried) August 30, 2018

Have a great weekend!