How to Create a Parenting Blog that Lasts

August 12th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under

Are you a parent? Thinking of starting a blog to document the trials and tribulations of your experiences from pregnancy to Pampers to prom? Welcome to the club! There are about 10 million other moms and dads who have had the same idea, but I have to say that very few of them follow through with it and actually create a blog. Even fewer stick with it long enough to build real, genuine relationships with others. And, unfortunately, the vast majority of parenting blogs created are quickly abandoned.

So, how do you create a parenting blog that lasts? Like most other things in life, it might be best to follow the example of others who have succeeded in the thing you are trying to achieve.

One blog that has stuck around and connected with thousands of parents is Whiskey In My Sippy Cup, authored by the (in)famous Mr Lady. So, what is a ‘long time’ for a parenting blog to have been around? Well, since blogging is still a relatively new phenomenon (around 10 years old), I’d say 4+ years and more than 1000 posts qualifies as a pretty good measuring stick.

Described as “a parenting blog for the rest of us,” Whiskey In My Sippy Cup is a funny, poignant and sincere blog that will consistently capture and hold your attention, while also making you laugh so hard that you might just spit your coffee out.

For example, check out any of these posts (warning – you may want to relieve yourself prior to reading):

I Am a Twelve Year Old Boy

I think he may PAY them to say these things

True Tales of Woe

The other thing I really like about Mr Lady is that she is both sarcastic yet self-deprecating; audacious yet genuine; and, in-your-face yet welcoming. She is a very honest blogger who gives you the good, bad and ugly of her experiences as a wife and parent. Conceptually, I think of her as one of those cool moms that makes the kids (and other adults) laugh, but also holds them accountable for their actions. In reality, she is just another parent experiencing the same joys and struggles as the rest of us, and she has found a way to share her life in an interesting way with others through her blog.

I’ve been very fortunate to get to know Mr Lady over the last year, and I’m proud to call her a friend. There are many great mom and dad blogs out there, but in my opinion, hers is one of the best.

If you’re really thinking about starting a parenting blog of your own, think about what it is that you really want to accomplish. Is it going to be just for you? Your family? Your close network of friends? Or, do you want to share your thoughts and experiences with the world? If so, then take some time to read as many parenting blogs out there as possible, but a good place to start might be Whiskey In My Sippy Cup.

Another good central place to look is: Dads.Alltop.com and Moms.Alltop.com.

If you’re interested in staying updated with all of Mr Lady’s latest updates, you can Subscribe to the Whiskey In My Sippy Cup feed.

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There Are 21 Responses So Far. »

Comment by amy on 12 August 2008:

es- she is a gem. Love her.

amys latest discovery was..I’ll follow you/When the stars go blue
Comment by Mr Lady on 12 August 2008:

You make me blush.

Mr Ladys latest discovery was..My Car Has Crabs
Comment by Will on 12 August 2008:

I got nothing but love for Mr. Lady, but I have to say you’re way off the mark. In this tangled ADD-ridden culture that is teh interwebs, it’s not how long you’ve been at it or your content, but rather, who you know. Nepotism is king on the internet, sadly just as it is in life. If you get in to right circles, popularity follows.

Wills latest discovery was..Rule breaker
Comment by BusyDad on 12 August 2008:

I love Mr Lady. Writing the StarkRavingDads blog with her makes me feel at once lucky, crazy and totally not worthy.
Comment by Matt on 12 August 2008:

Mr Lady is like one of those girls in school who you think never noticed you. Then one day she says “hi [insert your name here]” and it totally changes your life path.

Well said, Jeremy, she is a good example indeed. And she wears black lipstick.

Matts latest discovery was..Calling All Preemies!
Comment by BusyDad on 12 August 2008:

Matt TOTALLY nailed it. I do feel *that* much cooler now that I’m down with Mr Lady. Wanna start a secret fan club?

BusyDads latest discovery was..Even PETA People Would Laugh
Comment by Jeremy on 12 August 2008:

@Will – I’m sorry that this has been your experience in blogging and life, but it has not been mine on either front. I understand what you mean, but it has been my experience that blogs that don’t have something readers find interesting do not become popular no matter who they know. The same has been true, for me, in real life. People with passion, talent, skill, enthusiasm, a good work ethic and integrity are the ones that make a lasting impression, in spite of who they know. As it relates to blogging, I get it that knowing the right people can bring you bursts of traffic, but it’s up to you to keep them coming back. Who you know is not the determining factor of long-term success for anyone or anything, in my opinion.
Comment by BusyDad on 12 August 2008:

@Will It’s probably a combination. If you just know the right people but your content isn’t engaging, you’ll shine for a second, then fade into obscurity. If you have great content, but don’t get out there and make those all-important connections, then yeah, you post into a void. When I started my blog close to a year ago, I had not read a single blog, I did not know a single blogger. Not a one. But then I just got out there and got to know people (and fortunately, like in life, if you treat someone like a friend, they usually reciprocate). They came by, liked what they saw and word spread. That was how my traffic grew. Of course now that people actually read my blog, I’m starting the “know people” phase, but again, that came through a combination of reaching out, making friends and writing stuff that (fortunately) people like to read.

