Mommy bloggers, a new kind of beatbloggers
There’s something going on in the world of mommy bloggers: Instead of just writing about the joys and trials of motherhood, moms are branching out into other areas.
They’re discussing politics, writing about technology, telling travel stories, discussing ways to start their own business – all from a parent’s perspective. So what, you ask? By reporting on specific topics, moms are joining the ranks of beatbloggers, a group that is quickly gaining attention as bloggers who cover developments in specific areas . To get an idea of what mommy beatbloggers are doing, (in no specific order) here’s a sample of some really cool beatblogs:
1. Momocrats
In 2007, three mommy bloggers with an interest in politics — Stefania Pomponi Butler, Beth Blecherman, and Glennia Campbell — realized they had a shared goal in improving the future as Democrats and helping women to learn and write more about politics. They came from different professions, educational backgrounds, age groups and cultural traditions. Despite these differences, these three women banded together and created Momocrats.com. As beatbloggers, they report on progressive issues including tracking legislation that protects the environment, promotes equality, supports working families and improves the lives of women and children.
It is a blog where progressive, Democratic women can learn about political issues and express their views. Momocrat’s circle now includes 22 mommy bloggers who provide readers with information on policies that affect families and a platform to discuss their concerns. What makes Momocrats even cooler: It provides a lists of recent posts and comments, making it easy to catch up on the latest news.
As a journalist who specializes in writing about technology, Anne Collier knew that the importance of being tech savvy would only continue to increase. As a mother of two boys, she also knew that parents need to be aware of what the latest developments are in technology and how it applies to them and their kids. In 1999, Collier created NetFamilyNews.org as an online “community newspaper” in which she covers issues like cyberbullying, social networking, online predators and how to supervise kids’ use of the Internet.
What makes NetFamilyNews.org even cooler: It is the only high-frequency news service of its kind in the English-speaking world, serving readers in more than 50 countries.
3. Mombian
Mombian.com, a lifestyle blog for lesbian moms and other LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual) parents grew out of founder, Dana Rudolph’s frustration in not finding useful parenting information that she and her partner could relate to. Founded in 2005, Mombian.com provides parenting tips, children’s activities, book reviews for parents and children and political news and commentary from the perspective of a lesbian mom. It also includes information on lesbian culture and entertainment.
Rudolph writes all her posts and is a work-at-home mom who raises her young son with her partner of a dozen years.
What makes Mombian.com even cooler: It includes a Resource Directory that provides links to other sites and blogs that offer general LGBT parenting info as well as legal information and how to find community support.
Debbie Dubrow, a freelance writer and mother of two young girls, founded DeliciousBaby.com in 2005. Her blog is for parents who want tips on how to make traveling with children as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. Based on her own extensive travels, Dubrow provides advice for visiting cities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. She shares tips such as what to pack when traveling with kids and how to keep kids busy on a plane.
What makes DeliciousBaby.com even cooler: Dubrow provides product reviews of child-friendly travel gear and holds giveaway contests for many of the products that were approved.
What started as a hobby blog quickly turned into a blog described by the media as a trusted source of information on work-at-home resources. Wendy Piersall, founder and CEO of Sparkplugging.com, created her first blog, eMoms, to share advice on how moms can run a business from home. Her blog attracted the attention of moms as well as dads who loved the idea of a blog offering information about the latest work-at-home resources.
To acknowledge the variety of readers, Piersall replaced eMoms with her current blog, Sparkplugging.com. To help her cover her beat, Piersall recruited nine women whose expertise ranges from career coaching and office organization to creative design and Internet marketing.
What makes Sparkplugging.com even cooler: It includes Editor’s Pick of the Day articles and a list of Sparkplugging.com’s Top 10 articles for busy readers.
