Other Mommy Blogs
June 10, 2008Lately I have started to become interested in who else is lurking out in cyberspace with blogs similar to mine. And where does anyone start when searching for things in cyberspace? Google of course. Today I stumbled across MommyBlog. I read around on this site for a while - the author writes quite well. From what I can gather, she is the mother of a 2(ish) year old boy, and very soon expecting another baby. She is a stay at home mom, and they have a dog. It didn’t take me too long reading this blog, to feel completely inadequate. The amount of content here is amazing. She keeps up with their adventures as a family, her son’s progress, and she gets all kinds of free stuff to review - from maternity clothes to kids books. I have no idea how she does it, but I’m impressed! On top of that, she manages to find time to run every day, has activities set up for her son 4 days a week to make sure that he gets social interaction with others, and she is of course beautiful. When I look at my make-up less face, and think about my over-flowing laundry hamper at home, and how when we get home from work/day care, I won’t have the energy to take Xander to the park or do much more than hide inside with the air conditioner in the 94 degree humid heat. Then we’ll try to get laundry, dinner a bath and into bed before 8pm.
I found one interesting response to a post about people calling day care “school” and from what I can tell, this mom didn’t think that was a very accurate description. I couldn’t find the original post, so I’m not quite sure what she actually said, but I know that we often refer to day care as “school” when talking to Xander. Not school in the sense of a place of learning, but school in the sense that it’s an easier word to to say than day care, and it provides a similar social interaction. I got a bit of a vibe from this blog that this mom felt that staying home with your kids is better than subjecting them to the potential horrors of day care - missing out on a big chunk of their lives, them missing out on that one-on-one interaction. As I thought about it, I realized two very important facts about my particular situation. First, those women at day care know a hell of a lot more than I do about raising kids - they all have a few of their own. So if Xander spends his days with them, and comes home knowing the “I’m a little tea pot song” I’m all for it - I don’t know that I would have thought to teach him that one. I could go on and on about the things that they teach Xander that I think “huh, I never would have thought to do that”. Secondly, although I thought I wanted to be one of those relaxed and organized stay at home moms - the ones who have play dates and lunch dates and book clubs, it turns out I’m way more stressed when I stay home - my house is messier (of course it is with Xander trashing it 12 hours out of the day), I get less stuff done, I have less adult interaction, and I run out of energy much more quickly. It turns out that I suck as a stay-at-home mom. In our situation, it’s much better for both Xander and for me that I work outside of the home - we have a great time when we’re together, and we enjoy our weekends, but I think that we both do well with the time apart.
I went off on a bit of a tangent there, but the point of the post was to say that this is a pretty interesting blog, and the reviews on here are good - they’ve got some great suggestions for new and interesting products. However, if you’re at all like me, and worry some days that you aren’t exactly a perfect mom, then this site is apt to give you a big helping of mommy guilt when you read about this woman, and try to fathom how this very pretty size 2 pregnant mommy manages to get everything done, and still has time to blog.
hi sara. great blog. i have been following it since i was pregnant with my daughter who is 73 weeks old now. i call our daycare ’school’ too and love it when my daughter comes home with new tricks too.
Hi Marlene - I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog! I’m also relieved to hear that I’m not the only one who calls my kid’s day care “school” and appreciates the things they learn there. Thanks for the comment!
Dude, I work from home, very limited hours and my place is still a mess and my kids totally don’t know the teapot song yet. I actually send my kids to daycare sometime so that they can get some interaction and “school” if you will. You are doing just fine. Measure your success in your son’s face when he lights up when you walk into a room.
First of all I think it is hilarious that Kirsten, who posted the last post, used the word Dude her post. Kudos Kirsten, dude is a great word. Second, there are all kinds of mommies in the world Sara. I read a few blogs, including yours, which make me feel like I am a totally out-of-control mommy who can’t ever keep her house clean, her waist trim and her kid free of snot and biter biscuit. But I have people tell me that I am the one they are looking to as a “put together” type of mom. You just never know. I call daycare school. It is a lot like school. As far as a SAHM looking down on people calling it school, we all see things through our own eyes. I think I am a better mom for going to work. Do I wish I could work a little less? Of course! But I know in my heart that staying at home isn’t right for me. Apparently, it isn’t right for you either. You are doing a wonderful job from what I have read. Keep it up!
As someone who knows you (and saw said pile of laundry), I would like you to know.
You are put-together!
yeah the laundry overruns, but Xander is HAPPY and healthy, and friendly to everyone, and smart (even if he has NO IDEA how old he is), and he has cute little craft projects everywhere.
Yeah you don’t do crazy amounts of weekday stuff, but you hang on the weekends, and often go do fun things with abby/matt/sam, or your parents, or the in-laws. His life is full and happy, and THAT makes you put-together.
that is my opinion
and it matches with MaryB. You may not feel put-together, but you act/look it. That matters too 
Sara,
And it’s true what Mary B. above said - that it’s easy to think that everyone has it together but you.
First off, I am very flattered that you had so many nice things to say about me and my blog! As far as “having it all together,” HA! You must not have read very many posts!
Also in regards to the “day care / school” issue, in my original post on the matter, I started off by saying that I was NOT talking about working moms… I was talking about fellow stay-at-home moms who chose to put their kids in daycare programs several days a week (and called it “school,” whether the kid was 10 months old or 4 years old) because while they didn’t want to work and liked the idea of being an at-home mom, they didn’t want their kids home all the time with them. I wasn’t talking about working moms at all!
Anyway, thanks for mentioning my site and good luck to you! You have a great blog and your Xander is ADORABLE!
PS - just wait until baby #2 makes his/her entrance in a few weeks… I promise the posts will take on a much less “perfect” turn… ha ha…
So, thank you for all of the positive comments! I think it’s easy to look at all of the messy things piling up at home, and forget about the things that we do well as moms.
Kristjana - I’m glad you responded! I wish I had been able to find your original post on the “day care/school” issue - it sounds like a very interesting topic. I think it’s an interesting choice to stay at home and put your kid in day care. I can certainly see the sanity value of it - being able to get chores and errands done without a little one it tow, but I wonder if that partially defeats the purpose of staying home with your child… yes, it is a whole lot more work, but doesn’t that also help you to learn that patience with your kid, and you kid to learn about household responsibilities, etc.? At any rate, I’m sure it was a fascinating debate on your site
And I know those last few days of pregnancy are tough Kristjana - hang in there, you’ll remember why it’s all worth it in a few days!
Sara,
After reading this post some time back, I had added MommyBlog to my list of blogs I read (there are now 4 including yours). I don’t know if you continued to read it after this day but I thought you should know that the writer mentioned you in her most recent blog. She is moving to a new state and her husband is out of town and she has the two little ones and feels out of control. She thinks you would not think she is so perfect now! Ha, ha! Check it out if you haven’t already seen it.
Take care,
Mary B.
Hi Mary B., As it turns out, I became a follower of the MommyBlog - I saw that post, and commented on it. I’m entertained to see that she thought of me, and I’m still pretty sure she’s a super-mom, as she managed to still get everything packed and moved with the two little ones around, and then moved right back! I think she’s pretty amazing, even if she does have moments of feeling out of control.