Mental Blog Stress
Lately, I feel like it's been difficult to keep up with both my own blog and the blogs I read. When I started blogging four years ago I had three children, none of which were school age, no dog and a house half the size we have now. My cousin was the only blogger I knew, and I probably read 10-15 blogs and didn't really comment on many of them.
Fast forward four years...I have five children, three which are school age, one dog, and a house twice the size to keep up with. There are 80 blogs in my bloglines, many are bloggers I know personally and many are blogs that I like to comment on.
I guess it's really no wonder It feels a little overwhelming lately.
Plus, there is the whole "thinking up posts" issue.
My sewing and reading blogs are easy because they involve no "thinking". This blog is different. While it does not take much time to type out a post, it takes a lot of time and energy to think them up. Probably only about 10% of my blog posts make it from my brain to the computer. What kind of blogger are you? Do you just sit down and "let it all out", or do your posts go through a careful mental screening? Do you feel guilty if you don't keep up with blogs? Do you feel guilty if you don't post often enough?
I love blogging, and even if I had no readers I would continue simply to chronicle my children growing up. Sometimes, though, I can't help but wonder where some of the fun went.
Anybody relate?
Fast forward four years...I have five children, three which are school age, one dog, and a house twice the size to keep up with. There are 80 blogs in my bloglines, many are bloggers I know personally and many are blogs that I like to comment on.
I guess it's really no wonder It feels a little overwhelming lately.
Plus, there is the whole "thinking up posts" issue.
My sewing and reading blogs are easy because they involve no "thinking". This blog is different. While it does not take much time to type out a post, it takes a lot of time and energy to think them up. Probably only about 10% of my blog posts make it from my brain to the computer. What kind of blogger are you? Do you just sit down and "let it all out", or do your posts go through a careful mental screening? Do you feel guilty if you don't keep up with blogs? Do you feel guilty if you don't post often enough?
I love blogging, and even if I had no readers I would continue simply to chronicle my children growing up. Sometimes, though, I can't help but wonder where some of the fun went.
Anybody relate?
posted by Amie at 11:33 PM
21 Comments:
Yes. I literally used to think in "posts". In fact, things came to me all the time that I would have to write them down until I could get to the computer. Now... sometimes I just sit and stare knowing full well it's been a week since I posted and while we've been busy and therefore should have content bursting from my ears... I still just stare. I understand. :) (
Wow - 80 blogs you keep up with. That's impressive.) :)
Can I just copy/paste your post and put it on my own blog?
I feel exactly the same way. I got so behind on reading blogs on our move I was literally 1000 posts deep in mid-July. I felt like I lost touch with everyone. Then it was so hard to find something to write about because we weren't doing anything but unpacking and going to the pool. I seriously thought about quitting it all together, but I do like keeping a record of our lives for the kids one day. Maybe we're in some sort of slump or something.
And I do think out posts. When I don't, I read them back and it just sounds like I'm rambling. Like yesterday's post that I rambled out of obligation to get a post in this week.
Have fun shopping this weekeend.
Oh yes, I can relate! I recently went "down" on my Blogroll simply because it was taking too much time out of my day.
lately I've been having trouble posting too. I wonder if it's because it's summer, which we naturally think of as holiday time? Maybe in Sept I'll feel more in the groove... new school year and all :-) (I still think in school years even though I'm out of school and don't have kids!)
Wow! 80 blogs? That would be way too many for me to keep up on...
But yes, I feel the same way when it comes to my own blogs.. I still have my Xanga for more 'detailed' updates on things, then my Blogger as more of my creative outlet, and another for more private matters. It does get overwhelming sometimes..
I prefer to post at least every 2-3 days.. but I try to wait for inspiration to strike me (at least for my Blogger blog) because otherwise, I end up with boring posts.. lol
I should of added that not all 80 are blogs, some are news headlines.
I have so many post I want to write, but never get the chance. Lately I want to post pictures. But that is easier to do on our personal computer and not my work computer. However part of Daniel's bedtime routine is to watch a movie (mostly Cars...ok only Cars) so that computer is out for a couple of hours (he usually falls asleep partway into it but we don't get a chance to get the computer until later).
Plus with work, unpacking and kids I just don't have the time lately. Even right now I had to just stop change a diaper, check on a report running, and feed the baby....next it on to get a toddler to sit on the potty.
I do like go on and on and on in peoples comments section though lol!
Like you I won't stop anytime soon. Even if I ramble, at least the kids childhoods are somewhat recorded.
I do feel bad if I don't post on my blog. It's not like I even have all that many readers, I just know that if I don't post it, it could very likely be forgotten by me. My blog is really just like my online journal. I don't really put too much thought into my posts, I just post what hits me at that moment. I currently have SO many things to post about but have been overwhelmed with the first week of school for 3 boys, 2 in soccer, 2 in karate, 1 in football (5+ days a week), OH, and my little brother is getting married on Sunday and both Jared and I are in the wedding! I find it easier just to read others blogs at this point....
