There are a lot of parenting blogs out there. Over 8000 active parenting blogs on the Tots100 index alone. Sometimes it might seem that the internet is a little saturated with parenting blogs, all trying to make their voices heard. Awards seasons can cause bloggers to compare themselves unfavourably to others, to feel like they’re not good enough. Sadly bloggers occasionally find themselves being attacked by other bloggers. Made to feel that their words aren’t good enough, that they have nothing original to say and that they should just quit. Well you know what? There’s plenty of room for all of us in this big blogosphere.
Your blog is your voice, your space on the internet and your place to write about whatever you choose. So you want to use your blog as an online journal, recording memories of the things your children have done or said, the days out and the fun times that you have together. That’s great – what a wonderful way of helping to preserve those memories so you can look back on them.
Maybe you are brutally honest about the challenging moments of parenthood – using your blog as a means to let off steam. That’s fine too – it probably helps you as well as others who are reading and facing similar challenges.
Your blog might be funny, it might be serious. You might choose to stay anonymous or open. Maybe you share fabulous recipes, amazing crafts or beautiful photography. Or maybe you just share the ordinary, the every day. Whatever it is – be proud of it.
You might have thousands of readers, or just a handful but it’s always worth remembering that people read your blog because they choose to do so. Nobody, not even your mum, absolutely has to read your blog. And if people return, it’s because what you have to say has meaning for them. Chances are at least one person has read something you’ve written, identified with it and perhaps felt a little less alone as a result. Or they might have been challenged to think about something, or inspired to do something. Equally there will always be people who don’t like your blog – no matter how successful or well-written it might be.
We all have moments of feeling like we are very small fish in a very big pond; moments of feeling like we are shouting into an abyss and that no-one really cares what we write. Sometimes we just need to stop and remember why we started blogging, and the things we enjoy about it.
Write what you want but be realistic too. We can’t all be professional bloggers, we can’t all be award-winning bloggers. We can’t all be big fish in the blogging world. If your blog is just your online diary then reaching the top 10 of the Tots100 is probably not going to happen. If that’s your goal, you’ll need to write more for others than yourself.
Whatever you write about though, stay true to yourself. It is much better to be the best version of you than try to be an inferior version of someone else. Your stories, your experiences and the way you tell them are unique to you. You might just be one voice in a big crowd, but you have as much right to be part of that crowd as anyone else. There might be thousands of parenting bloggers out there, but there’s plenty of room for us all.
And some of us aren’t even members of Tots100 or have anything to do with awards and so on and so forth and still have what are deemed to be successful blogs. I’ve never looked to outsiders to validate my success when it comes to my blog. I’ve always written for me but an awful lot of readers happen to like it too so that’s good enough for me! Ha! In fact, there are quite a lot of us old timers like that 😉
That’s a great way to be – it’s so easy to get caught up in thinking our self-worth comes from others but being comfortable in our own blogging skin without needing to compare is such a good place to be. Glad you enjoy writing for yourself and your readers enjoy it too 🙂
I love this post Louise, very well said indeed. It’s easy to get caught up with comparison and to a certain extent it can be helpful to challenge the direction of your blog…but always important to come back to why you do it for yourself. So true about the rankings etc, I’ve never looked at my rank but I know I don’t write super-popular things. I adore the interaction with the readers I do have though and I love writing and that’s enough for me! I particularly like that this post is a subtle but powerful rebuff against the apparent trolling post that was going round this week #bloggerclubuk
Thank you Lucy – having that love of writing and enjoying interaction with readers make it all worth while. It’s so easy to get caught in comparing ourselves and feel disheartened sometimes though – I’ve certainly done it. The feeling of there being room for all of us has been brewing in my mind for a while and whilst I didn’t write this as a response to that post, it was one of the things that influenced it. It just makes me sad that some bloggers feel the need to put down others – giving helpful advice is one thing but you don’t need to be mean about it.
It’s so nice to read this. We are part of a really supportive blogging community and it is nice to genuinely feel there is room for everyone. I love that there are lots of different styles of blogs out there – funny, serious, light hearted and those dealing with more difficult subjects. We’re all in it together xx #BloggerClubUK
Thank you Fi – all those different styles of blogs are what makes it all so interesting – I love reading all the different perspectives that everyone has and it means that there’s guaranteed to be something out there that you can connect with too 🙂
Louise, this is so beautifully put – you are a wonderful person and your closing sentence of ‘There might be thousands of parenting bloggers out there, but there’s plenty of room for us all’ is so true – we should all remember that! a lovely post #BloggerClubUK
Thank you so much! I just feel that it’s so easy to feel like we’re “just another blogger” at times especially when others try to put us down. If someone doesn’t like your blog, then they don’t need to read it but it’s not a good enough reason to make you feel you shouldn’t be writing it in the first place.
