The Perils of Parent Blogging
Child's Play x2 | March 13I have always disdained parents who live vicariously through their children. Stage Moms and Sports Dads have inundated the parenting landscape and are often portrayed as driving, self-centered parents who want their child to fulfull all that they never had. The damage done to these children can be, and often is, quite extensive.
In a way, one could make the case that as bloggers we have the potential to cause our children harm. Blogging is something I enjoy because it allows me to write (something I have come to love) about something that is absolutely the best thing that ever happened to me. I started my blog as a way to keep family and friends abreast of the goings-on at the Childsplayx2 household. I never imagined that so many people who I don’t know and will likely never meet would find that interesting. But now that opens up a small can of worms. As my children get older, they might not appreciate me writing about them in such a public forum. “Friends” could easily find information about when they were finally potty-trained or what their first words were. This, I can see, could be embarrassing for them and I don’t want to cause any embarrassment for my children.
Having said that, it’s hard for me to imagine giving up something that I love so much. My guess, is when the time comes that the blog makes them uncomfortable, I’ll have to move it underground. I have tried to make the blog as anonymous as possible but I have never been able to give them a nickname that would protect their anonymity. JT and Bri has always been the way I address them and I find it hard to call them anything else. But, I might just have to make the change mid-stream if I ever want to keep blogging past their early years.
It’s a difficult balance. I often wonder how Dooce will handle the minor celebrity status that Leta will have as she gets older. Especially now that Dooce.com obviously allows them to make a living at what they do. It’s certainly a difficult balancing act. I only hope that I’m able to balance it accordingly.
How about you? What are your thoughts on the perils of blogging about your children?
