Warning: I'm sure I'm gonna step on toes with this post, but the great thing about this being my own place to talk is that I get to say what I want. Right?!
Most of you know that I'm an elementary teacher. I've shared many times how I'm blessed because I have the best of both worlds. I always knew I wanted a career. I'm just that kind of person. I enjoy working. I'm pretty driven and I like that teaching allows me to do something for just me. I'm not mom or wife when I'm teaching. I'm a professional, climbing a career ladder. In the future, I know that I'll move on to become an assistant principal, and further down the road principal, and my dream way on down the road would be to teach in a college for pre-service teachers. Yeah. I have pretty clear cut long term goals. But, the great thing about my profession is that it allows me to also put my kids first and be there when they need me. Both kids go to my school so they go to and leave school with me. We are off the same days, I can take them to their sports/activities, we have family dinner ever night...it's perfect. I have my career, but also get to enjoy being mom too.
Blogging for me has always been a hobby. I started this here blog to keep long distance family and friends in the loop with my family. I can't believe I started blogging when Dyl was in Kindergarten and this year he is in 5th grade. Gosh time flies! But I digress. As I began learning how big blogging and social media moms {or mommybloggers} were, I started to get caught up in the whole "I want to be a famous mommyblogger, have tons of followers, make lots of money, and get on a top 10 list". It was going to be awesome.
Then blogging started to become work. Another job. I would spend hours writing posts to be published or scheduled so that I would have new content every.single.day. I would spend even more hours reading blogs and commenting in hopes of increasing my own readership. I would choose places to go based upon it being something I could blog about. Wherever I went, my camera went, in hopes of capturing something good to share on the blog. Instead of living my life, I was living only to find blog fodder.
My kids would continuously ask if I was going to blog about this or that. I gave up nights with my husband after the kids went to bed to write posts or read blogs. Blogging seemed to override just about everything.
You may be curious if I was seeing any blog growth during this time and yes, I was. I had the most increase in my blog readership at this time, I did have some blog sponsors, and received some fun products. But, was it worth everything I gave up. NO WAY!
A few summers ago I came to the realization that enough was enough. I had wasted an entire summer behind the screen giving up precious family time. Time I would never give back. I knew it was time for a change.
Blogging since then has went back to where it should be.
A hobby.
Fun.
But, I can't help wondering about all the super mommybloggers. The ones who say they love being a social media mom because they get to stay home and be with their children, but still have a job bringing in an income. I have to question all the time they say they have with their families? Over the summer I've read countless blogs where the authors talk about how they have been so busy traveling here and there for this conference, that conference, this PR opportunity, that PR experience. Where are their kids? It doesn't seem like they are traveling with them. Some of have even complained about making these child care arrangements.
Truly, I am not judging.
I just admitted earlier that I could never be a stay at home mom and I enjoy having a career.
I think it is awesome how social media moms have evolved and the power of influence they {we} have.
I even enjoy being known as a social media mom.
I still spend time blogging, love taking pictures and sharing stories, enjoy a blog conference now and again, am delighted when I get offered a fun experience or product that my family would enjoy, and reading some wonderful content by beautiful women throughout the blogosphere.
I just have to wonder.
Are some mommybloggers really spending as much time with their family and kids that they say?
If you are a full time social media mom how do you make it work?
Do you think you have more or less time with your family than if you worked outside of the home?