Here, here! Completely agree. The temptation can be to compare ourselves to other bloggers and we should never do this as we are all different and our blogs reflect this. Like you say the most important things is that we stay true to ourselves #bloggerclubuk
Thanks Emma – the beauty of the blogosphere is that we are all different – that diversity helps to enrich it and make it a much more interesting place 🙂
Well said Louise! It is only natural to think of what if and to compare but the only people we should be comparing to is ourselves. How true are we to ourselves? Many times I admit I caught in a wave and I tend to think yep, yep, let’s go there because that’s where the masses are headed but then that may not be where you really want to go. Your path may be different but that’s because everyone’s journey is unique.
Thank you – it is so easy to get caught up in that wave sometimes isn’t it?
I couldn’t agree more. I have been blogging for 9 years and have really found it to be an outlet since having my daughter last year. My readership is low but I didn’t start blogging for that reason and it remains true today. I still get so excited when I get interaction from someone; That someone found the time and interest to read something I wrote is a real honour! Of course I share things a lot in the hope people will read, but if they don’t then I really don’t get upset. #BloggersClubUK
Thank you. It is lovely to get that interaction and response isn’t it – to know that something you’ve written has touched someone else. I think it’s always important to keep reminding yourself of the reason why you started out blogging. 9 years is very impressive! 🙂
I used that phrase “small fish in a very big pond” with a PR person recently but I stressed I was more than happy to just be in the pond. I completely agree with you, there is room for everyone – and I think it’s great that you’ve taken that time to post about it.
Being happy to just be in the pond is such a great place to be – and the diversity of the pond-life (no slur intended!) is what makes the pond so interesting 🙂
Thank you, this is really encouraging! It’s easy to feel a bit overwhelmed when you’re not a well known blogger, but then again, I’m sure the more ‘successful’ bloggers feel the same way sometimes! I really enjoy the blogging community – and I love reading all different kinds of blogs 🙂 #bloggerclubuk
I think all bloggers have moments when they feel overwhelmed or doubt themselves – even the successful ones! I love the blogging community – on the whole it is such a lovely supportive place 🙂
Ahhh I am so glad you wrote about this topic. It can be really tempting to compare yourself to other bloggers, but as with life, there is always going to be someone faster, stronger, better. I agree that there is room for all of us and there are a lot of supportive bloggers out there more than happy to show a little fish the way 🙂 Fab read. #BloggerClubUK
Thank you Annette – it is easy to get sucked into comparing at times but as you say, there is always going to be someone out there that is better and it can be all too easy to get despondent. There are so many lovely supportive bloggers out there though – the blogosphere really is a wonderful place on the whole 🙂
Well said and all so very true. ‘Comparison is the thief of joy’ which I think so applies with blogging! x
Very true Jocelyn – comparison certainly does suck the joy out of blogging x
Thanks for sharing this Louise – a timely reminder given the negativity floating around at the moment. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of bloggers out there, but your voice is unique to you and that’s what brings readers to your blog. The main thing I think is to enjoy what you’re writing about! #bloggerclubuk
Thank you Katy – enjoying what you’re writing about is so important and it’s something that really comes across when reading a blog.
Beautifully said. I think you are right. I have a smaller audience, but that’s OK. I have my niche and I know I make a difference. When I get a lovely email or comment from someone telling me how helpful my words have been, well that inspires me to keep blogging on the low days. Happy as a small fish.
Thank you Cheryl – those lovely emails and comments are always wonderful when they happen aren’t they – definitely something that gives me a boost too 🙂
Really lovely post. I have to admit, I do compare myself to others and quite often wonder why I haven’t been shortlisted for this or that award, or am not as popular as this or that other person, and I really do need regular reminders that my blog is unique, and I shouldn’t compare. It’s hard though, when you really want to make a success of it.
Thank you. It is so easy to start comparing and wondering why someone else’s blog is more popular – I’ve certainly done it many a time in the past.
