4 mommy-blogging myths: Busted!

Follow along as Jennifer Pinarski shares her experiences about giving up her big city job and lifestyle to live in rural Ontario with her husband, while staying home to raise their two young children.

Myth: Our lives revolve around our children

I love my children deeply, but I also count down the minutes until bedtime, which is when it is easiest for me to write. And guess what? It's not always my kiddos I want to write about. We all have a world of interests beyond our children — I'm passionate about the outdoors, running and baking. Other bloggers I know have interests just as varied. Look for your favourite bloggers on social media to get to know them a little better — chances are, we’re not always talking about our kids.

Myth: We don’t care what anyone thinks about us

I remember my first Today’s Parent blog post to ever receive harsh criticism: I wrote about how a neighbour's dog bit my daughter in the face. I was called nasty names, told I was irresponsible, and that I needed to shoot my neighbor's dog — all from complete strangers who didn’t know me or my situation. I took each and every one of the comments personally, but I’ve since learned to try not to let the less-than-nice comments sting as much. Bloggers read all of the comments their readers leave so, please, next time you read something that makes you angry, take a moment to think about your response. If it’s not something you’d want written on your own blog or Facebook page, than it’s nothing I want to read on mine.

Myth: The "mommy wars" are the best thing ever

You know that whole "mommy war" thing? I really believe it's made up to drive web traffic (especially the frustrating stay-at-home mom versus working mom argument). As moms, we spend our days diffusing fights between our kids offline, the last thing we want to do is start fights online.

Rear more: So, what do stay-at-home moms do all day? >

Myth: We know everything

My favourite comments are the ones that tell me I don't know what I'm talking about, because I totally agree. Most days, I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to this parenting gig. I’ve read dozens of parenting books and blogs, but still can’t get my children to brush their teeth, put on their coats and eat their supper. If I was an expert, I'd have Dewey Decimal numbers, not an IP address.

Do you blog? What are some myths you think need busting? Tweet me @jenpinarski.