Thursday, January 21, 2010
I guess it was a good idea...
Judging from the response to my Confessions... post, it seems that it was a good idea to post about all of the things that I don't do. I guess I should have written something like that before, but I had no idea that anyone would be interested, and I did not realize how I was perceived. I feel sad, disappointed, and guilty to read about how reading my blog is the low point of some people's days and that it's a guilt inducing read. I hope that you realize that has never been my intention. I write the blog simply to document our activities for our own use and for the grandparents to enjoy and to share ideas and inspiration with other mamas.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Don't feel bad. Your blog is truly inspirational and provides us all with so many wonderful ideas. Filling in the gaps has been the work of my imagination and you are not responsible for that.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I find a great idea in a magazine or on a blog I often imagine that person is also supremely organised with a spotless house etc I forget that it's not possible for everyone to do everything well.
Thanks again for a great blog and for taking time out via the confessions post to remind us that you are human too.
I think you are great! I go to your blog daily to get inspired with an idea that I can do with my kiddos. I just wish we lived close so we could hang out. Your confessions just made me smile. I'm not the only one who tries hard to be a creative mom, but also LOVES pajama days. Please don't stop sharing. I would be so disppointed. Keep it up. You're a winner at our house!
ReplyDeleteOh goodness, I read through some of the comments and I would have felt bad too. You are doing a huge service to us all. I read through my "reader" and write down things I learn from others that I want to do with my kids. It works out great. I'm always so grateful for your sharing of ideas! You're awesome and I don't even know you! We're all just trying to do our best at being moms and that's all we can do :) YOu're great.
ReplyDeleteOh goodness! Don't feel bad. I find your blog very inspirational. I've had lots of great times with my little one that I would have missed out on if you didn't share.
ReplyDeleteOh and please don't STOP what you are doing with posting...I guarantee it does a WHOLE LOT MORE GOOD than bad. I'm sure that some people just didn't "think" before they wrote.
ReplyDeleteI ALWAYS read but don't usually comment. I just wanted to say that I really enjoy reading your blog - it gives me great ideas and is inspirational (in the best way).
ReplyDeleteI love reading your blog - and I enjoyed reading your confession entry too...it makes me happy to know that someone else stays in their jammies and indoors. I love all the ideas you post and can't wait to do with my boy when he's older!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't feel bad. I wish that could make you feel better.
I have to say too that I felt it was great to hear about all the things that don't happen behind the scenes. Because as others have said, sometimes what we picture must go on behind the scenes isn't the case at all! I loved it cause to me it means just cause my house isn't tidy (or sometimes even clean), my kids can have fun with great projects like yours!
ReplyDeleteI love your ideas and the blog, thanks for sharing everything!
Hugs to you Melissa! :) Thank you for sharing a glimpse into your life with your girls. Everyone should remember these blogs are just that - glimpses!
ReplyDelete(By the way, we have also had pajama days more than once this week, and my poor house also has REALLY dirty floors... :) )
I love your blog and have read it for a long time. I also really enjoyed reading your confessions post because it does give a more "real" picture. It's easy to imagine that everything is rosey and perfect when you read someone's blog because that's what most people write about, you know?
ReplyDeleteI'd say your blog inspires me to be a better mother, not that it makes me feel like a bad one. It's a reminder to me to take time out of whatever else I may be doing to do something fun with my kids. So please, don't stop. You are a great source of inspiration and ideas!
BIG HUGS for you. I also read back through the posts and wow, I would have felt bad too - but I dont think they meant to make you feel that way. I think it was just some real mommy talk. Ya know.
ReplyDeletePlease dont stop sharing your heart with us - it is a thrill for me to see what you guys are doing and to take notes about what we can do also. Your girls will LOVE to read about this later and I know that they are the ones that matter most.
Stand tall and know that you are loved!! :)
I find your blog encouraging and inspirational. I was glad to read the confession because I felt commaraderie - here is this amazingly creative and "with it" mom, and she also finds that it's hard to combine neatness and toddler life. I hope you don't feel negativity from that post, because while you may convey excellence, you never come across as judgmental or uppity toward other moms.
ReplyDeleteha I just blogged about your post a few days ago... I too LOVE your blog and use some of your ideas.. you shouldnt feel bad that we feel bad! I'll admit that I feel sad cause your children are the same age as my youngest two and they seem so smart compared to mine... your work is paying off, and I have noone to blame but myself
ReplyDeletebut as I said in my post, sometimes blog life is a little fake, and i think it is nice to do some 'reality' type posts occasionally.. cause a beautiful photo that I capture might not show the craziness that is going on just left of the shot! :)
Please don't feel bad about your posts. I LOVE reading about the activities that you do with your daughter and your life in general. I find your blog inspirational and motivating.
