Mummy Blogger Ranting

The lovely Zoey over at Good Goog got me thinking this morning. Now, there's some pretty amazing women out there blogging their little hearts out every day, and I'll admit I'd love to have the numbers reading my blog that follow the likes of Maxabella, Lucy, Chantelle, Beth and Zoey, to name a handful. These ladies are all mummies who juggle paid work, unpaid work, school runs, kinder duties, friends, family, you name it. And they all blog so beautifully, it's a joy to read about their lives every morning.

What I'm so confused about is the apparent vitriol aimed at mummy bloggers. Why is it such a bad thing to blog about motherhood? To the untrained eye, I suppose motherhood could be summed up in a few words, eg. nappies, vomit, nappies, poo, nappies, whinging, supermarket shopping, nappies, sleepless nights. And, if we're being bleatingly honest, some days that's what it feels like.

But if you are a mother, be it biological, adoptive, surrogate, foster, estranged, whatever - if you have, at some point in your life, cared for and loved a young child, then you understand that mothering is all about loving. And sometimes, no matter how much you wanted it, or prayed for it, or love doing it, being a mum is just plain old hard work. Knowing that you can turn on your computer and either read about another mummy's exploits from that day, or pour your own thoughts into the keyboard provides a sort of salvation, in my mind. There have been days when I have done nothing but deal with gastro and tantrums and spiders and an empty fridge, and the only thing that has kept me from turning to hard drugs is the thought, "At least this will make for a good blog". At least someone else might find my misfortunes funny, or relate to them, or perhaps have a better day because of reading my blog.

And about becoming a "mummy blogger"?? Well, did I enjoy creative writing at school? Yes. Was literature my favourite subject in high school? Yes. (Nerd!) Did I, in fact, marry a Literature teacher? Yes ( a rather lovely one, at that). Are there many opportunities for a Biology teacher to write creatively? Well, frankly, no. Until I was on maternity leave, doing something like blogging never entered my mind simply because I didn't have the time, or the inclination to look at a computer after looking at one at work all day. I completed my Master of Education when Phoebe was 6 weeks old, which meant that I had maintained a working relationship with my laptop through the births of two babies.

It wasn't until Maisie was tiny, and I wasn't "working", and I needed a creative outlet for myself, that I started blogging. And being a stay-at-home mum, what else would I write about, but mothering? Some people are bothered about being 'labelled' as a mummy blogger, or being reduced to nothing more than a mother. Personally? Label me whatever you want - it's no skin off my nose! Do you enjoy reading my blog? That's a more pertinent question.

I realise that some women wish to retain the aspects of their lives that they had prior to giving birth. You know, career, friends, social lives, hobbies, political views, opinions on important issues - the whole idea that "I'm more than just a mother, you know". And I'll probably be lynched for what I'm about to say here. I have been labelled many things over the last 34 years - daughter, sister, wife, friend, student, graduate, sales assistant, camp counsellor, bar maid, nanny, teacher - and all of those roles were important in different ways. But in my opinion, the most important role I have played, is mother. Being a mum is what defines me. I am a mum before anything else - not exclusively a mother - but a mother first and foremost. All of the other roles in my life, and all of the experiences I have had, help make me the mother that I am.

And because this is what takes the majority of my time, at this point in my life, I write about being a mum. It may seem at times as though I am obsessed with the mundane (for example, today Maisie did five poos. FIVE! Will seriously have to consider her dried-fruit intake), but this is my life. As far as I'm concerned, you make the most of the only life you have, because it will be over before you know it. And if you don't like mummy bloggers? Then don't read them!! If you do like mummy bloggers? Excellent!! Tomorrow's rant shall be about people who steal the 'Parents With Prams' car spots at Coles even though there's not a child in sight. Grrr!!!!! (Just kidding. Don't have a clue what tomorrow's blog will be about. Am not doing anything after the school run, except perhaps sitting on my bum all day watching Day of Our Lives and eating Tim Tams...that's what housewives do, right?)