“You’re blogging? What does that mean? Why?”
Like many bloggers, I’ve gotten this question a lot. I’ve thought about it a lot. I’ve justified it in my head (as well as to my husband) a lot.
It’s not exactly the most direct career path from teacher/academic to blogging about parenting. Whenever anyone comments on the fact that I was in a doctoral program, the most response is always, “So after that you’ll teach at a university?”
That’s what most of my classmates have done. And I could see myself doing that. Eventually. Or returning to research.
Until then, here’s why I’m blogging: (And this will be helpful for me. Whenever anyone looks at me quizzically after I answer the “What will you do next?”, I can refer them to this post.)
1. I’m a mother.
2. I’m a writer.
3. I have a lot of interests.
First, I blog because I’m a mom. It’s a crazy world of parenting out there. When my son was born and had a few health issues (reflux, allergies, breastfeeding problems), I first turned to my parenting books. They were not helpful so I went online. This was my first exposure to parenting blogs. I saw that no matter what your parenting concern or reason to need support, it’s out there. Immediately, I joined groups for babies with sleep issues, babies with reflux, allergies.
Beyond the advice and emotional support, I discovered something else that troubled me: moms can be mean, competitive, and very ill-informed. I found myself on websites having arguments and trying to give evidence-based advice to mothers who would condemn mothers for all sorts of things: sleep training their babies, stopping breastfeeding, starting solids too late. There is an endless supply of reasons to judge other parents. And I blog because I want to help parents make sense of the craziness in my own small way.
Second, I blog because I’m a writer. I’ve known that since I was in elementary school and begged my parents to let me take a creative writing and bookmaking class. (I ended up writing a knock off of the Incredible Journey, but I made a great cover.) I’ve written stories since I was young enough to write at all. Writing was my passion in high school, when I wrote a novel as part of a fiction-writing group and when I was a news editor for the newspaper. Throughout college, I was a reporter for my local paper, and I loved it.
My favorite part of teaching was watching kids learn how to make the writing process work for them. I’ve had several different “jobs” — research assistant, graduate student, teacher, curriculum coordinator, editorial assistant, reporter — but writing is the part of every job that I have loved the most.
I also blog because my interests can’t neatly conform into a certain box. I am passionate about parenting, fiction, sociology, education, friendship… It’s not an accident that I nearly had to make up my own doctoral program from scratch because I wanted to choose courses from so many different disciplines.
And blogging also encourages you to do that. I love how I’ve formed relationships with bloggers of all types, and I learn from them every single day. I am blogging “friends” with a group of scientists and journalists called the Carnival of Evidence-Based Parenting. I also belong to mommy blogger support networks of all types, and I love it. Stephanie Sprenger and I collaborate daily — and I learn so much from her — on The HerStories Project: Tales of Finding Support, Staying Sane, and Reinventing Yourself During New Motherhood. I love the diversity of experience and writing style out there.
I am so grateful to be doing something that allows me to read the latest scientific journal article and critique it, but then ten minutes later I will read a beautiful essay on female friendship and write to Stephanie Sprenger about our new motherhood and friendship project. A few minutes after that I can write about how kids learn and have great discussions with other education writers about that.
We all have different reasons to blog. What I love is that there’s space for everyone and for all of us to find a niche for ourselves (or several different niches!).
Why do you blog?
Hook up with the ladies from FTSF and tell all of us why!
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Know the feeling of justifying why I do blog and have done this with quite a few people including my husband, too. But I am with you on the reasons I do blog and just again so nice to know that we aren’t alone in this. Thank you so much for linking up with us again and hope you have a great weekend!!
Why is there a need to justify why we blog? I mean, not in the sense of this writing prompt, but why do people always question in? Even the Beanie Babies do!
I get this question a lot too, and even after almost 7 years I’m not sure I have a good answer. I started blogging to try to record the little daily stuff with my children (then 1 and 3) that I was afraid I’d forget. And it became a practice, and an important one. It’s not an overstatement to say that blogging has changed how I live my life.
