Oh gosh, blogging and I have had a rough go of it these past few years. The thought process behind my blog went something like this...
I love reading blogs.
I feel like I have online friends, which is perfect since I'm a lonely stay at home mom.
But it's a one-sided friendship, and I would like to record all my family's memories, so I will start my own blog.
Oh my gosh, I have so much I NEED to say!! My views are so important!
Every post will be about my cute kids or about my personal opinions on the world. It's just so interesting!
Why do other bloggers have so many followers and comments? What are they doing that I'm not? Why doesn't anybody like me?
Oh, I get it. I have to write about controversial issues that will increase my popularity because people will want to debate me.
Oh and I can host reviews and giveaways so that people will follow my blog!
Oh and I can leave tons of comments every day on everybody else's blog, like it's my full-time job, so that they will feel obligated to come back and comment on mine!
Wait a minute, blogging feels like a lot of work. Should I commit so much time to something I'm not reaping benefits from?
Where did all my (old) blogging buddies go? Who are all these new (young) bloggers?
It's getting hard to write about my kids as they grow older for fear of embarrassing them. They have a right to privacy. Is this why most mommy bloggers have little kids?
Why do so many bloggers want to give advice on how to parent when they are still in the throes of parenting? Shouldn't people doling out parenting advice already have lived through all the childhood stages and kept their kids alive to adulthood? That's the advice I want to hear!
I know nothing about anything. Nothing at all.
The older I get, the more compassionate and understanding I am to other's struggles and viewpoints. All of my parenting ideals and world views have changed. My opinions may not be the best for everybody (gasp!) Who am I?
I don't have time for this blogging world I used to love. I can barely keep up with friends/work/school/sports in my real life, never mind this virtual life. Maybe it's time to say goodbye.
But my young kids don't have nearly as many photos or memories captured here like my older ones used to. That's not fair to them. I love looking back and seeing what my kids were doing way back when.
I should try to blog more. Even if it's just about things only I care about recording. I need to stop overthinking everything.
But what exactly can I write about?
And here we are.
My problem exactly...and I haven't blogged since May 2014. I memory keep via Facebook and Instagram.
ReplyDeleteI miss your blog, Katie! And Colleen, I totally get it!!!
DeleteAMEN AMEN AMEN
ReplyDeleteYes to recording memories!!!
ReplyDeleteTook the words right outta my mouth!
ReplyDeleteBahahahahaha! YES. Pretty much every single one of these thoughts. And also inner turmoil about how much is safe to share about your kids and family online. And loving/employing/hating the evangelistic potential it holds.
ReplyDeleteha - you're not alone but I LOVE seeing your new posts pop up in my reader!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog dearly! I would encourage you not to put pressure on yourself. Write when you can and when you can't, don't worry about it.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, yes, yes and more yes.
ReplyDeleteI try not to blog anything that would embarrass my kids but I want a record of their childhood and since I refuse to scrapbook...here we are! I don't write as often as I'd like because even though my kids are in school, I'm busier than ever before but I still try to keep things fairly current because I know when they are older they will appreciate this little insight into their youth. (I would give anything to read a blog written by mom when I was growing up.)
Your kids are cute. Nuff' said. I read but don't comment. I'm 30, married last year and my hubs and I are praying God will give us kids soon. Till then I read blogs. Between bloggers and friends with kids, I think that I'll be better off as a parent than some of my peers who have little direction and even less faith. I work and live in a place that is so faith-destitute I love all the little Catholic bloggespheres.
ReplyDeleteColleen, I love reading your blog! But I laughed and got everything you're saying here.
ReplyDeleteYep. Nailed it!
ReplyDeleteYep. Same here too. That is why I just do not blog much anymore.
