Parent blogging is a fast-growing world, with a slew of great new blogs popping up every day – seemingly at a much faster rate than other blogging topics. It’s hardly surprising when our subject matter is something that almost everyone in the world could do, which requires no qualifications and which there are a million different opinions on.
As a result, I find it increasingly difficult to know which blogs I should be following – I could probably spend 24 hours every day reading all the dad bloggers I like, and that’s before you’ve even considered the amazing mums. So how can you filter the wheat from the chaff?
As with most ‘social media’ today, I get most of my news or opinions from other people I respect and follow – so finding good bloggers should be no different. And whilst there aren’t many people who follow me for my opinion (judging by the tiny number of readers this blog gets!), on the off chance that you do, I’ve put together a “Mummy blogger starter pack” list, suggesting some good ones who I follow – and who you might like to follow as well.
It goes without saying there are a million other great parent bloggers out there, so this is by no means an exhaustive list. I’m also going to focus on my fellow British parents for now – but wherever you are in the world, these gals are worth a read…
Emma @ Me, the Man and the Kids
I can’t remember how I first stumbled across Emma, but it’s highly likely to be Lego-related, as Emma is as big a Lego fan as me. She seems to get invited to every launch or day-out going, but far from that being a downside I actually find her a really great source of ideas for good places to take the kids. She also posts a tonne of great photos with her posts, which I generally prefer to long, dry essay-length blog posts. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook to find out when she posts – as a bonus, she doesn’t spam her social feeds with memes and unrelated posts, which she gets extra credit for from me! http://www.methemanandthebaby.co.uk/
Jo @ Slummy Single Mummy
Now I should probably caveat this recommendation by saying that Jo needs no help from me when it comes to raising her profile – she seems to be one of the most popular mummy bloggers here in the UK. But I wanted to feature her here anyway, on the off-chance that you aren’t following her already – and also because she’s lovely, and deserves her place on the list. Strangely, I actually know Jo in ‘real life’ as well as through blogging circles, as she is best friends with my cousin – though I didn’t actually realise that until 2 days ago! Jo blogs about all sorts of family-related stuff – I especially like her “a short rant about” postss, which she is never afraid to let-loose on. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook or visit http://slummysinglemummy.com/
Alexandra @ Mokuska
I’m not entirely sure whether Alexandra would class herself as a “mummy blogger”, and she’s certainly not the most prolific blogger on the list – but I love what she posts so I’m including her here proudly. I’ve been following Alexandra on Twitter for 6 or 7 years, having stumbled upon her work back when she was with the Dogs Trust. She’s a marketeer like myself, but she occasionally blogs about parenting, with a big focus on style (and Disney!). If you want a good example of her writing, take a look at her post on the recent Ghostbusters reboot, which I have yet to see (thanks in part to her post). Follow her on Twitter or visit https://mokuska.com/
JJ @ New Mumblings
Despite living in Bath, where I spent my formative years, I don’t know a lot about JJ other than the fact that I love reading her blog. She posts a fantastic variety of different stuff – from self-penned poems to commemorate a first day at school to recipes for low-fat treats. She’s also not afraid to get serious – I was very touched by her post about the tragic death of Jo Cox, who I had met a few times. I can highly recommend giving her a follow on Twitter and Facebook, but the real magic goes on her blog at http://newmumblings.com/
Emma @ Brummy Mummy of 2
Emma is a relatively recent addition to my reading list, after I met her at the Jamie Oliver HuffPost event I went to last month. Whilst she’s a fantastic writer, she’s also one of the few bloggers I follow who has successfully transitioned to the word of ‘vlogging’ on her YouTube channel of the same name. Whilst I’m not a massive YouTube user, some of Emma’s videos have really captured my attention – her recent post about her Emergency C-Section mirrors a lot of the experiences we had, for instance. So give her a follow on Twitter and Facebook, or read her written work at http://www.brummymummyof2.co.uk/
And finally… an up-and-coming mother…
Helen @ Passport Stamp UK
I’ve followed Helen on Twitter for as far back as I can remember, having first encountered her through her PR/Journalism… stuff. She writes for a lot of magazines basically. In recent years, though, Helen has started a very successful travel blog – which doubles as a great source family-friendly travel suggestions. Passport Stamp UK has a staff of many of Helen’s chums, all swanning-off on fancy holidays and writing about what great times they had. Don’t hate them for it, though – their write-ups from their trips to Disneyland are a must-read, and their photography is stunning too. The reason I include Helen on this list – aside from the family-holiday angle – is that Helen and her partner Henry (great name!) are expecting their first child in December, and the odds on her NOT blogging about parent-related stuff are almost zero. So watch this space – and follow her on Facebook and Twitter to follow her progress, or visit http://passportstamps.uk/
Oh wow – thanks Henry! That’s very kind indeed. I kind of write about everything but mummy blogger can be a deeply unfairly maligned term – not here, obviously – so I’d be very proud to own it. Certainly delighted to be in such company, and second all your recommendations. Been a pleasure being online pals all this time. :) x