We are Family… no, We are THAT Family

I am so proud to be a part of BlogCatalog’s effort to add value for its members through the Blogger Advocate program.  I’m even more proud to spotlight one among many excellent blogs in the Family portion of the BlogCatalog directory.

We Are THAT Family… you know the ones is insightful, at times poignant, and quite often hilariously well-written blog. Its author, Kristen Welch, has created a vivid chronicle of the life and times of her family of five and built a community of devoted readers at the same time.

Kristen’s writing speaks so clearly about her family’s experience and her own learning curve from pre-maternal “expert” on “what children should and should not do” to mother-in-the-trenches. What struck me most was how early in the process she was willing to admit what all mothers have at some point discovered — that no little tribe is perfect, especially when you’re sitting in the driver’s seat.

To explain her blog’s title, she writes,

Through the years, I’ve been in different conversations and either said or someone said to me, “You know THAT family?” They don’t even have to say a name usually. My mind automatically pulls up THAT family.
You know the ones.
The family that always has troubles. Something out of the ordinary is always happening and they are usually followed by disaster.
As I sat in the Emergency Room last night with my little boy, it dawned on me: Oh my word, WE are THAT family.

And so, she has been able to craft, with a writer’s skill, an impressive account of her family’s amusing imperfection. When she writes about her son knocking loose his front teeth, I think to myself about my own son’s close encounter with the ice at the skating rink. When she laughingly writes about mopping the bathroom floor, blogger-style (i.e. overflowing the bathtub because she was checking her blog), I recall the hundred times I’ve boiled the teakettle dry while taking a ‘quick look’ at my stats.   The mom in me gets where Kristen is coming from. So does the blogger in me.

In fact, what puts We Are THAT Family at the top of its genre is the author’s willingness to speak honestly about the craft of blogging, her motivation, and her relationship to the blogging community. Her post, When Bloggers Don’t Blog, resonates with me, not just as a mom-blogger, but as a writer who takes part in an online community and must grapple with the ways in which it changes over time.

So, when I was asked to write my first feature as the BlogCatalog Family Blog Advocate, I thought I would finally drop Kristen a line. And just my luck, in between chapters of Captain Underpants, Kristen set down her chocolate bar and tall glass of sweet tea long enough to answer a few questions about We Are THAT Family … you know the ones and bloggy life in general.

MM: In your blog bio, you write about connecting to the mothering community as an original motivator for starting your blog. How have your reasons for blogging evolved over time?

KW: I still blog for connection, although it has evolved into so much more. I am a writer, so I need to write. It’s how I process. I’m a better mother, a better wife, a better person because I blog. Recently, I started viewing blogging as my job. Not so much for income, although yes, I would like to make money doing what I love, but because I’m proud of what I do.

MM: Mothering well takes a great deal of time and skill. So does quality writing. How do you balance the time demands of both (without overflowing the bathtub every day?)

KW: The balance isn’t easy to strike. Parenting is demanding and requires my full attention. Writing is time consuming. I have my toddler in Mother’s Day Out two days a week. I write many of my posts on these two days, often several at a time and usually a week ahead. I edit some at night. My hubby’s job requires at least an hour of his time every night. We usually ‘work’ side-by-side. … Sometimes the pendulum swings too far in one direction and I’m good at neither. This is a constant struggle for me.

MM: What one piece of advice do you wish a veteran blogger had given you when you were just starting out?

KW: One piece of advice I wish I’d had was for someone to encourage me. I spent months and months AND MONTHS trying to figure out the whole blog world. It was an enormous learning curve. I found the greatest help and joy to be participating in other people’s blogs.
MM: Is there an other blog or blogger whose work inspires you?

KW: Shannon from Rocks in My Dryer is definitely an inspiration. I’m also proud to say she’s become a good friend. I also love to read The Pioneer Woman.

So, whether you’re a mom in need of a laugh, a newbie, or a veteran blogger from any genre, I hope you’ll give We are THAT Family… you know the ones a look. But more than that, I hope you’ll take Kristen’s message about positive blogging to heart. I can say it no better than she already has when talking about the impact one blogger can have on another:

You may have certain goals for your blog or it may be a helpful outlet to you. Whatever the reason, people are reading your words, whether you know it by their comments or not.

So, blog well.

Written by Julia Kelly, a BlogCatalog Blogger Advocate
http://midwestmoms.blogspot.com/
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