ReplyDeleteTo the person who is finding themselves all full of guilt when reading this blog? Don't read it. Seriously! It's not worth it to give yourself guilt trips over this sort of thing! Life is too short! :)
I agree -- don't let what others say bring you down. I enjoyed your candid post and have recently become more open w/ my readers as well. It's a fallacy that mom bloggers are perfect -- no one is. :) Keep up the great work (and writing)...
ReplyDeleteI check in on your blog everyday for great ideas and inspiration to use with my toddler. I also wanted to say that MANY, MANY people love your blog! As I've been reading through blogs for ideas I was struck by how many people made references to your blog. Thank you for making it easier to teach my little guy new things :-)
ReplyDeleteWHAT?? Oh, did someone actually tell you that reading your blog was their LOW point of their day? They've got to be crazy! And rude! And you know what I would say?
ReplyDelete"If reading about my montessori based homeschool activities that I enjoy doing with my children on a daily basis makes you feel bad that you don't do more with YOUR kids, you may stop reading my blog at any time." Really. I've never understood why someone would badmouth a blog. Just stop reading if you don't like it!
As for me, I love your blog. I find you inspiring and fun and a great example. But I did enjoy to find out that we have a lot in common! I buy craft supplies instead of looking for previous ones in my mess!
That is rude if someone wrote it is the low point of their day. Maybe they should get up off the couch and do more with their children. You have inspirational ideas and motivate me to do more with my daughter than I would have otherwise. Since I began reading your blog we've made many of the activities a priority in our home.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog! I look forward to your new posts. I have used many of your ideas for my son.
ReplyDeleteReaders need to realize that the blog authors, for the most part, don't air their dirty laundry on their blogs! It's only a small part of who they really are. It's hard to realize that. I look at craft blogs and think that it is overwhelming! How can they do it all, where do they get the time, the money, the energy? But they don't do it 24/7 just like you don't do Montessori 24/7. I appreciated your post and posted one similiar on mine. I think it's good for others to read things like this!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, don't feel bad. You should NEVER feel guilty for being a good mom. Every mom has good & bad qualities.
ReplyDeleteI think sometimes it is easier to bond over the things we wish we didn't do, then the good things we do. Does that make sense? It is hard writing, what I mean, lol.
I read your blog & my youngest is 8, lol. Seriously, I don't think of any of your posts can actually benefit my kids at the age they are. I love reading your ideas though!
I actually mispoke. I just looked through some of the posts I saved & you do have some ideas I can use. I loved the dollhouse from the cd holder & the felt food & the moon sand. Those are all on my ever growing to do list for my 8 year old before she outgrows all things child like my tween is doing.
I read your blog at least once a day looking for ideaas, and have never posted. like so many others you inspire me...some ideas i try immediatly, others, i file away for a rainy day, and some i am just amazed with and think she is awesome.
ReplyDeleteBecause i know this mommy thing is one of the hardest job any of us will ever do, and one of the hardest parts is to not compare ourselves to other mommies. So please know i love your ideas, and i look forward to hearing more of them, so please keep being the mommy you are meant to be, and i will do my best to be the best mommie i can be and together, we are going to have children that ROCK!!
I love to read your blog! It is fun to share and get ideas from other mommies. I think all moms have their "guilt" feelings at times-wondering if they are doing enough or the best for their kids. It just comes with the territory.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all you share with us!
I dont think anyone meant to make you feel bad I love your blog! You inspire and help us to not feel alone in all we all choose to do for those we love! Its good to know we all have busy joy filled crasy days!We love it even though were tired and always running low on time!It helps to read about someone whose great but not perfect!Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, everyone! I don't think anyone said the exact words that reading my blog was their low point. That was just my interpretation of some comments and other blogs that linked to that post. I know that no one meant to make me feel bad. People were just being honest and that's a good thing. I just wanted to make sure you know that my intention was never to make anyone to feel inadequate, and I didn't realize that my blog was portraying my life in a way that would do so. So, thanks again for your support. I'm not going to stop blogging...I've got too many posts saved in draft :)
ReplyDeleteAnd another thing...there have been a couple of nasty comments on previous posts. There's really no need for that. If I see them, I will delete them. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!
ReplyDeleteDon't feel bad or guilty. It has nothing to do with your blog and everything to do with them. You are an inspiration to many mamas. Please don't let people get you down. No one has to read your blog they choose to read it.
ReplyDeleteI only found your blog last week and I am loving it! I think you are amazing and I laughed when I read your confessions! It just lets the rest of us know that your priorities are your kids- the dust will be there always, but these years are precious. Thanks for all your posts and great ideas.
ReplyDeletePLEASE do not feel guilty or bad, sharing your ideas is a huge service to those looking for inspiration and ideas. I think you are doing a great job as a mom, educator, and blogger!
