Better babies through blogging

By Julie

Three years ago today, I began publishing DotMoms.

People often ask why I started this group momblog. Here's the answer.

I believe in the power of writing to help us understand our lives.

I want to encourage writers to tell the whole truth about parenting, and in the process I want to give them the opportunity to work with an experienced editor, receive feedback, publish their momoirs, and gain confidence as authors.

I also want to connect those writers with readers eager to see their real lives as parents reflected, so we could learn together that while each mother's experience is singular, motherhood doesn't have to feel like solitary confinement.

When we give voice to our struggles and successes, our trials and triumphs, we free ourselves from loneliness, from fear, from judgment. Telling the truth frees us from the prison of our perceptions and releases us into the world of possibilities. If knowledge is power, then knowing we're not alone gives us the power to connect with others. Knowing we're all flawed gives us the power to accept ourselves and others. Knowing who we are as mothers gives us the power to choose how we parent.

That's DotMoms, enlightening parents, one post at a time. Because enlightened parents are happier parents, and happier parents create happier childhoods.

When I first started DotMoms, there were a couple dozen mom bloggers and no single daily blog where you could read a collection of mothers' voices. I never promoted DotMoms, but readers, journalists, publicists, marketers and advertisers found us, wrote about us, asked us to promote their products. Now, there are more mom blogs than I can count, more sites that feature multiple mothers' voices, and more activity in the momosphere than ever before.

Still, DotMoms serves its purpose as a place where warm, witty, wonderful women write about their lives as mothers, and where readers can start the day informed about parenthood and infused with a spirit of optimism about family life.

DotMoms has been keeping mothers company since 2003. If it takes a village to raise a child, then you are our virtual village. Thank you.

Julie Moos is founder and editor of DotMoms. She lives with her husband and 10-year-old son in Safety Harbor, Florida.

Comments

[kelly]

Good for you! Follow your dreams. I enjoy DotMoms. ;)

[Anjali]

Thanks for all that you do. You and DotMoms were the start of a revolution of mothers who write about their experiences. Congrats!

[amy h.]

Julie-Thank you so much for creating dot-moms and being the driving force behind our success. Through this experience I have grown and built my confidence as a writer while learning, laughing and connecting along with the other dot-moms. Kudos to you!
~Amy

[Amy]

I loved being apart of the start of this Julie!! Thank you SO much

[chris]

i mis-read "we free ourselves from loneliness" as *we free ourselves from loudness*- there are some days where that's a tough choice! proud to be a member of this virtual village!

[Robin P]

It's amazing to think that when I joined DotMoms in April of 2004,I was the 15th DotMom.
I think this is a great place to write,share and vent. It's always helpful to get such positive feedback from the readers.
I've learned a lot over the years.