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes to everything you said!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like we are ALL there based on the comments above. It seems like most who still blog have a ton of followers, are podcasting, doing other amazing mom stuff and clearly have way more brain cells left in their heads than I to compost thoughtful posts. I get it. I hear ya. I find that Insta leaves me "fulfilled" in my stalking/photo gawking at others where Facebook leaves me stressed and I don't miss it if I don't check in quick.
ReplyDeleteAnd then I have moments where I feel the same as you and see that my kids don't all have the same references on the blog. Like hey, have I even had 10 minutes to announce I had that beautiful baby last week??!! Um, no. Does anyone who doesn't see me on Facebook or Insta even care? Probably not.
And then last night, Margaret says "where are my pictures?" as we're pulling out the big kids' photo albums comparing our babies. Um, gee, little girls, your photos aren't even printed. They are saved on my computer and on thumb drives. Yup. There doesn't seem to be time for blogging and my littles deserve printed photos. Now that is something I can and should make time for because they are worth it.
I hear ya, girl. I just had to say that. Life right now is just really full and I'm afraid I can't miss another minute of it. Sigh. I'll be interested to see how you keep things here. I've thought about people who just do private blogs and invite only those who genuinely care about reading from their daily lives and seeing photos. That may be the way to go.
ps...LOVE that header!!
I'm still stopping in! I enjoy your topics. You're very well rounded with the topics you blog about. It's not about the comments either. Sometimes you just need to share or vent and write it all out. It doesn't matter if no one is reading.
ReplyDeleteYep. I think every mommy blogger hits every sentence you wrote at some point or another. For recording memories of your kids, you could always ask the older kids permission to write about this or that possibly embarrassing moments. They will probably surprise you on what permissions they give you. You could even let the older ones write a "guest post." Or, you could try to get Phil to write more. I always love a Dad's point of view. Oh, more cat pictures. =)
ReplyDeleteTrue story my friend!
ReplyDeleteandrea @ mommainflipflops.com
Ditto!
ReplyDeleteI've grown comfortable using mine as a recipe keeper and record keeper of my kids for the sake of my failing memory ;)
Do what's best for you. :)
And here I am giving advice!
Yea-- the problem is, as many people have said, your blog is one of the best...so even if you don't want to, you have to keep blogging.
ReplyDeleteThat is all.
Exactly! I vote interview posts of the kids at their current stages in life - I bet they'd love to answer questions for you and be the individual focus of a post, and you'd get good memory posts without worrying about embarrassing them :)
ReplyDeleteYep. I have one in my drafts so very like this but you said it better and in fewer words.
ReplyDeleteI like blogging - it's a fun hobby - but only when I keep it a hobby. Doing all the work to grow my numbers: that's exhausting and makes me hate blogging. And when I let things sit I do lose numbers but I don't care. It's not about that at all, for me.
The community is very different but I am glad you're still here. You're one of the ones I look up to and admire. Don't go!!!!
I get you, but please don't go. You have helped me became a better mother and catholic.
ReplyDeleteYou said it! I've been struggling a lot with blogging lately. It's something I do for fun but there is so much pressure from all sides these days!
ReplyDeleteColleen! Here is one of your old blogging friends! :) Blogging has changed-and I miss how it was when I first began. I listened to a podcast (I never do this, I just happened to come across one) from Simple Mom and it was so good-she really hit the nail on the head when she talked about how it has changed (since the advent of Pinterest and Instagram and everyone reading from their phones, and lots more.) It made me sort of sad, because it always felt more community based, with more comments (ones from people you "know") and not so business based or just about pleasing others and giving information to be pinned. I don't know, what do I know? I do know I've asked myself the same questions you have several times and I am right where you are-back and forth-which is probably quite obvious. :) I get it! I always consider you one of my first blogging friends, and I have loved watching your family grow and witnessing your love of motherhood.
ReplyDeleteI read this post and nodded my head through all of it!! I am such a bad blogger that it took me a week to comment! I post so little that I have almost no followers and that doesn't bother me. But I love your blog and totally get it! :)
ReplyDelete