Are we mummy bloggers or are we something more?

Two people this week, both bloggers and both mothers, commented to me that they don't read mummy blogs. It left me feeling quite taken aback and questioning the term mummy blogger. I'll admit I felt a little offended, as if the term was somehow slightly patronising and inferred that mummy blogs are all about, well... mummies. Yet I don't feel they are.

We are mothers, but does the term mummy blogger identify us as mums and nothing else?

Don't get me wrong - I love being a mum. I love writing about my daughter, the funny things she says, the obstacles she has overcome, and I enjoy documenting aspects of her life. I'm proud of being a mum and I'm proud of being a mum who blogs. I enjoy it, and I like my little corner of the blogosphere.

However, there is more to my life than motherhood. It is only part of my identity, albeit a large part, and I am sure that is the case for many others. The term mummy blogger seems to miss the fact that there are other sides to our identity too.

Some of us are professional writers, journalists, career women, business women, qualified accountants, lawyers, marketing consultants and so on, or we were before we had children and many of us would like to work in those roles again. Or we would like to forge a new career when the time is right.

Many of us are stay-at-home mums who run successful households and manage a household budget, and we are also wives or girlfriends, friends and neighbours with skills, talents and a more rounded identity than the term mummy blogger gives, in my view.

We are mums; we write blogs, but we are also intelligent women with views and opinions and a life that extends beyond motherhood, to a greater or lesser extent. We write about our children, naturally, but we write about other topics too - health, relationships, relaxation, travel, how to write a blog, how to save money - the list is endless. We're a talented bunch.

So we are mummy bloggers in that we are mums who blog, but I also think we are so much more.

Comments

[Susie]

So true.

[PippaD @ A Mothers Ramblings]

I actually know what they mean, I have three blogs one you know me for, one that is me and one that is more about finance. They do sometimes cross over, but I like to keep the more Mummy blog seperate... but I don't like the term that much really either!

[Susan Mann]

So much more. xx

[rachel pattisson]

Well said! We are so much more! I hate labels like that, as if I can be categorised into one 'box', when in fact I occupy many niches. Blogging the mummy-stuff is excellent: useful, entertaining and supportive but the term 'mummy-blog' does seem a rather restrictive label.

[Insomniac Mummy]

Absolutely!

Much, much more indeed! I often find that it's other people who pigeon hole me and although I sometimes get lulled into that comfort zone of being labelled, I know I am more than just a mummy blogger.

Great post Rosie.

x

[tiddlyompompom]

hear hear! being a mummy is a MASSIVE job, but not all consuming. well said lady!

[Jo Beaufoix]

Well you know what my views are on this lovely. Right now I'm a Mum who blogs, I write about my children as they are the biggest part of my life, here and now, and I love them. But I also write about other stuff I love. When Potty Mummy and I were interviewed by Shiny Red on the topic of Mummy Blogging, we were asked would we be "Granny blogging' in the future? And what would we write about when our kids were grown up? I replied, that I didn't believe that either of us set out to be 'Mummy Bloggers', we just set out to write and to blog. Our children are our main focus right now, but we are mums, sisters, aunties, wives, daughters, friends, girlfriends, lovers, women, writers, consumers, hopers, dreamers, butchers, bakers, candlestick makers, and so many other things.

The term 'Mummy' blogger truly only defines a part of us. It's a part I love, but it is not all of me, and I refuse to be bound by it. That's why it's so good that people like Tara at Sticky Fingers and Josie at Sleep Is For The Weak are motivating us to try new things and explore.

We are individuals, and we can do anything we want with our blogs. I may not become a Granny so I cannot say whether I will 'Granny blog', but I will blog, and I will write.

Fab post Rosie.

[nappyvalleygirl]

Good point Rosie. I too feel a little uncomfortable with being labelled as a 'mummy blogger'. In my time I've written about books, politics, education, cycling, plenty about America and all manner of subjects other than being a mother.

I'm happy to be a member of British Mummy Bloggers, but it's only one group that I'm part of and not necessarily what defines me.

[Priness_L_88]

I am not a mummy, but 90% (if not more) of the blogs I read are mummy blogs. They are all written by intelligent women who have strong views and a lot of knowledge on a huge variety of subjects.
So you are totally right, mummy blogs are so much more than the name suggests and when I have a child I would be honoured to be referred to as such!

[Gappy]

Well done for raising this - it's a conversation I've had with other bloggers before.

I'm not always comfortable with the term 'mummy blogger'. There's something about it that's a bit cutesy maybe? I'm not sure, but I do know that there's a wealth of talented, clever, and articulate women on the 'mummy blogging' scene and they deserve to be taken seriously.

I'm a mother of three, and so naturally enough I blog about my kids and parenting sometimes. But I also blog about all sorts of womens issues - I like to think that my blog can be political sometimes, humorous sometimes, and just for general fun sometimes aswell.

As in real life we are so much more than just mothers - out here in the blogosphere we are so much more than just mummy bloggers.

Brilliant post.

[Nickie @ Typecast]

I've read a couple of blog posts around this subject recently and all seem to have stemmed from negative comments about "mummy/parent bloggers".

I think it's the same as anything "new" or "popular" - people are wary of it, yet when it really takes off they profess to have always been a fan of it.

I am a Mum Who Blog (and also, obviously a Nana Who Blogs) and there's so much depth in that title that you'll never, ever get to the bottom of it ;)

[Brit in Bosnia]

Try to think of 'Mummy Blogs' that really are just pure Mummy blogs. There aren't really very many. People write about more than being a Mummy, because as everyone else has said, being a Mummy is only one part of their identity. It's a big part, an important part, but not the only part. This is reflected in their writing and the blogs are far richer and more rewarding for it.

