At Buzzoole we love to celebrate how the online world can create communities for people to share their advice and stories, and one of the most clear and heartening examples of this is the community surrounding parents, especially those with newborns, in the online world. This has led to a rise in parenting blogs, social media profiles and online communities where people can ask questions, share their advice or simply offer up their hilarious moments surviving the challenges of parenting.
This type of blogging has led to the term “mommy blogger” – someone who blogs about their children, motherhood, parenting and related topics. At Buzzoole we have enjoyed reaching out to this particular group, and last year asked parents their reasons for blogging. We found people had a variety of reasons and motivations, from a way to relax to it being an important means of support. This year for Mother’s Day we’ve chatted with mommy blogger and Instagramer Sara-Jayne Jones, who runs the Keep Up With The Jones Family blog, about her experiences of parenthood and celebrations for this day, as well as how she has experienced the online world of blogging as a mother.
What is the best gift you have ever received on Mother’s Day
A lie in! I also had a cup of tea in bed which was just lovely. Anything made by my boys that they’re proud of is a winner with me.
What do you normally do for it?
My boys make me eggs Benedict for breakfast with their daddy, and we usually go for a walk in the forest or at the beach.
What is one of the funniest parenting moments you have had?
There have been so many – but the best ones are those that horrified you at the time but that you can look back at in time and laugh. My first was when I attended a baby group afternoon tea at a very beautiful home. My baby decided to fill his nappy in the loudest way possible in front of seven other very beautiful girl babies – so loud that our hostess’s husband heard from the next room. When I went to change my baby in their gorgeous nursery, he was absolutely covered in poop – all up his back to his neck, up his front – there was barely an inch that wasn’t covered and he smelled SO bad! I’ve never wanted to climb out of a window so much in my life. I used my whole pack of wipes and being a new mom I just made everything worse no matter what I did, and just had a huge bag of dirty wipes to get rid of! I was so embarrassed that I never went back.
What made you start blogging?
I wanted to create a digital scrapbook for my parents to see. We live 140 miles apart and I loved the idea of them being able to keep up with what we were up to, hence our name!
How have you found and used the online community as a parent?
I’ve been lucky to find moms through blogging which is lovely – I wish I had known how to access genuine support when I had newborns – motherhood can be very lonely and isolating.
Tell us three things that a mum-to-be absolutely must know
There’s no right way, just the right way for you and your baby. Trust your heart, and parent your way – if you don’t, you’ll regret it in some way.
You will survive! Some days it doesn’t feel like it, but cherish every sleepless night that you get to hold your baby close and do absolutely nothing but love them. Too soon they outgrow your lap and you’ll long for the day that they only wanted you.
Don’t fall into the trap of competing with other moms about birth stories, breast or bottle feeding, milestones, napping or toilet training. In fact, don’t compete at all. Smile,share and try to make a mom-friend instead; they’re worth their weight in gold.
Overall, parenting blogs are a fascinating way to collect real stories and real experiences, and being a part of a supportive online community is a great thing to do. To be a part of our community, don’t forget to check out our website here. We’d love to have you on board!
