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Mommy Blogging Has Evolved into Big Business

Mommy Blogging Has Evolved into Big Business

If you’re a mommy blogger or are thinking about becoming one, check out this informative guest post from Jessica about how mommy blogging has evolved into big business.

There are now more than 4.2 million mommy bloggers on the Internet and they have become a powerful marketing army for businesses. Over time, blogging has evolved from just talking about the day to day adventures of being a parent, to incorporating sponsorship and reviews.

According to research, Moms now mention brands 73 times per week on average on their blogs and with their huge online networks, brands are increasingly recognizing this unique opportunity for them. Mom bloggers have a huge list of subscribers to their blogs along with their other social media. A popular and established mom blog is expected to have a monthly audience of around 20,000 or more views. When brands work with blogs, they can tap into those followers.

A 2012 poll showed that 61% of U.S. online shoppers make purchasing decisions based on recommendations they’ve seen on a blog. It’s no wonder then that there is money to be made from mommy blogging.

 

Average Age of Moms is Now Older

Average Age of Moms is Now Older

How old were you when you had your first child? I was 30. Then I was 32 (almost 33) with my second. Apparently that is now older than the average. New stats show the average age of a first-time mom is now 26 years and four months. The new age is attributed to factors like the big drop in teen moms.

Other factors include the fact that many women are also staying in school older and getting married later in life. Many women are just enjoying life before they have kids. We all know how much life changes when you have kids. Besides the expenses, your entire lifestyle does a 180. You and your needs and wants are no longer taking a front seat. I can’t remember the last time I slept till 11 a.m. or binge watched Lifetime movies for an entire afternoon. I can’t remember not knowing the evening lineup of cartoons so that my kids can get some TV time in. These are things that happen when you have kids.

Looking back, I’m glad I waited. It gave me and my husband time to ourselves. It gave us time to take trips to places like Aruba and California. Those types of trips would be a little more difficult these days with two kids in tow (and probably less enjoyable)!

So, did you wait to have kids? If so, are you glad you did?

At What Age Are Kids Most Lovable?

So, as I’m sitting here with my morning coffee as the kids are still sleeping (on a day off, no doubt, score one for Mom), I came across this article talking about when kids are the most lovable. In my current situation, I would say right at this minute when they’re asleep…lol. But, all kidding aside, this study found that kids are the most lovable at age 5. It’s probably because they can feed themselves, go to the bathroom themselves, and dress themselves.

I don’t know if I agree. Being the parent of a now 6 year-old, I can tell you that there is a little sassiness at age 5. There’s a little bit of the “I got this Mom” attitude every now and again. There’s a bit of the eye roll too. That’s not very lovable. So, I’m going to disagree with this study and say that kids are most lovable when they’re just born. There’s an innocence about them at this stage that is undeniable. They have that “new baby” smell that you can inhale for hours. They are so fragile, yet so strong. They just want hugs and cuddles…and a bottle.

Do you agree with this study? Are kids most lovable at age 5? What age would you say?

Finally…A Study That Makes Me Feel Better

Finally…A Study That Makes Me Feel Better

It seems like every study that comes out makes me feel like a bad parent. But, finally there is one that has me singing Alleluia!

Apparently, kids over two who nap may have a harder time sleeping at night. They apparently take longer to fall asleep at bedtime and have a poorer quality of sleep compared with kids who don’t nap.

My kids stopped napping before age 2. They still wouldn’t win any awards for “Best Sleeper”. Nevertheless, this study makes me feel better, so be sure to check it out.

How about you? Do your kid still nap? Are they good bedtime sleepers?

Are Your Kids “Plugged In” at Night?

Are Your Kids “Plugged In” at Night?

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit both of my girls have TVs in their bedrooms. The one in my 5-year-old’s room is old as sin and has the gigantic back to prove it. The one in my 3-year-old’s room is tiny and not even plugged in because we don’t have a cable cord running to it. But, it’s still there, just taking up space.

Although my older daughter has a TV in her room, I can count the times on one hand that she actually watches it…even at night. We usually watch our night shows together on the couch. The funny thing is they don’t really enjoy watching television in their beds. So, I guess that’s a good thing.

