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Taking It Public

Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 10:32 AM by Dan Fleschner
Filed Under:

(From Janet Shamlian, NBC News Correspondent)

I'm a writer by training, but I'm no match for these women when it comes to tales from the home front.   Call it the new coffee clutch, moms are sharing everything from parenting advice to details of their marriage on the World Wide Web.  I sat down with three of them to talk about the trend for a report on Wednesday's Today Show. WATCH VIDEO

What they write about used to be the stuff of diaries or a mid-morning phone call between the best of friends, and maybe that's why they've become so popular.

Being a mom can be isolating, but with a connection to the Internet we can peek behind the curtain of our contemporaries who blog about their lives, whether it be a tense morning moment with a hubby over who's driving carpool to feeling guilty about taking little Tommy to our hair appointment instead of taking him to the park.

I have to admit, there are several blogs I check every morning...if only to validate that that I'm not the only who feels like she's constantly dropping the balls.


Correspondent Janet Shamlian, producer Rachel Burstein,
and bloggers.

In the midst of talking to other moms, these bloggers have discovered big business was listening. Companies like Graco and Johnson & Johnson are reaching out to mom bloggers, hoping to get a mention. 

Women value the opinion of other women, and if a blogger writes that she loves the little girls' orange butterfly sandals from the x-y-z shoe store, you can be certain a few other moms will head directly to x-y-z to buy them! 

To wit, I just read in Meredith Vieira's blog about her Zoobie.  Now, I want one... but I'm not sure how to justify buying it for myself.  It is, after all, a toy. The point is, many mom bloggers are making serious cash from their recommendations and ads on their websites.


Behind the scenes! We had lunch on the table during our
interview, but no one wanted to eat for fear of embarrassing
ourselves!

For now, I'll stick to telling the stories of others...but I sure admire the women who can share it all with the world!

Want to read more from the women in our report and pictured here?  Their blogs are:

www.wouldashoulda.com
www.motherhooduncensored.net
www.svmoms.com

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Comments

I think in a society where so many mothers have had to be a huge part of our work force, and have had to leave their children with child care facilities it is a breathe of fresh air to see them getting to stay home, make money for their families and be with their children.  Of course it is important to be careful about what we put out there ; however their ability to talk openly about the matters of their hearts and homes is one of the things that links us, supports us and lets us know their are all situations in families and lets us learn from each other.  I have been forced to stay home due to a disablity and I have three wonderful little boys.  I love to hear about other peoples experiences and sometimes apply them to my life.  My experience with my body failing me has actually humbled me.  I learned the fact that I am present in their everyday life and that I can do what I can is more than some other children have.  I learned the most important things in life are not things, after having to leave my job with my illness.  I live in the present a I have realized that I don't have to be perfect.  Perfect is impossible and exhausting. God Speed !!!

Terry Austin, El Dorado Springs, MO (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 11:57 AM)

Just wanted to say, Kudos to all you great MOMS! I'm a mom of an 11yr old girl and I would have loved to have had a place to go to just vent somedays or ask questions you can't find in Books, Thankgod for my mom and girlfriends back then.Wish I could start my own Blog and share in your Happiness and success!
keep on keeping on!! p.s. Happy Mothers' Day

Marea Joncas, Westford, Ma (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 11:58 AM)

Hi Janet,  This was a wonderful piece and I was excited to see so many of the women I know, both through their blogs and personally, included in the piece.

I will say one thing, however.  To define "mommy bloggers" as women who are part of a new coffee klatsch is a bit misleading.  While  wonderful writers like Kristen, Jill and Mir focus on their families, many of us mothers who blog write about politics and other issues of the day!

While I do write about some aspects of my life, my focus at my blog, PunditMom (http://punditmom1.blogspot.com), is politics.  I write about politics and other issues with many other women & mothers at group blogs, such as MOMocrats (http://momocrats.typepad.com) and BlogHer (http://www.blogher.com), as well.

As you well know, mothers are not one-dimensional in their lives or interests.  And we are multi-faceted in our blogging topics, as well!

Best,  Joanne Bamberger
aka PunditMom

Joanne Bamberger (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 12:21 PM)

Very nice blog post, Ms. Shamlian - I am proud to say that I have worked (or, read) each of these bloggers and you couldn't have picked a better bunch of women to represent the mom bloggers of the Internets - though, I would have liked to have heard more from your interview with Kristen, Mir and Jill.  They really are such great examples of what's going on with moms on the blogosphere, today.

Liz Thompson, Central, New Jersey (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 12:48 PM)

Thanks for an awesome segment, Janet. No one has come a-knocking on my door about the "duck" incident, so that's reassuring.

