The shaming of the Mummy Blogger

In case you missed it, yesterday parents and mummy bloggers were in uproar about a certain article that was published in the Daily Mail. Having read a Facebook post about it, by one of said mummy bloggers in the article, I had to take a seat on a park bench to read it. I was shocked. But was I really shocked, this is the Daily Mail we’re talking about here. So why is the Daily Mail so shaming of the mummy blogger, or mums in general.

Being a parent is hard work, and I’m sure that anyone who is reading this will agree with me. We do not need some half arsed attempt at journalism berating us for giving our children fish fingers for dinner, or longing for that glass of wine at the end of the day. I’m pretty sure that even our parents would have done and felt exactly the same. I know that I am guilty of serving up that portion of frozen food to my daughter, and then settling down on the sofa with a glass of wine after a tough day. A tough day could be a day at home, or a day at work.

As a blogger myself I’ve tried not to take this personally. As someone who has recently left their long term career in advertising to focus on my blog, and social media, I find this article particularly insulting. Having started my blog on a whim, I am amazed at the community and support there is behind blogging. Social media is a fantastic way for others to share their daily lives with us, sometimes it might seem like we are boasting or focusing on the bad sides of raising children. But, we need an outlet where we can let off that steam, and Facebook and Instagram provide just that, but our readers love it, otherwise they wouldn’t keep coming back.

Blogging can be a very successful career too, there are people earning thousands, although I still need to find that. Yes we might look like we are constantly on our phones, but we are actually hunting out opportunities, replying to emails, or replying to comments on social media about our latest blog post. I know that I certainly am.

So why are we doing this? What we need to remember here is that parents love to read blogs so that they feel reassured that they’re not the only person in the world who’s been up every hour feeding a baby for the last 30 nights in a row. Parents read blogs so that they can view a little slice of reality of what life is actually like when you’re bringing up children. They also read it for a little bit of escapism and a good giggle. The bloggers in this article are all brilliant, and successful. I loved reading the Unmummsy Mum and Hurrah for Gin, and Clemmie and Steph have amazing Instagram Stories that I follow daily. I bet that this article has given them so much traffic and coverage that they are laughing in the face of the DM.

These are bloggers who inspire me, as well as all the other hundred bloggers out there. We are all doing a brilliant job. We are all raising our children in the right way and what is best for us. And, we are all doing this to support our families, and bring in an income so we can buy yet more fish fingers (or in our case chicken goujons).

So I’m going to take this article with a pinch of salt, I’m not even going to link to it, but you know the one I mean. Today I’m going out for a la-dee-da lunch in East Dulwich with a friend that will no doubt involve a glass of wine, and yes my daughter will be with me. I wonder what the Daily Mail would think of that? Who cares……

Claire x