A new study shows we shouldn’t keep TVs or small electronics in our children’s rooms if we want them to sleep better. Besides all the screen time rules we’ve heard about, it makes sense for other reasons too. Obviously your kid isn’t going to want to go to sleep if he or she is too busy finding out if Doc McStuffins fixed Lamby. Also all the bright lights and sounds are too much stimulation when you want them to sleep.

Do your kids have TVs in their rooms? Do you allow them to watch TV before bed?

 

Study Says Reading to Kids Doesn’t Make Them Smarter

Study Says Reading to Kids Doesn’t Make Them Smarter

I love to read to my kids. I think it’s one of the most important things I can do for them. They look forward to going to the library and the book store. My older daughter is learning to read in school and gets excited when she can read a sentence on her own. When she asks me who the illustrator of a book is, I know there is a light bulb going on somewhere. So, when a study comes out saying reading to kids doesn’t increase their IQ, I have to roll my eyes.

In a time when we are trying to get parents to spend more time with their kids, let’s discourage them by telling them that sharing the gift of reading will do nothing to make their little ones smarter.

A researcher discovered that how we parent will do nothing to change our children’s IQ because of the role genetics plays. His argument is the way we “parent a child is not going to have a detectable effect on their IQ as long as that parenting is within normal bounds.”

To say I disagree would be an understatement. Kids whose parents don’t read to them will be just as smart as kids whose parents do because of genetics? I don’t think so. Sure, all kids are going to learn to read at school. But, if you don’t do anything at home to reinforce those lessons, all is lost in my opinion. Parents need to take on the responsibility of educator as well. I think laying it all on genetics is just dumb. Studies like these give parents an excuse not to do something they should have been doing all along.

What are your thoughts?

 

Great Reads for SAHMs

I was recently cruising my news feed and I found several great reads for SAHMs. Sometimes you just need to hear someone else’s perspective! I’ve listed them all here if you want to check them out. Trust me, they’re worth the time! My favorite one is the one from Babble. How about you?

 

From the Huffington Post:

To The Employer Reviewing My Stay-at-Home Mom Résumé

From Modern Mom:

Are We Teaching our Daughters to Settle for Good Mom Jobs?

(This one really got me thinking. I don’t think anyone is “settling”. This is definitely a good read.)

From Babble:

Why Staying at Home is a Luxury for Your Spouse.

Kids Taken Out of Booster Seats Too Soon

Kids Taken Out of Booster Seats Too Soon

As parents, we all want to keep our kids safe. But, according to a new survey parents are taking kids out of booster seats way too soon. Trust me, I know it’s tempting. I just checked my car seat book the other day to see where my 5-year-old daughter should be. To me, it seemed as though she didn’t need her car seat anymore because she’s in Kindergarten. But, age has nothing to do with it. It all has to do with weight and height. In order to keep your child as safe as possible, the recommendation is to keep your child in a car or booster seat until they are 57 inches and weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. If you don’t, you are increasing their chance of getting seriously injured if you’re in accident.

 

Kids Are Expensive!

Kids Are Expensive!

Kids are not cheap. We all know that. Now we have more proof. The Agriculture Department has now broken it down for us to the tune of $245,340. That includes everything from food, shelter, clothing and healthcare. Their estimates only cover from birth to age 18, so that doesn’t count if they stick around after that! Geez, that’s a lot of cups of coffee!

Mom, I Want to be Rich

Mom, I Want to be Rich

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a question we often ask kids. There’s always all kinds of answers…doctor, fireman, police officer…etc. Of course there are always some fun and quirky answers.

What would you do if your kid told you he or she just wanted to be rich? Well, that was the number one answer coming out of a survey in Britain. Famous came in number two. While we smile and giggle at these “aspirations”, I have to admit I think it’s sad.

Images of rich and famous people are obviously influencing our kids. Are we not teaching them to have real “dream” jobs that involve education and hard work?

Seventy-five percent of kids surveyed also said that money could buy happiness. If that were the case there would be a lot more happy people out there. We all know that’s not the case.

Other real jobs like doctor and veterinarian did make the list, just a little further down. The big kicker is that some kids say they don’t want to work at all! That was number ten.

I remember getting my first job at sixteen, making peanuts, but thinking I was “rich” because I now had my own money. There was a sense of accomplishment for doing a job and getting rewarded for it. I’m afraid those days are long gone.