Yay! Love this. There’s definitely room for all of us and we all have different aims, strengths and styles. Comparison just makes us all feel crap! Particularly love this after that horrid post we read the other day. #BloggerClubUK
Thank you Ellen – and yes definitely agree that we all have different aims, strengths and styles and that is the beauty of the blogosphere 🙂
I saw this post earlier in the week and shared it on my Twitter page 🙂 mummy blogs are the best no matter what anybody says! #puddinglove
Thank you – I do love all the different mummy blogs out there too 🙂
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!! You expressed absolutely brilliantly exactly how I feel. There is too much do this, write this, join this going on… Just blog if you want to about what you want to and enjoy it! You can’t please everyone. Louise you are an absolute ⭐️
Thank you so much Catie – definitely true that you can’t please everyone and blogging because you enjoy it makes such a difference – not just to how you feel about blogging but it also comes through in your posts too 🙂
This post has really made me feel better, I have just started my blog a couple of weeks ago and felt like a very small fish in a very big pond. But you’ve made me realise that this is completely fine, I really enjoy blogging as a creative outlet and for me, as long as one person out there can identify with my posts- then that’s completely fine. #bloggerclubuk
So glad that it has helped you feel better – enjoying blogging as a creative outlet for yourself is such a great reason to blog and there will always be someone out there who enjoys and identifies with something you have written.
This is a great post and so important to remember the points you make. This isn’t my job, blogging isn’t my career, nor a financial earner, it’s just my hobby, something I love and a way to share our life with what originally started out as friends and family. I don’t worry about things like stats or followers or compare myself to others, because none of that is important is it? I love my blog, and I love writing, even if I were the only one reading I still wouldn’t stop! #puddinglove
Thanks Laura – that is such a great attitude to have. So glad that you love your blog and love writing – that’s the most important thing when it comes to blogging!
What a wonderful post Louise! So well written and so true! As a new blogger (6 weeks in) it is easy to feel very overwhelmed . I have felt like giving up a few times as I’ve just not known where to start with the technical and social media side! It’s a whole new world of learning and that’s without even thinking about the writing itself! But it is just such a fantastic thing to do and the blogging community is so supportive! Posts like this are so encouraging! 🙂 x #PuddingLove
Thank you Rebecca – it is so easy to feel overwhelmed, especially as a new blogger – there is so much to learn in the early days. The blogging community is such a supportive place though and so glad that my post has helped encourage you too x
Well if this doesn’t make us bloggers smile then what does!? It is easy to get blogger envy when you see what everyone else is up to. It’s brilliant advice to stay true to yourself and write what you want to write about. Well said I say #triballove – On #bloggerclubUK x
Blogger envy is a good way of describing it and it’s so hard to resist at times. Thank you for your lovely comment Karen 🙂
Wise words ☺️ I don’t have time to be anything other than a small fish but lovely people on Twitter/linkys makes me feel like I’m doing okay. #BloggerClubUK
Thank you Becky – nothing wrong with being a small fish! 🙂
Thank you so much for this Louise. As a newbie, I must admit I’ve had thoughts about whether there is room for one more (although we were meant to be more of a DIY/Craft blog, I find I’m identifying a lot with parent bloggers). This is so reassuring to read and has also helped me to re-fucus a bit. I have to say that the parent bloggers have been the most wonderful, supportive, and welcoming community of people I could ever wish to know. Great to find this post via #BloggerClubUK and #PuddingLove (am I allowed to say both?!)
Thank you Cal, so glad you found it reassuring. There is always room for one more in the blogging community and I have to agree that I have found it to be a wonderfully supportive and welcoming community too x
Thats completly true! There is room for all of us. We are all different in our own unique way. Everyone brings something different to the table. I am just glad to be part of a lovely group of bloggers who help each other along their own path xx
#puddinglove
#triballove
Thank you Rachel – we all bring different things to the table and that’s part of what makes the blogosphere such an interesting place 🙂
This is so true! There are so many different voices out there – everyone has their own unique style and point of view. You’re bound to find some other bloggers that you relate to and enjoy reading.
I love this line: “Nobody, not even your mum, absolutely has to read your blog.” It’s true – I may not have many readers, but they are choosing to read my content and seem to like it, and that’s what’s important. 🙂 #triballove
Thank you – I love that there are so many different voices out there; it’s what makes reading other blogs so interesting 🙂
So true Louise. I write my blog for me and for N, and I’m proud of it. I do what I want with it, and people read it.