Motherhood Uncensored (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 1:08 PM)

Hi Janet.  I'm a new MommyBlogger and I wanted to thank you and give you big kudos on the piece you did for the Today Show this morning.  It was very well done and I appreciate the class and humor with which it was executed.

Rachel, Corpus Christi, Texas (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 1:12 PM)

Congrats for meeting with 3 amazing women who are fantastic representatives of this exciting new media.

Jessica McFadden, Silver Spring, MD (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 1:41 PM)

This was a great segment! I love hearing about mommy bloggers! I have been blogging for a year and mine pays for all the groceries and then some!

Dallas, Texas (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 2:03 PM)

thanks for making Kristen, Mir and Jill actually come across as intelligent and viable people who happen to be mommy bloggers, and not denigrating them for it.  awesome.  

Debbie, Portland, Oregon (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 2:05 PM)

I read some blogs as well too, but I think there's a fine line that some mother's cross when sharing "TOO" much information. The woman Heather Armstrong that was in the later part of the interview is a prime example, she shares to the point of humiliation concerning her daughter.

I think this mommy blogging business is going to die down soon it won't be as big and fresh and new. Then what they'll have in some incidences is a journal of too much personal information that will be in cyberspace forever. I think Kathy Lee was hitting a nerve when speaking to Heather, she's right--something is terrible wrong about exposing your children this much.

I know that the author Mir is anonymous about her children, but now that she's on TV how anonymous can you be?

Carrie, Clovis, CA (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 2:14 PM)

It is great to have input from other Moms. No one except a Mom can understand the guilt we feel when we choose to take a Saturday and go shopping with friends and let Dad take a turn. It is really hard to justify to ourselves that the children, and Dad, will be ok without us for a little while. It makes me feel better to know that not everyone has had a perfect morning when we get to daycare and everyone else seems to have everything in order and our nose is running and we only have on one shoe. Motherhood is the most rewarding "job" I have ever had, but it also takes the most work and so many times it helps to have encouragement from others who face the same things we do.

Melanie Wood, Fulton, MS (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 5:30 PM)

It would have been nice if the segment would have had any information about the sense of community that has brought these women to blogging.  It is not about the money (few make the big bucks) or exploiting your family.  It is about not feeling alone while raising your children.  I feel that Heather Armstrong was cheated out of telling her story by the asinine comments by Kathie Lee Gifford.  I have never been a Today show viewer and I do not intend to start after seeing this piece that was insulting to the intelligent community of "Mommy Bloggers".

Karen T., Austin, Texas (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 11:15 PM)

I enjoyed the piece on the Today Show this morning.  I'd love to know how these women are making enough money to support their families this way.  Thanks for the story!

Heather, Berkeley, CA (Sent Wednesday, May 07, 2008 11:41 PM)

While I am sure YOUR take on the mommy blog 'phenomena' might have UNDERSTOOD it...the whole segment was insulting and demeaning to women.  Not just mom's..women.

It continued to push the stereotypes of moms and pigeon whole moms into at-home brainless drones.

The segment was SOOO condesending...." OOOH look at these MOM's making some MONEY for themselves"

No respect shown for them being mothers, women, business women, etc....

No respect or understanding for the diversity of mothers or the power of GOOD for the internet...

Did we not see Elisa Camahor?  I did not hear one mention of BlogHer or the types of conferences and forums available now for women.

You have shown again, by your more insightful piece here ON THE INTERNET that once again Mainstream Media cannot keep up with changing times and attitudes.

Crunchy Carpets, Vancouver, CANADA (Sent Thursday, May 08, 2008 12:14 PM)

With 5 kids of your own, I can imagine your stories would be extremely entertaining and inspirational!  We enjoyed being part of the piece Janet- Thanks so much for including us.

Lindsay Lebresco (Graco) (Sent Thursday, May 08, 2008 1:01 PM)

Fantastic information.

Thanks for sharing it with us.

I am always so amazed
at what all a person can
learn by reading.

The internet is a fantastic way to
learn.

Kudos

Linda
www.attentiontodetailgifts.com

Linda, Sun City, Ca (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 12:40 AM)

Janet,

As one of the moms from school, I watch in awe as I see you on the Today Show and then in the carpool line dropping off your children! I don't believe you drop many balls, dearie!

I think the Today Show viewers (and your neighbors) would benefit from hearing more on how you raise five young children alongside a demanding job with non-stop travel.

I hope you can feel the hug.

Anne C. HOUSTON, TEXAS (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 7:02 AM)

Hi Janet:

Thank you for the link to these blogs. Super reading!  

Emily Pulaski Skokie, Illinois (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 9:40 AM)

Excellent piece. I love the insight these moms give.

Suzanne, Richmond, Virginia (Sent Friday, May 09, 2008 9:55 AM)



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