5 Parenting Blogs You Should Totally Be Reading

There are so many parenting blogs out there, but if you’re looking for good parenting blogs, they require a little more digging. I tend to be drawn to the ones that approach parenting with a sense of humor and are honest and down to earth. I definitely have some popular favorites, like Scary Mommy and The Bloggess – but I wanted to give a nod to some of the smaller blogs out there that are producing some consistently funny, great writing.

Good Parenting Blogs #1: Pile of Babies

Meredith Bland will make you feel better about parenting. You know why? Because she parents a set of twins and she manages to retain her sense of humor. Also, because she blogs about tons of things that have nothing to do with parenting. Non-parents will totally dig this site, too:

I have sent a resume to dozens of employers that included comments from my darling Jen, one of which advised me to avoid looking like I was a bum after grad school.

Fantastic. Fan-fucking-tastic.

I pulled my resume back up, went to View, went to View Comments, and motherfucking shit whores ”” there they were. I died a thousand deaths at that moment, and can’t help but feel like it’s kind of a shitty move on the part of Open Office to let you hide comments and not occasionally say,

”Hey dummy. Yeah you. Are you sure you want to keep those comments there when you send that to people asking them to pay you for things?”

Ha.

Good Parenting Blogs #2: Ask Your Dad Blog

John Kinnear‘s blog went viral after he wrote the entry, “Dear Hypothetically Gay Son.” Every parent should read that – because it’s amazing. But in addition to that amazing post, I particularly enjoy the relatable way he relays his parenting mistakes:

Being a parent does not make you “every parent.” I wish I could take back every piece of advice I gave friends with kids older than mine. I was a cocky novice with a superiority complex. Most of the things I thought I was doing right were merely gifts from the gods: easily given, easily taken away. That easy bedtime I bragged about causing with my made up bedtime skills? 2 hours now. That clean nursery we claimed anyone could do if they just put in the time and effort? It’s simple when your baby is a paperweight. I’m sorry. Build me a time machine and I’ll go back and slap myself. And kill Hitler.

Good Parenting Blogs #3: Well Fed, Flat Broke

Okay, maybe this isn’t a “parenting” blog. It’s a food blog. But it’s a food blog written by the parent of a toddler. She works, and parents and finds the time to source amazing ingredients and cook them on a budget. Her recipes are easy to follow – and her writing is great. She too, just makes me feel good:

I am not good at anything, despite any evidence to the contrary.

This is a recurring theme, most notably at work, and at home with Toddler.

At work, I am faking it. Despite having been gainfully employed for 50% of my life to date, I still feel like an amateur; what do I know about anything? I am barely even an adult, even though I’m 30. I am making it all up as I go, bluffing my way through meetings and reports and projects. Who am I to call myself an authority? I don’t know anything. Half-way through my current contract, I am certain this is never going to work.

And with Toddler, this feeling of incompetence is amplified.

Are you sensing a recurring theme here? Yes, I like parents who admit they’re not perfect.

Good Parenting Blogs #4: 8Bit Dad

This site is run by two dads, Zach Rosenberg and Bryan Ferguson – but has several other dad-contributors. It’s great because in addition to sharing relatable personal anecdotes, they also have reviews and give their take on recent happenings in pop culture, news – what they call their “dadabase.” I also love that they have a snark-disclaimer on their “about” page:

When we’re not covering serious topics, we can get a little silly sometimes. If something sounds too suspicious or out-of-place to be true, it most likely is. We never abuse our children or spouses physically or emotionally. We are tolerant and accepting of all races, creeds and cultures and genders. Any statement otherwise should be taken as parody. Please read and react responsibly.

I need to start footnoting this on every story I write. Stealing.

Good Parenting Blogs #5: Guerrilla Mom

I know a little about this one – because it’s mine.

Guerrilla Mom was born on a cold winter’s night in Brooklyn, after the birth of my first child. I woke up in a cold sweat and realized that I had a child to raise in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Brooklyn with no family in state, no nanny, and no “real” job or savings account. Instead of staring at the ceiling and crying – I decided to get up and start writing. I began to flesh out all of the things about parenting that were scaring the shit out of me. I built a blog on Blogger in about 10 minutes, wrote my first post, hit send – and couldn’t believe the instant network of friends I had, saying “I feel the EXACT same way.”

I mean, how better to describe the horror of being responsible for keeping another being alive, than by implying that you may actually kill it yourself – in your sleep.  Never mind the countless waking hours of keeping this little human happy and fed and thriving – you may actually kill it in your sleep.  Hooray!  Welcome to motherhood!

When I started to write down my fears, my night-sweats ceased. I stopped feeling so alone. I don’t know why everyone else on this page blogs – but that’s why I do.

(Image: iStock / monkeybusinessimages; originally published on: Sep 21, 2013)

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