Comments on: Exploiting your kids?

By: singlemomseeking

singlemomseeking — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:02:58 +0000

Ha, Erica, how true! Our kids-turned-grown ups would see right through any June Cleaver posts, wouldn’t they?

By: Erica

Erica — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:51:28 +0000

I do write about my son, but I feel that a lot of my blog focuses more on parenting than things like “would you believe Ben had another potty accident today?” I try to make sure that what I’m writing won’t later embarrass him. Of course, most of the things on the blog are about my inadequacies & making fun of myself. I don’t want Ben reading the blog when he’s all grown up and asking why I portrayed myself as June Cleaver.
Erica´s last blog ..Hear Me Roar

By: Dating Down Under

Dating Down Under — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:53:26 +0000

I don’t personally like to write stories about our own kids. Kids are very touchy and they are always conscious about their image in their own social circle. They are in their growing age and do not want their stories to be going around on internet. What we may find funny or cute, they may find it embarrassing for themselves. Why…didn’t I feel the same when I was very young and some funny incident of mine was told by parents to neighbours, especially when it showed some stupid act of mine! Once I even argued with my mom about discussing “ME” in her friend circle.
Dating Down Under´s last blog ..5 Ultimate Dating Tips for Men

By: Rock and Roll Mama

Rock and Roll Mama — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:58:57 +0000

Such a great question, and I suspect with no one answer. My own boundaries would probably not have censored myself very much in that arena, because A. I don’t have a censor and B. I would have had the mis-impression that no one I knew would read it.

But my spouse had some requests around that, especially about using our kid’s images online, and that led me to think about it more concretely- esp. because one of our kids is a teenager, and old enough to say “Don’t blog this.” So my rule is I can write about how my kids impact ME, but I try not to tell stories about them just for the sake of highlighting something funny/cute/obnoxious.harrowing that they’ve done. Although I have occasionally strayed from that rule.
Whew. So that’s the short answer, right?
Rock and Roll Mama´s last blog ..My ACL 09 Recap (Or, homesick for a place I don’t live)

By: Kat Wilder

Kat Wilder — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:21:52 +0000

Thanks; I got over it … recently …

I’m not sure blogging makes it all that more public; books, movies, made-for-TV movies based on tell-alls, etc., have gotten as much exposure as blogs in pre-blog days. I wonder how best-selling author (”Eat, Pray, Love’s”) Elizabeth Gilbert’s ex feels, or Nicolas Sarkozy, whose wife wrote three (!!!) books about his infidelities. OK, those are spouses, but didn’t Ayelet Waldman and her husband, Michael Chabon, both come out with books about parenting their four kids (some who are teens) — those have much greater reach than most blogs (except the megablogs like Dooce, etc.)

As you say to Barry below, blogs are a place to vent, but if we’re venting about our kids in a such a public place, how is that going to make them feel? Perhaps not so good …
Kat Wilder´s last blog ..Honesty’s the best policy, except when it’s not

By: MommaSunshine

MommaSunshine — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:52:50 +0000

I’m not at the point where I’ve had to consider this very much (my girls are 4 and 6). I don’t write about them alot…and most of what I do write is my own perspective and feelings about them and what’s going on in their lives.

If the day comes that I’m asked not to blog personal details about their lives then I will respect that, but as for my feelings, as their mom, about these things, then I’d have to say I’m totally within my rights to write pretty much anything I want. It’s about me, after all.
MommaSunshine´s last blog ..Empty Arms

By: singlemomseeking

singlemomseeking — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:50:00 +0000

What a great point @Lisa!

How true: So many moms (and I’m among them, head held down) have created identities around their kids… So, when your kid begins to create his/her OWN identity, then what?

By: singlemomseeking

singlemomseeking — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:45:23 +0000

@Won: Great to see you here! Yes, good for you for knowing exactly which issues you won’t discuss on your blog. Maybe I need to come up with a list?

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:45:00 +0000

I think it’s interesting how many parents (I would say moms, but someone recently showed me how many dads do this to) create their identity around their kids. It happens – we become “Christopher’s Mom”, not Lisa everywhere – daycare, school, playground, the playground… so by blogging about our kids, we’re just continuing to claim that identity. No different that people who blog about careers, hobbies, interests… they do it to make themselves credible in that realm.

By: singlemomseeking

singlemomseeking — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:44:39 +0000

@Barry: Good for you for keeping it positive. I think the dilemma for many moms (myself included) is the fact that our blogs are often the place to vent. It’s where we can feel sad, angry, disappointed…. and actually have a conversation with others who get it.

So, if this conversation happens to include our kids. Then what?

I’d love to hear from others on this.