Calling all parent bloggers

I’ve been blogging about parenthood for over seven years now (see photo), and working as an online editor for a decade. I love the community we’ve built as Canadian parents, banding together through long, dark winters, flu epidemics and snow days. But as I looked around my Facebook and Twitter feeds, I realize that we online moms and dads have built a culture of sameness. And while it’s the universal, the relatable, that makes our community valuable, I feel that by sticking to the same people telling the same stories, we don’t give ourselves the opportunity to grow.
 
The one thing that hasn’t really changed in my 10 years working online is how little cultural and ethnic diversity we see, both behind the scenes and on the screen. I think we have the power and, through my conversations with others on Twitter, the desire to change that.
 
So I’m putting a call out to all parent bloggers out there. I’m eager to hear new voices, find new blogs, and share them with our readers. And I’m passionate about adding the best of the best to Todaysparent.com, be it as a blog or an occasional article. Here are the parameters for consideration:
 
1. Write a REALLY good blog post. Your impeccable grammar and spelling should make me swoon. Also, your post should be no longer than 600 words.
 
2. Topic: What makes you unique? Do you live in Canada and have a life story that would appeal to Canadian parents? I want to hear from parents in the north and in the towns and small cities outside our biggest cities. I want to hear from parents who don’t have the ordinary cookie cutter life that we so often see everywhere. What’s different about your life? What makes it great?
 
3. Provide links to what you consider your three best blog posts. You don’t have to be previously published or anything. Go back, re-read them, heck, give them a quick edit (copy-edit at least). Make them sparkle.
 
4. Include an image that represents your family life.
 
5. Link back to Todaysparent.com somewhere in the post, so that my Google alert picks it up. And then just for insurance, send us the link @scarbiedoll and @todaysparent on Twitter (I’m seriously hoping you’re all on Twitter by now, bloggers), and we’ll do our best to retweet them.
 
6. Don’t miss the deadline: November 30^th, 2011
 
My incredible editorial team and I will be reading the submissions. This isn’t a contest, this is a freelance opportunity and we’re seeking the best candidate, so having you apply in a way that suits the medium made sense to me. I hope it does to you too. Can’t wait to read what your life is like.

Oh, and those looking to get their feet wet with blogging should check out Haley-O's article on starting a blog.

Got some good blogs to share? Share the links with us in the comments below!