The Dreaded Mommy Blogger

An article in today's Denver Post (Kids Digital Privacy) discussed kids growing up in the age of ubiquitous technology. They text rather than talk, their personal information and buying preferences are stashed on their phones and computers, and their childhoods are on display through their parents’ photo -sharing and, yes, blogging. I am one of the feared “mommy bloggers” who crowds the blogosphere with anecdotes about her family’s lives, to what lasting effect on their children no one really knows.

My blog entries are random, to be sure, but I attempt to focus  on personal angst, political dramas, faith and religious struggles, and larger friend/family adventures. If my writing seems self-centered it’s because I aim to air only my own dirty laundry. I hope that the blog shows my kids that writing is powerful and not a lost art, though perhaps writing a book would prove the point more effectively. I know - I'll create a book out of my blog entries and present it to them as the ultimate in print media!  My daughter might bust me, though, since she reads the blog (on her phone) each day. 

The last thing on my mind is to create another source of sibling strife or parental pressure. Though I will remember many tragi-comic stories of each child forever, I plan to unburden them at each kid's wedding and not in cyberspace, where they might someday throw a job interview out of line. It’s difficult to harness technology and not have it grab us by the throat, but I hope that we can take control. If we can’t teach that to our children, perhaps they can teach us.