Is being a mom blogger too risky?

Monica Reyes resides in Vancouver with her husband and neurotic dog. She’s also a soon-to-be first-time mom who is excited and terrified about her new life. Follow along as she shares her pregnancy journey.

I’ve had a blog for almost as long as I’ve been online. My current one is a food blog. It originally got its start because many of the recipes I made from cookbooks didn’t have pictures and I wanted to know what the dishes looked like if I ever made it again.

When I got pregnant, I found that the “mom world” was crazy and overwhelming. Everyday I learn about something new, and all the products and services that are available. For example, preparing for a baby can be a completely overwhelming process. At times I wish that someone could buy what the baby needed and set up the nursery for you. It turns out there are baby planning services available. I guess if you can have someone plan your wedding, why not have someone plan the arrival of your baby? I thought that this was the kind of stuff expectant parents might want to know about. I was itching to start a pregnancy blog for new mamas-to-be. I’m thankful that I have this space here to blog about my pregnancy. I love reading all the comments, it makes me feel less alone knowing that others have had similar experiences.

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I’ve been considering blogging about motherhood. I would share my experiences as a first-time mom and, of course, document my kid growing up so I have a record of it. My entire family lives three provinces away so a blog might make them feel more connected with our lives up here in Vancouver.

When I came across this recent Slate article about parents who refuse to post about their daughter online, it brought up some of the things holding me back from starting a blog. I think the article itself is overkill. Googling a potential name to see if it has negative associations with it only protects you from the past and not the future. Creating a digital identity that your daughter can have in the future when she’s more mature might not help with college admissions. What’s stopping your child from creating their own digital identity when they’re old enough to do so? What I do worry about with having a more personal blog is that nothing dies on the Internet. Words and pictures need to be chosen carefully. Blogging about my kid isn’t as benign as writing about a meal I made. I know limits need to be set on what I feel comfortable blogging about. I have to wonder if my child will be OK reading stories about themselves growing up. Will they be embarrassed if I talk about any breastfeeding challenges I went through? And at what age do you stop writing about them so they’re able to have some privacy?

The solution for me isn’t as simple as password protecting some entries. I truly enjoy reading other parenting blogs as it gives me an idea of what to expect in the future. As silly as it sounds, I would hope that as a mom blogger my experiences would help other future parents-to-be.

Do you blog about your kids? Do you have limits on what you post about them?