Does Writing About Motherhood Make Me A Better Parent?

Linda and Richard Eyres have spent their lives educating parents about parenting, work life balance and family development. They are New York Times Bestselling authors, with their newest book being The Entitlement Trap. And this vocal couple that speaks at hundreds of conferences and corporations, believes that the more you talk about parenting, the better you are at it. Which means that they must be the best parents to ever walk the face of the earth. But seriously, they believe that all of our society’s examination and discussion of parenting helps all of us learn to be better parents.

As a woman who writes about motherhood on a daily basis, I have to say that I understand where they are coming from. I’m not going to say that I’m a better mother because I write about all its ups and downs, because only time will tell if I’m a really great mom. I’ll find that out twenty years from now, when my little girl starts thinking about having kids. If she says, “I hope I’m a wonderful mother like you,” then I’ll feel like I accomplished my goal.

One thing I do believe is that blogging has made me a more thoughtful and knowledgeable mom. Throughout the course of my day, I have to examine the intricacies of parenting. I think about each family event and every bedtime problem. I dissect my daughter’s time at daycare and parent-teacher conferences. Writing about my experience forces me to self-evaluate. Then, I get to ask readers for their advice and opinions. I get to learn from those who have read my questions and thoughts. Blogging creates a dialogue between parents and allows us to hear about others’ trials and triumphs.

Writing also demands that I read research studies about parenting and its effects, (like the piece that prompted this post in the Desert News.) Every day I learn new and amazing things about child development, sleep schedules, diets and peer pressure. I get to gather input from an amazing group of writers with opinions that I value and respect. And while every single survey can’t change the way that I parent (there are far too many surveys with conflicting results), I get to try to apply my new knowledge to the business of raising my daughter.

Writing or talking might not make me a better mother, but discussion helps all of us expand our ideas and learn about other options. We often hear that society’s obsession with perfect parenting can stress and frustrate moms, but hopefully we’ll remember that this dialogue helps us become better parents. It’s worth the intense message board discussions, right?

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