I have been thinking about my blog lately as our lives are changing.
I will not be posting as often for a lot of reasons. But I still want to post several times a week.
I read most of the blogs I follow (far fewer than 80) but I don't always comment. I do the best I can with keeping up. If I go for a while without reading, I just pick up where the blogs are--I cannot always go back and read all of the posts I've missed. I do check the archives, though, to see if I missed anything particularly interesting.
I think of blogs all of the time and then forget by the time I have a chance to blog. I feel guilty for not having "interesting" blogs, or not blogging frequently enough. When I read other people's blogs, they are always very interesting for me to read, and mine seem boring because I can't remember the funny thing it was I was going to blog about.
I read over 200. I rarely comment on any anymore...except those from way back in the day.
I feel more self conscious about my blog now that blogging is an "industry" all the time I think I need to make it more interesting and find things to write about. I think of things all the time to write about, but when I stit down to write..I can't remember any of it.
But I *love* just seeing what you guys are up to. I think you're a fantastic mom and I often think of you and the interesting crafts you do with the kids!
(and the fact that you have time to sew!)
Amie, it's funny you mention this... I so loved reading your little comments today in a few of my posts and I thought "the dear girl has taken the time to read earlier posts AND comment at each of them" - thanks! With all the committments you have and the obvious devotion to your family, I would imagine catching up with everyone would require effort - so thanks again for being the Sweetie that you are, and making me, for one, feel part of a friendship... I laugh at myself 'coz I really get a kick out of reading people's comments - it's like when I get letters in the mail!!! I blog when I can, and I do have a little think about what I will do, mostly around photos I've taken. My little ditties on "favourites" came about because I thought - what AM I going to write about that may be vaguely interesting to people!!! And so I thought I'd write about what I like, as it's a nice way to reveal your personality and interests... I do this blog thing, 'cos I'm interested in people from different walks of life, I love to write/ramble (can you tell???), and I like the idea of another way of "chronicling" - is that a word!!! - my children's and my 'happenings'. So, having said all that, and as much as I truly love to hear from you, don't ever feel like you GOTTA... It's when you GOTTA that the fun starts seeping out of things. I've begun thinking of blogging as like a whole bunch of penpals just communicating in a friendly, fun way, and if I ever feel like it's a chore, that's when I'll know to stop, as I've got enough 'chores' to do round here!!!
Have a wonderful day with your gorgeous lot!
I think I could say the same thing (where has the fun gone?) about e-mail. Back in the day, I used to get maybe 10 e-mails in a day, all from friends/family and all very chatty. It was SO easy to keep up with it! Now I get hundreds of e-mails in a day -- from listservs, from people I work with, from organizations, etc. Just keeping up with the ones that NEED a specific reply from me is enough to keep me so busy.
As for blogs, I only keep up with about 20 blogs now (which may drop) and rarely comment on any of them. I think some of the novelty has worn off, and it does feel more like work to keep up with them.
For me as a blogger, I rarely have any trouble coming up with ideas but ALWAYS do think about what I'm saying. I don't just sit and ramble.
In all reality blogging isn't always about deep thoughtful content. I blog for business and personal reasons, mostly business though. Think about why you are blogging and let the fun back in. Don't worry if the content isn't deep and intellectual, even that gets boring after a while. I always love reading about the funny things your kids do or say.
I do two types of blogging. The kind that I sit down and just "update" or put down without though, and the kind that I have thought about for awhile. There have been many that do not make it to my blog as well.
I'm still in the 10-15 blog range and don't think I could do much more then that. Since I really just use my blog as a family journal for my kids I don't usually have much depth to my posts. So not all that much thinking is required although there is much mental screening involved. Sometimes I feel bad if I don't posts, but that is only because it's the only way my IRL people see my kiddos.
Sometimes something will happen and I think it'd make a good post, but then by the time I get to blogging I've forgotten what it was! I guess like you I just like to highlight things the kids do and all, not only for friends & family but so that I can go back & see how they've grown.
I can totally relate. I hadn't posted in like 2 weeks, and when I did, I found it hard to write. I haven't kept up on my blogger friends, and if I do read, I tend not to comment cause someone is yelling or screaming at me, or fighting with each other and I have to break up a soon to be murder scene. It's okay though, I think everyone understands!
Yep, definetly in the same boat. I've been so busy lately that it's been awhile since I've been on here and am just now getting caught up!
No. I just write whatever pops into my head ~ and although not many people raed my blog ~ like you said, it is something for me to look back on in years to come.
You betcha I can relate, hence why I'm not on here so much these days. While it doesn't help the computer's downstairs, I've found it more to be like homework than fun and I don't want it to be like that.
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