I am a mommyblogger. There, I said it, and I said it without cringing or without any hesitation at all. I’m a mommyblogger and I’m in really fantastic company. I haven’t always been a mommyblogger and when I became a mommyblogger, I wasn’t ready to embrace the label. All that has changed.
I’ve been a book blogger and a health & wellness blogger and a personal blogger and on my original homeschool blog, I considered myself an edublogger. I’ve talked about being a mom on all of those blogs, but that didn’t make me a mommyblogger. Clubmom made me a mommyblogger and I wasn’t really sure that was a good thing.
And then I went to Blogher… and I realized that not only was it a good thing, it was a really good thing. Mommybloggers ROCK.
I’ve always read mommyblogs and I’ve loved them – but be one? Umm no, I don’t think so. I don’t have it in me. I don’t write those marshmallowy posts about my kids. I don’t write well about poop, unless I’m talking about ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s Disease. I was sure that in order to really be a mommyblogger, I’d have to somehow change who I am on my blog – or even change who I am "in real life" in order to "fit in."
Nope, that wasn’t necessary. I fit right in anyway. The mommybloggers at Blogher accepted me for who I am and that is that. Thanks to every single one of you – whether we spoke or not – I never felt left out or pushed out or singled out. I felt like I could easily converse with any of you, about anything.
I’m a mommyblogger. Cool.
Technorati Tags: blogher,, bloghercon,, blogher06,, clubmom,, mommybloggers
10 responses so far ↓
Elizabeth // August 3, 2006 at 10:35 am
I wrote a similar post a few days ago, about how I came home from Blogher PROUD to be a Mommyblogger. Those people who say all we talk about is poop and our “stupid kids” can…well, this is a family blog, so I won’t say it. But you know what I mean. Be proud, Mama!
sassymonkey // August 3, 2006 at 11:50 am
I don’t get the whole mommyblogger = bad thing. I’m single. I don’t have kids. I don’t want kids. And I don’t particularly like kids in general (although I do seem to make an exception for the wee redhead). And I read mommybloggers. I read many mommybloggers. Some of the mommybloggers are my favourite bloggers. Sure, sometimes they write about poop and gush over their kids but poop and kids aren’t all that they are about. Just cause they are mommies doesn’t mean that I can’t learn from their experiences as women and for them being a mommy is part of their experience. Being a mommy isn’t all that they are.
Plus the mommybloggers seem to have nailed the whole community thing and I think the non-mommies could learn a lot from them.
Denise // August 3, 2006 at 1:52 pm
We have a winner! Sassymonkey, the childfree woman GETS it. I proclaim you honorary mommyblogger. Umm wait, no, that’s weird.
Mary Tsao // August 3, 2006 at 3:46 pm
Denise, I love you. And I love sassymonkey, too. I do think that other niche blogging groups can learn from the mommybloggers. We made our own community and came together this year to rock BlogHer. And it was fun! But it wouldn’t have been possible without the advance planning and community building.
So glad to hear you calling yourself a mommyblogger, Denise!
Tiffany B. Brown // August 3, 2006 at 4:44 pm
“Plus the mommybloggers seem to have nailed the whole community thing and I think the non-mommies could learn a lot from them.”
not to be insulting here, but mommy bloggers didn’t invent community. indeed, there are all sorts of blogging communities about all sorts of things.
Denise // August 3, 2006 at 5:34 pm
Tiffany, she didn’t say mommybloggers invented community – she’s been involved with many communities herself. She said the mommybloggers have “nailed the whole community thing”. There is a difference.
And honestly, if some of the other “interest groups” had done a better job of “nailing community” it’s possible they’d have been better represented at Blogher.
I’ve worked with online communities for almost 10 years, and real life communities for 20, and I agree with her assessment – mommybloggers have nailed community. They have a lot to be proud of and they can teach other groups a thing or two.
Nice to see you, by the way. Come back again, soon.
sassymonkey // August 3, 2006 at 6:08 pm
Tiffany I don’t think that the mommybloggers invented the concept of community. But I think they’ve done a very good job of creating and evolving their communities. And I think the fact that there is a lot of talk about the BlogHer mommybloggers is an indication of that. Their sense of community made them recognizable as a group (I wasn’t at BlogHer so I’m going purely by people’s comments about them).
Nobody organized the community for them. They did it themselves, and I think that’s something that some people (and groups) haven’t acknowledged.
And yes, I’m aware there are other communities. I’m part of some of them. But in this instance the discussion was about mommybloggers and community and I do think they are a good example of a supportive, close and inclusive community. While I don’t consider myself part of their community it’s not because they’ve turned me away because I don’t have children or anything. It’s because I haven’t participated in it. I have no doubt that if I were to attempt to become active they’d welcome me with arms and keyboards open.
Denise // August 3, 2006 at 8:21 pm
Umm monkey, you have participated. You post here and this, ta da!, is a mommyblog! And your comments and support and ideas have been invaluable to this mommyblogger. So, you are part of a mommyblogging community.
sassymonkey // August 4, 2006 at 9:09 am
Yes but you’re DENISE and I’ve known you from way back when you used to try to lure me up to your attic to smoke (ok, since before then actually).
(Wow! I used to smoke. Weird…) While I actively participate on your mommyblog I’m not very active on many others aside from the occasional comment here and there. Which is why I don’t consider myself an active part of the mommyblogger community. I think of myself as more of “a friend of mommybloggers”. lol
Carmen // August 6, 2006 at 10:39 am
“I’m a mommyblogger. Cool.”
And you are a cool mommyblogger.