BusyDads latest discovery was..Even PETA People Would Laugh
Comment by Phil on 12 August 2008:

I’m four and a half years and 1008 posts into my dad blog, and I still have something to say. That’s the key… Do you have something to say that will appeal to other parents? Will is partly right. My traffic went way up after I made the rounds of other dads and introduced myself. Not to mention being a regular commenter on other blogs. Sometimes you have to read to be read.

It’s true, though, that even in the close-knit dad blog world, there are little cliques. A couple of them I’ve never been able to enter, as hard as I tried. I think that may be what Will is talking about.

The vast majority of dad bloggers out there are extremely welcoming and inclusive. I like that there are so many different points of view, from stay-home-dads to work-at-home dads to the traditional working dad. You don’t always have to agree with them, but we’re all blogging about how important our kids and families are to us.

To quote a certain fast food chain, “I’m lovin’ it!”

Phils latest discovery was..Angry Zeus
Comment by Jeremy on 12 August 2008:

Great points Phil, and your blog is definitely another testament to how to create a parenting blog that lasts. I think you and Mr Lady both do a great job of sharing insights that people find interesting. I agree with both you and Jim about needing to get out there and meet people – it absolutely helps to get your name out there. I also agree that there are cliques, but I don’t think that they are what make a blogger popular. Personally, and I think we’re probably all saying the same thing here, I believe that it is more within your own control to create a blog that lasts.
Comment by Will on 12 August 2008:

Phil nailed it, but I think with your responses, Jeremy and BusyDad kind of made my point. It’s easy to say how it is when you’re on the inside, but when you aren’t part of the “in crowd” all the words of those in greener pastures only prove your point.

Wills latest discovery was..Rule breaker
Comment by Matt on 12 August 2008:

@Will I just took a run through your blog and can say I know what you’re talking about, no question. I was one of those guys that people just passed by in the hallway as well. I had my circle, sure. But I was pretty damn far from the top of the heap (still am, in fact, its just easier to hide now!).

Its true that the social element of blogging is part of what makes up the whole deal. And there are DEFINITELY people who over-promote and use relationships with others, genuine or not, to get into the “cool crowd”.

But in the grand scheme of things blogging mirrors what I have found to be true in life. And also what I found to be true about those people who “had it all” in high school. Sooner or later, it all comes out in the wash. Most of those guys are either drunks or stuck in dead in jobs now, hating the world for not giving them what they assume to deserve. The others, people who truly had something special and unique to offer the world, and were willing to put in the work to do something with it, are thriving, happy and doing well.

The bottom line is that, one of the most amazing things I have discovered in the short time I have been blogging is how many actually awesome people I have come across. Sure, I’ve run into people I don’t trust or don’t like, but you know what? I don’t have to read their stuff.

Now I’m not going to step in and try to sick up for Mr Lady because, God knows, she can do that herself. But I will say that she’s a truly nice and good-hearted person, as are a multitude of other people I have met along the way. They are out there, you just have to work a little harder to figure out who they are when you don’t have the advantage of being face-to-face with them.

Matts latest discovery was..Calling All Preemies!
Comment by Jeremy on 12 August 2008:

Thanks for starting a good conversation Will. Great additions Matt. I was always one of those guys who had friends in every group, and I still find myself to be one of those people who finds friends in many places. One of the things I appreciated most about Mr Lady was that after I showed a little bit of interest in her blog, she took a genuine interest in me and my site – that meant a lot to me, and she does it with tons of bloggers. She connects well with others through her posts, as well as other forms of communication, and this is part of what I think makes her one of those bloggers that will be around for a long time to come.
Comment by Mr Lady on 12 August 2008:

First off: Um, ten dudes, being all “we totally dig you?” Sweeeeet.

Second: Will, I totally get what you’re saying. I have had to crush my head against several large rocks for years to get a handful of people to read my blog. I got lucky in that I found the right people FOR ME. Everyone’s right is different. My right is some dad bloggers, some mom bloggers, and some poli-bloggers. I’m not huge in any of those circles, but I have fabulous relationships within them, and that’s all I really wanted.
Comment by VegasDad on 12 August 2008:

Mr. Lady is awesome. I read her blog regularly. Of course, I read Discovering Dad regularly too.
Comment by Zoeyjane on 12 August 2008:

Jeremy, you totally nailed MrLady. Not literally of course. Heh.

Zoeyjanes latest discovery was..On taking my own advice
Comment by tom on 12 August 2008:

Mr. Lady is the high water mark for sardonic wit. And I applaud her efforts in taking a very bad upbringing and using it in a positive way for her own family. That takes strength and character.

So, about those large rocks she crushed her head against for readership…

toms latest discovery was..Tales of the Trip, part 3: Saying Goodbye
Comment by Momo Fali on 12 August 2008:

Jeremy! Don’t tell people to start with her! Then they’ll never leave to find the rest of us schmucks!

Momo Falis latest discovery was..Olympics Cliffs Notes
Comment by 4wrdthnkndad on 13 August 2008:

I think you’ve put together an interesting collection of blogs. I appreciate the opportunity to share my voice with your readers.

4wrdthnkndads latest discovery was..What is a Manival?
Comment by Lori B on 14 August 2008:

Gosh, honey, if I didn’t have such a girl crush on MrLady myself I’d be worried.

Lori Bs latest discovery was..Impending Dread – return to work
Comment by Mr Lady on 17 August 2008:

Don’t worry, Lori. He HAD to do it. Contest and all.

Mr Ladys latest discovery was..Rate the Hate the Pot Luck Edition