Oh how I wish I were the mom with no “mother’s guilt” but I do suffer from mom guilt. While I think about some of my wonderful guilt-free mom moments, I would like to share with you a mom that doesn’t ever seem to suffer from “mother’s guilt”.
Her name is Stephanie and she is over at Metropolitan Mama. I fell in love with her site, forever ago.
Stephanie covers everything about parenting two young girls. She does a wonderful job of sharing ways that they keep busy and are teaching their girls how to enjoy nature and reading. She also spotlights what other women are doing and how they are changing the world one family at a time. I love that there really isn’t a parenting topic that she ignores. In order to reach a broader audience, she does a “Tuesday Tours” that shares great posts that others are doing that are maybe about topics that she isn’t focusing on. I find that she is very conversational in her posts. I never feel like she is talking down to her audience. Yet, she does help moms at any stage of motherhood, earlier, middle or late. She posts several times a week and I, for one, am always anxious to read her posts when they hit my reader.
Stephanie does several giveaways, but I love that she doesn’t let her readers get away with “I want to win” comments. They are required to add to the discussion. I’ve noticed with her posts that she always asks great questions and she responds to her readers’ comments. Her readers accept her and I think the ones that embrace her, comment. I have never seen a complaint. Her posts and comments are what really confirmed that I would be back over and over again. Now that I’m learning to use twitter, I have found that she uses twitter and her blog. I have not been familiar with her doing much on Facebook (although you can “like” her page) nor in forum’s like BlogFrog.
When you visit her site for the first time, you notice a lot of pink – which works for her. She has two girls and she’s a mom. But the pink doesn’t feel “frilly” or “cutesy” in fact, it is really pretty hip feeling. When you go to her blog, you know you are going to get to read the words of a very cool and caring mom. I appreciate bloggers who make it easy to subscribe to their blog. With Stephanie’s you can subscribe to her RSS, email, Facebook or twitter.
In order to monetize from her website, she sells a really great eBook about mom bloggers. I bought it and found the information to be very useful and easy to understand. She also has amazon affiliate links on her site for products she uses all the time (like her Nikon D90).
I’d love to know what she does for SEO etc, but maybe I’ll just have to ask her.
If you want to read about a mom without “mother’s guilt” you really should check her out.
Now back to me. My guilt free mommy moments are when I’m getting great big hugs from my little girls as they welcome me home from a long day of work. I have no guilt then, because I am finally with them, my favorite place to be.
Another guilt free time is when I watch them playing with their grandparents and their cousins. I know that when they are with them, they are being loved and cared for better than anyone (besides Scott and I) can.
I also have absolutely no guilt when I sit down with them to read a book.
This week, my favorite “guilt free moment” was when I had to take the girls to swimming. Typically their nanny will take them to their lessons, but on this particular day, she had called in sick. So, I took my blackberry and my camera and headed down with my girls for swimming lessons. I wondered around for the half hour checking emails and most importantly capturing some photos of swim lessons. I love the moments that I get to just forget about the grind and get lost in their huge smiles and giggles while they are learning something new.
Be sure and join Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop and share you wonderful mommy moments.
*** This post was also written with “Day 4” of the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge.
Who are you favorite Mommy and Family Bloggers? What makes you like them?
[…] The lights of my life make me smile constantly. Okay not constantly, because sometimes they are little turkeys. But […]
Twitter: moneyandrisk
Thank you so much for visiting me.
Your photos are so great and I love the story you had about your cousins and the family relationship.
MM sounds great and I definitely plan on visiting her blog. You gave her such a fantastic review.
As to the subject of guilt, just remember that kids are experts at manipulation and nature has also provided them with physical tools to do so. I used to do research on child development and women automatically generates certain chemicals when they see shapes of children’s faces. You add love to it and we’re just putty.
Wow … what lovely works about MM!! Are you related in some way!? HAHA!
And I love how you think about guilt free moments … when you look at it the way you do, it is easy to think of many of them!
