Blog Bragging::A Few Thoughts
I have been reflecting a bit on "blog bragging". You know when people share that their 6 year old is reading at 5th grade level, their 15 year old is done with high school, how their perfect family is up, dressed and working at the table by 7:30 a.m. (to me that is bragging ;)), or their high school graduate was accepted to the most prestigious colleges...
I brag sometimes. Or at least I share what I consider the better qualities that my children possess. They may be qualities that frustrate me, but still ones that I consider "positive".
I have realized though that just like we don't usually show pictures of our dirty dishes piling up in the sink, we don't usually show our children's worst moments or our parenting blunders...
Like when I took my boys to McDonald's yesterday and had to send my 10 year old to the car for his less than pleasant (I am being kind here) behavior. That made for a fun lunch. Or a few days ago, when preparing for the arrival of my 3yo niece, my son goofed up the settings on our video so that I could not start Barney the instant she walked in the door, and I bit his head off with something to the effect of "how stupid that was" (my poor boy!).
One thing I considered in my reflection is that blogging helps me to see the good in my children. Even when relating something that may not have been an entirely positive occasion, I try to see the good in it and share that. Interestingly, perspective on something can change when I put in under the "blogging light".
On the flip side, I was browsing a blog the other day that consistently featured one child in the family in a less than favorable light. After a few minutes, I found it uncomfortable to keep reading the blog. I have my own moments with my own children. While I sometimes find comfort in the fact that other parents have those struggles too, reading a day to day account of them was disturbing. It almost seemed like the one child was being picked on.
I brag sometimes. Or at least I share what I consider the better qualities that my children possess. They may be qualities that frustrate me, but still ones that I consider "positive".
I have realized though that just like we don't usually show pictures of our dirty dishes piling up in the sink, we don't usually show our children's worst moments or our parenting blunders...
Like when I took my boys to McDonald's yesterday and had to send my 10 year old to the car for his less than pleasant (I am being kind here) behavior. That made for a fun lunch. Or a few days ago, when preparing for the arrival of my 3yo niece, my son goofed up the settings on our video so that I could not start Barney the instant she walked in the door, and I bit his head off with something to the effect of "how stupid that was" (my poor boy!).
One thing I considered in my reflection is that blogging helps me to see the good in my children. Even when relating something that may not have been an entirely positive occasion, I try to see the good in it and share that. Interestingly, perspective on something can change when I put in under the "blogging light".
On the flip side, I was browsing a blog the other day that consistently featured one child in the family in a less than favorable light. After a few minutes, I found it uncomfortable to keep reading the blog. I have my own moments with my own children. While I sometimes find comfort in the fact that other parents have those struggles too, reading a day to day account of them was disturbing. It almost seemed like the one child was being picked on.
My perfect, wonderful, fantastic boys. ;) Next time I'll post a picture of Mark pummeling
Paul because Paul used him as a towel to dry his hands...
Lori ~ I try to be balanced in my blogging of the family and will admit I'm more likely to avoid posting negative things. After all, it lives out there forever!
ReplyDeleteGlad to know my boys aren't the only ones reacting physically towards siblings when personal space is violated (perceived or real.) Our culture would have the boys more sedate and that just isn't 'real.'
Finally...I've found that while some kids seem exceptional in one area, things tend to level out over time.
LOL We just went to McDonald's 1 hour ago!!! And it is because I was too lazy to make a wholesome lunch :) Oh yeah, and in the car, Stan and Mabel got in a fight over the light saber and Stan ended up crying :(
ReplyDeleteAnd my daughter told the new neighbors that the dead rabbit in their backyard "probably came from my dad who had to get rid of the rabbit problem for my mom." I wanted to die of embarrassement when she told me that. Ugh!
One time when I was at McDonald's when my older two boys were very little, they had both crawled up to the very top of the climber and started fighting with each other. And I mean they were really going at it! I had to crawl up that darn climber to break up the fight!! Those things are not made for adult bodies! I was mortified and we high tailed it out of there!! LOL "fun" memories.
ReplyDeleteI do think it's hard to balance the good with the bad. Sometimes I think I tend to be too hard on my kids and focus on what they are not doing right. When I blog I hope to try and take a bit more of a middle of the road approach. I fully admit that I "clean-up" before taking pictures!!! Great post!
I love these comments! Thanks ladies.
ReplyDeleteWell, I for one have only wonderfully, perfect, and never-bad children and our days go super smoothing- always.
ReplyDeleteNow, I'll pinch myself and wake up! Although I won't share the nasties of our week (lol too many to choose from!) I will agree that I tend to focus more on the positive happenings in our day. But it wasn't always that way. I think I was listening to Malia (uh, oh I just forgot her last name!) at last years TOS online convention thing (lol well it is almost 1am here) about how she would almost always have something negative to say about one particular child. And soon her other children were also having negative reactions due to the words and actions of the mom. I used to do that with my DEAR son. I reread my posts and felt so bad that I could only write the bad. Now I *try* to focus on the good. Who really and truly wants to read all the nitty gritty when it comes to the negative? It's so much better reading when we hear about the 6 year old reading at a 5th grade level (although I do wonder....).
So, I go back to my first sentence in this comment :)
Well, I for one have only wonderfully, perfect, and never-bad children and our days go super smoothing- always. :)