Thanks Emma – you definitely should be proud of your blog. I have to say I always enjoy reading it 🙂
I totally agree – there is definitely room for us all and anyone who wants to start a blog should absolutely do it without worrying about how many other people are doing it. I think it’s a good sign – if lots of people are doing it, there’s probably a good reason for it!
Thanks for linking up to #BloggerClubUK 🙂
Debbie
Amen to that! I love this post. It is so very true. We all write for our own reasons and we should never lose sight of what those reasons are.
Thank you Sarah – always good to remember why we write and stay true to ourselves 🙂
What a brilliant post! I agree I think there is room for everyone because we all have a different approach and a different voice!
I’m still really new to blogging, but part of what has put me off starting and cobtuinuing with a blog has been that I thought it could all be a bit saturated. Then I thought, who cares?!
Thank you – definitely don’t let the thought of the blogosphere being saturated put you off. If you want to blog, go for it – there’s plenty of space for another blog! 🙂
What a great post and beautifully written. It’s very easy to get swept up in the need to achieve with your blog, but like you say each blog is different and for the majority of us its just our space carved out on the internet where we can express ourselves. Thanks for sharing with #PuddingLove
Thank you – definitely agree that it is easy to get swept up in wanting to achieve things and I know I’ve certainly been guilty of that at times but I’m a much happier blogger just for taking that step back and reminding myself of why I write. Thank you for hosting #PuddingLove 🙂
I could not agree more! There is definitely room for everyone and being jealous of other bloggers because they are more funny, more organised or more successful is just a waste of time. Everyone I’ve ever met is so friendly and happy to share ideas / have a good chat. You’ve got my vote (and all my family / friends) in the BiBs my lovely friend xxx
Thank you so much Mel – the blogosphere is such a friendly place on the whole and that’s one of the things I love about it 🙂
So true! I’ve actually deactivated my tots100 account because I don’t personally see the point in it as I’m not a big blogger looking for scores anymore. I am much happier just doing what I’m doing 🙂
There’s a lot to be said for not looking at scores at all – I quite like to know where I am with the Tots100 but these days I don’t get hung up on it like I once did.
So lovely Louise. As a newbie I have had many concerns but posts like this help. Enjoyed your beautiful words and agree that we can all have our own voice. I know my husband was concerned that I dont have one specific topic for all my blogs. But Im doing it for me and to be more social so thats all that matters. #puddinglove #triballove
Thank you Sarah – not having a specific topic is fine – as you say, you’re doing it for you and that’s what matters 🙂
I love this, I definitely have felt a bit overwhelmed the last couple of months – sometimes everyone around you seems to be doing better than you and you lose your confidence – I definitely think it’s this time of year. You are right there is room for everyone thank you for reminding me xx
Thank you Natalie – it is so easy to get overwhelmed and lose your confidence, particularly at this time of year – I’ve done it myself many a time. Glad that you enjoyed the post and the reminder that there is plenty of room for all of us 🙂
Totally agree with this! I have moments where I feel a bit poo about blogging and think I’ll never be that good. But then I’m honest and think can I be fagged? No! I write because I enjoy it, same with the blog reading. I also love the community and social side and that’s all that matters!! Xx #thetruthabout
I think we all have those moments. Last year’s Britmums was a real eye opener for me with realising what I really wanted out of blogging and I’ve been so much more comfortable in my own skin as a result. Writing because you love it is really what matters most. I love the community side too 🙂
Very well said Louise. The Internet is a big place and there’s more than enough room for everyone. #TruthAbout
Thanks John. It makes me sad when I hear people feeling like they shouldn’t be blogging because there are so many parent bloggers but there really is plenty of room for us all!
I almost feel like you wrote this post specially for me Louise, after my little slump earlier in the week! It’s definitely a comforting thought that there is room for all of us – we can all find our little tribe of like-minded parents/writers/friends/bloggers in the circles in which we choose to move through the blogosphere and for that I am very grateful! Thanks so much for linking up with me this week on #thetruthabout X
Good timing linking it up I think! The social side is one of the nicest things about blogging – I’ve made so many online friends and it’s so lovely to make those connections. Lovely to link up again, thank you for hosting x
great post. as long as it continues to make me happy then I will blog. and that is it 🙂
Thank you Emma – that’s the best reason to keep blogging! 🙂
Lovely post with a great sentiment x
Thank you Donna 🙂