Blogging. It's The New Parenting Magazine.

While being interviewed for this little bit of fun, I was under the impression that the write-up would be more about community in the blogging world. That's what the interview was mostly about. Each author puts their own spin on things. But as this is my place to write, I'm going to spin things my way.

It's amazing, really, what blogging does for parenthood. At least for me. When Becky was born I didn't even own a computer, and blogs were just being invented. I lived and learned as I went, just like generations of parents did before me. I talked to friends when I could to discuss things like potty training and spoon feeding and getting kids to sleep through the night. (General consensus was that kids will do what they want, when they want.) A few years ago, I discovered blogging. I know for a fact that my parenting has changed because of this.

Blogging is really a community of friends. I can consult someone, or several someones, daily. I can talk to friends about teens or toddlers. We discuss everything from diapering to driving. There is always someone with a child my child's age to chat with. And from these friends I have learned so very much. I learned from reading about their parenting struggles as much as anything.

I learned that everyone struggles with the same issues. This made me realize that I'm not the most inept parent ever. It's reassuring.

I learned that all parents are sleep deprived, and not a one of us is running on full brain power. Mistakes are going to be inevitable. Beating ourselves up over them is nonproductive.

I learned that kids are all the same, no matter what parenting techniques we use. They'll push limits and throw tantrums and fail to sleep when you most need them to. It doesn't matter if you're a liberal mom, or a crunchy mom, or a religious mom, kids are going to be kids.

I learned that there is a whole community of special needs parents that know so much more than I do about Micah, and it's a very good thing indeed.

I learned that there is no right or wrong way to parent. Blogging has reaffirmed that parenting is about trial and error, and a whole lot of getting up again when you fall down. You can carve pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns on November 2 because you didn't have time before Halloween, and it's not a bad thing because the kids had a good time. There were smiles and laughter involved. You can let your kids eat Halloween candy for breakfast because it'll only last 2 days before the supply runs out, and no lasting damage will be done in 2 days time. You can be reassured that every kid in the history of forever has changed their Christmas wish list fifteen bazillionty times AFTER you've bought their gift, so you're not alone in your frustration.

Blogging. Bringing the world together one story at a time.