It seems like a lot of writers start off that way: wanting to record memories and moments. But they find out that it’s not only a wonderful way of connecting with others but also a way of connecting with themselves.
I love this so much! I am really enjoying this topic, and learning more about why everyone began blogging, and continues to blog. This is such a concise discussion of why you blog, and I love that graphic! Did you make it?
I also like that we both mentioned The HS Project… 🙂
Stephanie, I love this topic! I have had so much fun and learned so much reading everyone’s responses. And we could use all of these posts for HerStories, right?
Jessica,
I am so grateful for your blog. It is diverse enough for every parent to find something interesting and educational to read. I refer to your blog all the time. No justification needed in my opinion. Online communities is part of our world and future. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and care as you share personal and academic perspectives.
Thank you, Wendy, and I look forward to your responses!
There is space for all of us, and for me, your blog is a little bit different than the others I read. I value the diverse opinions and experiences that each blogger brings to her writing – we all have important things to say.
Great post, Jess! Blogging is both a great outlet for writers and storytellers, as well as being a benefit to others through connection building and support. Love the new design, too!
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First off, I’m new to your blog, so it’s great to connect with you! I’m also a very new blogger. I’m just beginning to scratch the surface, really, of all blogging entails and what it brings to my life. I loved reading about what it does for you.
Thank goodness there is a niche for people without a niche 🙂
I love how people think that blogging is such a weird thing. Like sometimes I get embarrassed when I tell people I do. I shouldn’t.
I started writing because I needed an outlet for my feelings when I was fighting postpartum depression.
Now it’s a mish mosh of whatever I feel like writing about.
I think blogging is so important not only for us, but for others who come and visit. Someone is always reading.
Yup. I blog for all of these reasons, too. My only regret is that I didn’t start a blog sooner. Those middle-of-the-night breastfeeding marathons would’ve been much more bearable had I had the support system I have around me now!!!!
What I most love about this post is your confidence as to why you blog…I think so many of us are unsure of our direction or are still figuring out why we blog or whether we should keep going…you so clearly define your reasons (all of which are so good!) and it’s great that you have such a clear focus that keeps you on track.
Love the writer mother teacher thinker graphic. I suppose we all are all of those, whether we hold PHd’s or not. However, you do such a great job in speaking your mind as to the importance of blogging. I think so many of us drift wondering whether it’s “okay” that we are neither here nor there. Awesome post. I love it.
Love the writer mother teacher thinker graphic. I suppose we all are all of those, whether we hold PHd’s or not. However, you do such a great job in speaking your mind as to the importance of blogging. I think so many of us drift wondering whether it’s “okay” that we are neither here nor there. Awesome post. I love it.
you pretty much described what I get from this blogging thing,
“What I love is that there’s space for everyone and for all of us to find a niche for ourselves (or several different niches!).” the variety of this virtual reality (that which we are as we exist in the words that we write)…is astonishing. I suspect that most of my non-work/non-direct family time is spent here with my blogationing friends and colleagues.
good Post.
This is such a great explanation of why you blog. It is so true that even with on our community of bloggers, we have such diverse backgrounds, ideas and interests. It’s wonderful to be able to communicate with each other, to find, not necessarily like minds, but like…open-mindedness. I am glad to have gotten to know you through this wonderful open-minded community!
Jessica, this was one of my favourite FTSF’s (which I only got to today, courtesy of 3 stomach virus casualties). I love the clarity of your thought and writing and I love and identify so much with the content! You are so right in your observation about how mean and judgemental some moms are online and it is so wonderful to know that you’ve deliberately put your reasonable and supportive voice out there to balance them out. I LOVED this piece.
I especially liked your comment about helping out moms who are ill-informed. It seems like we are bombarded with information constantly, and yet there are still so many who have no idea, whether through deliberate inaction or lack of resources. Just remember to keep it simple for those of us without PhDs! 😉
I LOVE how you started this post. When you say you blog, people always look so stumped! Too true and really funny! They seem to think it’s some sort of secret society or something!