[Emma]

Not just mummy bloggers but wonderful friends - I've never felt so loved and cared for as I did this week via my blog/twitter!! :D

[Brit in Bosnia]

Me again. Read a recent article on this point which you might find interesting.

http://writingroads.com/blog/2010/03/they-shall-from-time-to-time/

[Nat]

I do agree. Although I don't think mine is much more than a "mummy blog" I do talk about other things, but mostly it's about "kids" I'm currently in the process of setting up a photography blog for learning so I guess that could be considered "being more"

But most of the blogs I read yes the women cover more than poo and sleepless nights :D

[Foodie Mummy]

Ditto! We are so much more. Because it takes a discipline and dedication that some other mothers don't necessarily have. We are writers and we are witnesses of our times.

[Vic]

I'm really not keen on being labelled a mummy blogger, especially as my blog's been around since the days when I maintained I never ever wanted kids. That said, it is useful to apply that term at times, and certainly my blog does use many of the mummy blogger aspects.

I think it's important to distinguish between types of mummy bloggers. Many of us are regular bloggers who happen to be mums and there are a lot of great 'pure' mummy bloggers out there. I think the trouble comes from the wealth of mummy bloggers out there who blog Johnny's every bowel movement and Jane's every breastfeed. As with all groups, there are individual corners which tar the rest.

[Ellen Arnison]

Such a good post. I've been thinking about this for ages. Mummy bloggers - bloggers who have children - seem to be instantly discounted from conversations the 'grown-ups' are having. It feels like a similar dynamic to when you announce your pregnancy at work or decide to do flexible working because in order to best look after your family.

[lisa ansell]

I keep a 'mummy blog'- because I blog a lot about the things that interest me, and one of my main interests is politics- it has attracted a readership that is split down the middle=with some being attracted by the 'mummy' stuff, and others being attracted by the politics.
I got a comment saying that they felt the 'mummy' aspect- undermined the rest of it.
Blogs are the voices of women, and the fact that many women bloggers are mothers- does not define them in their entirety.
The idea that because a blog that talks about motherhood- which is central to the lives of a significant majority of women- it is somehow less relevant is insulting.

What is it about having this responsibility, in addition to what we already have- that devalues any contribution we might make- says a damn sight more about society, than it does about any blog I have read.

[stigmum]

My friend told me mine wasn't a mummy blog and I kind of agreed and I kind of disagreed. I joined British Mummy Bloggers though because I was feeling so isolated and I've met some great mums who blog, but not everyone's lives relate to mine, nor mine to theirs. For some followers that I also follow, this doesn't even matter that our lives and how many kids we have and what we do are poles apart! For me, having the BMB badge on my page is a symbol that I am human and there are other humans out there! People can think what they like! Great post Rosie Scribble! Great question!

[Barbara]

Well said you, and all your commenters.

My blog is mostly mummy, I don't have a great deal to say about much else but I fail to see why that makes my blog any less than anyone elses.

[littledude's mummy]

Couldn't agree more - don't think I can think of a single blog that's just purely about 'what my offspting got up to today...' - all the mummy bloggers I know are interesting women, who happen to be mum's too!

[cartside]

Very true. I started blogging before I was a mummy. I then changed blogname and became a mummy blogger because I realised that I wrote more about parenting than other things. The balance has now shifted again, but in a way I'm also happy about being a mummy blogger because the nice thing about it is the community. My previous blog didn't have that, so for me it's the best of both BECAUSE all mummy bloggers are so much more, so I feel comfortable being a blogger who is a mummy but mostly blogs about other stuff, and still call myself a mummy blogger.
I think it's important though that we all make sure the term mummy blogger stands for variety rather than limitation to one theme.

[scribblingmum]

Surely blogs are about our lives, one part of which happens to be motherhood. I don't love the term mummy blogger but I don't take offence either, who's got the time for that ?!

[Selina Kingston]

Your blog is yours to do what you want with, to write what you want. It's not about being defined, it's about being able to express what is happening at your life at the moment. That's why your blog is so fantastic - whatever you post about

[Muddling Along Mummy]

Blogs reflect where we are in our lives - and being a mummy is a big part of any woman's life once she's had children

[Crystal Jigsaw]

I just wanted to add, mummies are the most important people on earth and therefore entitled to be mummy bloggers or whatever they want to be. Without a mummy, there wouldn't be a child. That's all.

CJ xx

[A Modern Mother]

What is great about mummy blogging is that it gave so many of us a voice and is a force to be reckonded with. I'm OK with be a mum first and foremost, I enjoy it, and if we can bring some more repsect to the most important job ever -- then more power to us.

[zooarchaeologist]

I really wish I hadn't called my blog 'Being a Mummy'. (forceful fullstop!)

[The Lazy Girl Blog]

I think I'd be "bracketed" as a Mummy Blogger, but I don't tend to write about the kids or typically assumed "mummy blogger" topics very often. I saw one guy really slag off Mummy Bloggers during a twitter party and I had to ask what his issue was, he told me to naff off (well he said a far worse word but I wont repeat it) and go write about making jam as usual. Seen as I've never made jam in my life, I found it funny that this is how we're perceived.
I don't think we always do ourselves any favours with our spats or our use of the PR Request hashtag- I've seen some truly shocking tweets on there- but I don't think all Mums who happen to blog are all worth skipping over. I think that's why I'm diversifying into different bracketing for the blogs so my writing doesn't get passed over by people who are judgemental.