ReplyDeleteIt was a good idea, I enjoyed it. But I don't think it is what you do that makes moms stress out. We just have a tendency to compare ourselves to others, and we'll never live up to what we think they are. Because we're us, with our own abilities and lack of organization :) And if any of us are struggling with contentment because of your wonderful sharing, well then it is our job to take care of ourselves and our families and stop reading blogs. Not your job to worry about how others are feeling. We read blogs to find ideas, and activities, and friends. We probably wouldn't read a blog that talked about all the stuff someone doesn't do well. At least not if that was the focus! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHey Melissa! Your a champ. We all love your blog and loved your confessions. You are a total inspiration, and the spirit in which you came to blogdom is clear in every thing you do. You share fabulous ideas, clearly cherish this special time with your fabulous girls and what a wonderful memento it will be for your whole family. You rock - especially in your pjs! (:
ReplyDeleteI have looked at your blog from my first intro to blog world and constantly draw upon it to get through the days, create more fun and make me a saner mum. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. (:
If it makes you feel any better, your blog is still one of the first places I like to come. I feel bad that I don't get around to commenting more often. In fact, I was going to comment on that post but didn't get to it (hard to type thoughtful comments with a baby in your lap and all). I was going to say that I know just what you mean about doing things so you can blog about them. I've found myself in those same shoes. That's one reason I didn't blog much for a while on our homeschool blog. It was feeling so forced.
ReplyDeleteNow that I'm posting there regularly again, I still have to focus on doing things for Beeper, not for the blog. Usually I do pretty good. Usually.
I don't think that with all those comments it was anyones intention to make you feel bad!!! It certainly wasn't mine! It's just with the beautyshots in the magazines ... they do not intend to make you feel less beautiful. But if you are a bit unsecure about things you still end up feeling not so pretty. Hope you know what I mean. It's not at all your fault or anything and you did not do ANYTHING wrong not posting the confessins before or anything. I guess it is our own mistake to not think further and see that those posts are not ALL there is to you ... Your post was just a very nice reminder that such a great person might not be THAT different to "us" :-)
ReplyDeleteI love your blog for all the inspiration I get from it!
I cant believe you received negative comments for that post. Seems impossible, since you showed your human side. I'm sure those negative people have all sorts of long lists of confessions that they are just not brave enough to air out. I love your blog and read it daily and it's truly inspirational.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog and have used used some of the ideas to do creative things w/ my little one. Do I sometimes read your blog and others and feel a little guilty for not doing more? Of course BUT that is MY issue. Please remember your readers are responsible for their feelings, not you. (completely funny that I am saying that to another mhp but we too need to be reminded)Keep doing what you do-it is an inspiration to many.
ReplyDeleteReading your blog helps me be a better mom!
ReplyDeleteI don't have the creativity to dream up new and interesting (especially seasonal) activities, but I can look at a picture and say, "Hey, I can do that!"
Then my kids are better off, and I feel good because I threw something together for them.
I got a very different impression from the reactions to your confessions than the feelings you expressed in this post. It seemed to me that your readers (we) identify with the questions of potential inadequacy that you expressed when reading other blogs. We appreciate what you do and share, and also understand the work it takes just to raise children and care for a family.
ReplyDeleteI think the blogging world is great and the transfer of information is amazing. However it also turns up the volume on the questions that play in our heads regarding doing and being enough. Thinking about these things debunks the myth of having, being, and doing it all. Parenthood is full of choices and even when we believe we are making the right choices for our families, there is still room for questioning, or for desiring something else.
In the end, I believe that more than what we actually do (or don't do) judging ourselves is one of the greatest barriers to happiness. Anyone who can give (and receive) the gift of reducing self-judgment has done a great service for herself and others.
I think your blog is incredible. And inspiring. And I thought intimidating until I FINALLY got around to copying some of what you do. I have been wanting to add montessori activities to our lives for years but kept putting it off. We joined a homeschool coop this year and I offered to teach a montessori class because I figured it would force me to put this stuff together. It did. And it was SO easy. Now that I'm started I see how easy it is to just get organized and DO it. Keep the ideas flowing. I love what you do.
ReplyDeleteYou're blog is wonderful!!! I read it nearly everyday and never feel overwhelmed by your activities! I always feel they are simple enough for anyone, and I never assumed you were perfect!! You always inspire me to do more with my toddler... not make me feel like a bad mom for not doing things. Please keep it up!! Thank you for all that you do! :)
ReplyDeleteYour blog has been a great help to me personally, i'm not the most creative person when it comes to ideas for activities with my girls and your blog has more then helped me in that department.. So here's a big THANKS, from Me and my twin 2 year old daughters...
ReplyDeleteKristy from Alberta Canada
I love your blog, you are inspiring and give fabulous home learning ideas!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. My son is about the same age as O and we copy your ideas all the time in our school. You are an inspiration to our children's education. Thank you so much.
ReplyDelete