Twitter: sssurvivor
You described Stephanie and her blog so well. She’s always positive, always down-to-earth. I love that she can offer a giveaway and still make the focus of the post be about a person or people, and not about stuff.
Twitter: mommylebron
Great job on this post! I’m stopping by from Mama Kat’s and glad I did! Now I’m headed over to meet this Stephanie!
http://mommylebron.wordpress.com
Twitter: addingtonmom
Thank you so much for stopping over today and commenting on my post! I’m happy to return the love, and think your blog is fantastic. Your photography is amazing and very inspiring. I am just getting into photography, and hope to take pictures half as good 🙂
I’ll have to go check out Metropolitan Mama also!
Do you have an About Me section? I am wondering if you are a working mom…
Great job tying in the 31DBBB Challenge and the Writer’s Workshop!!
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Hi Katie- I do have an “About Me” it is up at the top of the page.
I am a working mom, luckily I get to telecommute a few days a week.
Lovely snapshots!
You know I have A LOT of fav mom bloggers. SO SO many. I read them all for their uniqueness. :o)
Twitter: 2twinfinity
Mom guilt is a big one for me. I feel like no matter how much I do, I could be doing so much better. Unsolicited hugs and love are at the top of my good mom moments. Then you know your kids really love you and forgive the things you do wrong.
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:46 pm
unsolicited hugs are a sure sign you’re doing it right 🙂
What great photos of the girls. That makes it worth the trip, just for those!
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Amy Andrus Sanford, Amy Andrus Sanford. Amy Andrus Sanford said: Mother's Guilt? I don't believe this blogger has it. For Day 4 of #31DBBB I analyzed one of my favs http://bit.ly/axNhul @stephsday […]
I think we all experience mom guilt. We just can’t help it. We love our kids so much and want everything to be just perfect for them, but in reality that can’t happen. That’s when the guilt walks in. I think the important thing is to not let it swallow us up and try to focus on the times that we actually do things right.
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:44 pm
Jennifer, you are so right. Not getting swallowed up is such a challenge. Oh, and realizing when we are doing something right – that too is a challenge.
Twitter: makeitworkmom
I love Stephanie’s blog as well. Every time I read her new posts, I realize just how simple being a mom should be – and the joy we take in being mothers. Kids grow up so fast that I find myself getting anxious to not be spending every waking moment with them, but if the small amount of time I’m with them is quality, no harm done. 🙂 Cute pics of your swimming girls!
Twitter: basementcoffice
I found your post in the twitter list from the 31 Day challenge. I like your blog very much.
Twitter: sandrineankara
What gorgeous pics! I reckon that when do have a guilty moment, you could just look at their faces on these pictures to remind yourself of what a great life you give them and how happy they are!
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Thanks, Sandrine. You are right pictures help me a lot with my mom guilt. It is so hard being a way from them every day at work and the pictures on my desk and throughout my blog remind me that I am working to give them every possible opportunity.
Hi, I found your blog through MamaKat’s workshop and I’m glad I stopped by. I chose a different prompt, but what you illustrated as your guilt-free mommy moments hit close to home. It’s the simplest things that makes motherhood the best job in the world huh? A smile, a hug, a kiss! Glad you got to spend extra time with your daughters. 🙂
Twitter: stephsday
Amy, you’ve blown me away with your kind words. Thank you!
I actually do experience mom guilt – often. I wonder: Am I doing enough? Giving enough? Shouldn’t I be doing A, B, or C to help my girls? Etc. That said, I try not to let those doubts and fears cripple me.
Oh, and you are SO right about my MM Facebook page! I need to figure out how to make that a better resource for my readers.
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:33 pm
I think the guilt that you feel helps you be an even better mom. And about Facebook, I’m guilty of not knowing if you are being active in FB because I so rarely remember to log in. Twitter is so much more fun and it doesn’t get all muddled with the games people are playing.