What I Love About Being a Mom Blogger

A little over a year ago, I was a burnt out stay at home mom stuck in a weekday rut. Make breakfast, spend time with the baby, put him down for the night, cook dinner, clean up the kitchen (sort of), and then (finally!) enjoy a little (too little) end of the day me-time. Except, that last part was mostly binge watching reality TV and loving it, except also sort of feeling guilty about it. It was enjoyable, but it also felt a little lacking. TV helps me “check out” after a long day of being “on,” but what was I doing to recharge and recreate?

I wondered what other moms do at the end of the day. I posted my inquiry on a local online mom forum. There were a lot of “me toos” about the TV time, and some moms who pair it with chocolate, wine, coloring, or knitting. There was a mom who makes her own accessories. There was also a mom who responded that she is a mom blogger, and that she writes for San Francisco Moms Blog. Her answer both intrigued and intimidated me. I asked her how she got started, but she mentioned being discovered because of her online following. “Mom blogger” sounded way too cool and out of reach for me, a socially awkward and fashion challenged Plain Jane.

I’m still a burnt out stay at home mom, but now with a little more passion and direction. I still watch reality TV, but now I too am a mom blogger who writes for San Francisco Moms Blog and started her own blog SFMamaKoala! It turns out all I needed was some guts to submit a few sample articles (which I wrote specifically for the occasion). Mid Peninsula Moms Blog is looking for new writers and San Francisco Moms Blog welcomes guest posts, so this can totally be you, too!

Here is what I love about being a mom blogger.

Start a conversation about what matters to you.

I had no idea what to expect from my first SFMB post. I wrote about the challenges of being a food allergy mom. It was a very personal and important story for me to tell. I hoped the post would raise awareness and empathy about my daily challenge that is a mere afterthought to other moms. To my surprise, the feedback from moms from both camps was overwhelming. Food allergy moms gave me virtual nods of solidarity, and non food allergy moms’ eyes were opened. It ended up being the #3 clicked post of the year. One mom said it would be amazing if there was a group for support and food allergy playdates. She and I met and started the group! I am also planning an event to coincident with Food Allergy Awareness Week in May. Not every blog post you write will forge a path for you like my food allergy post did, but the really personal ones in some shape or form probably will. And the really personal ones are most often times the best ones.

Find your voice and be creative.

What do you stand for? What’s important to you? Is your personal brand funny, mindful, or other? Finding your voice as a writer can help you find yourself. And the story you tell and how you tell it is entirely up to you.

You can be a published writer.

They say everyone has a book in them. I’ve always wanted to write a book. Hopefully, one day I will. In the meantime, being a SFMB writer allows me to have regularly published content and eyes from an audience I couldn’t otherwise reach. And I do it all from bed in my PJs.

Mentally process these crazy mom years.

Life these days is go go go. When do you stop to think about what motherhood is teaching you, or at least pause to laugh about how it’s kicking you in the butt? Being a mom blogger encourages you to reflect and to put into words exactly how you’re feeling these days about anything and everything. Even my husband likes reading my articles to hear what’s on my mind! (sad but true)

What’s your creative outlet or how do you recharge? What blog post do you have in your mind waiting to be published?