It is such an amazing thing to see your child grow. I remember when I first felt her kick in my stomach (my husband assured me it was just gas). I remember when she was born and how I couldn’t get a moment’s rest in the hospital because everyone on staff (doctors, nurses, janitors alike) wanted to see the “Hawaiian-looking baby.” I remember I was so nervous during her kindergarten testing that I almost fainted.
And now she can read. She’s 6. Been reading since she was 4, but now she can really read. Words like “possible,” “achievement,” and “accomplishment.” Words I thought for sure she’d stumble over but she keeps on going. It’s awesome.
But then I was sitting down writing a post, she came over and looked over my shoulder. “I..don’t…mean…to…vent…but,” she read off the screen.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said, closing the laptop.
“What?”
“That page,” I said. “Stop reading it.”
She looked puzzled. And I felt puzzled.
I don’t think I write anything I wouldn’t want her to read. When I write a post I try to be aware of how I’m wording certain things or how I’m framing certain events. My main point with this blog is to have a written record for my kids on how I handled adversity, what kind of mother I was, my hopes and dreams and all the crazy stuff that happened along the way. So of course I want her to be able to read it. Just maybe…not now.
I’ve already set some personal boundaries in terms of what I write about my children, because I do realize that just because I’m living my life out loud, it doesn’t mean my children have to either. I try to respect their privacy and don’t post any embarrassing shots that might come back to haunt them later.
My daughter being able to read (and comprehend a good chunk of what she’s reading) has shifted how I see myself as a blogger, definitely. Because while being a mother gave me the direction for my blog, I don’t want to make their life the attraction. And for the most part I do think I keep the attention at an acceptable level.
I wrote earlier about how I wish my mom had a blog when I was growing up, because it would be cool to see events as they played out from her perspective. Maybe I’m just one of those people who likes to get inside other people’s brains but I think it’d be fascinating. So this blog is my motherhood record – the good, bad and the ugly. It took me a long time to really see my mother as “a woman” outside of the role she held as my mom. I hope this blog helps me bridge that gap with my children when the time comes. Just…not now.
For all my bloggers out there, are your kids able to read what you write? As your kids get older, do you hold back on posting more personal details?
My daughter can’t read yet and when I write,I find myself shielding other members of my family rather than my daughter. I know how easily.my family can take something out of context and blow something out of proportion so when I write about them,I’m careful…very careful.
haha! MAN! I go through this with Leilani ALL.THE.TIME. They are reading machines!
my kiddos can’t read yet, but I do think about it sometimes – what they will think in the future when they can read my blog etc. I don’t want them to be hurt by it in any way so I try to be careful how I share and what I say..
My kids are 11, 8 and 4. So yes, they are aware of my blog. But most times, they aren’t interested in what I write. They are more concerned with the pictures I post of them on Facebook. Once, my daughter jokingly called me a cyber bully because I posted an unflattering picture of her. I wasn’t being mean, I thought it to be cute. But she didn’t like it. Since then, I’m much more careful with the things I post online.
Yes! By the time my daughter hit 8, I understood the likelihood that she’d read my blog before I was ready for her to. She knows the name of it. She searches the internet (mostly for horse and dog videos at this point, and yes within the parental controls I set up – but STILL.) I had a blog-dentity crisis when I realized this, but I think I’m out of it now. There are blog topics which are just off-limits to the public, because her privacy demands it. And for me as a writer? That’s hard. But for me as a mom, it’s crucial. So yes – I hear you and I’m right there with you.
Great food for thought for when I have kids.
My daughter can read pretty well and sometimes I catch her reading what I’m writing on paper (like in my personal journal) but she hasn’t tried to read my blog or anything yet, even though she’s getting more and more comfortable using the laptop for games and such. I don’t think I write anything I wouldn’t want her to read, but I know what you mean. Maybe not yet.