DotMoms

What's next for DotMoms?

By Julie Moos

As some of you know, I had surgery a year and a half ago to remove benign tumors (adenomas) in my liver, and now I am scheduled to have surgery on my liver again to address more adenomas that have grown since my last operation. Beginning Friday, Jan. 11, I'll be in the hospital for 7-10 days, then recovering at home for 6-8 weeks.

During some of that time I'll be offline and won't be updating DotMoms. There are a few momoirs scheduled to publish in the next few weeks, and others may publish daily news about parenting at the DotMoms Twitter page. While I'm recovering, I'll assess whether to continue DotMoms and if so, how.

I'm proud of how the site has evolved over the years -- from the only group blog about motherhood when I began it 4 and a half years ago, to a directory with links to hundreds of mom bloggers, to a singular source for parenting headlines. I'm thrilled to have been a midwife of the mom blogging movement, and I continue to be impressed by the creativity and connectivity I see in sites other moms have developed, like The MotherHood.

If you have ideas about how DotMoms can serve parents, let me know in the comments. Once I have decided how to proceed, I'll let you know.

Meanwhile, if you want to keep track of my progress, you can go to: http://www.carepages.com

Once there, click "Visit a CarePage." You'll need to register the first time you use the site, then you'll need to log in to view updates. To access my information, enter this exact CarePage Name: JulieMMoos

I wish you and your families all the best in 2008,
Julie

Julie Moos is founder and editor of DotMoms. She lives with her husband and 11-year-old son in Safety Harbor, Florida.

Twittering DotMoms Daily

I'm experimenting with the DotMoms Daily over the holidays. I'm going to begin Twittering parenting headlines as they appear, so you can receive them in a more timely way. If you use Twitter, you can follow DotMoms at http://twitter.com/dotmoms. If you don't use Twitter, the headlines will still appear here at DotMoms, on the top right of the page. Let me know whether this satisfies your need for news or whether there's something you prefer about my previous approach to the DotMoms Daily.

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.

Our new design: Love it? Hate it?

After years of cobbling feature onto feature, it was time for a DotMoms facelift.

Our new design is an adaptation of a TypePad template, modified to clarify our focus -- the momoirs you read daily -- while also highlighting parenting headlines, blogs and books by DotMoms, and the faces behind the families you've come to know and love.

We hope you like the new look, if so let us know. If you hate it, tell us why (yes, it loads a little more slowly). E-mail your feedback to founder and editor Julie Moos. While you're at it, wish us a "Happy Birthday," we turn three years old on October 20, which I think means we're ready for preschool.

Keep reading!

Connecting the dots in DotMoms

By Robin P. and Kris

Robin: When I began writing for DotMoms in the spring of 2004, I was the 15th mom to join. One day, a co-worker said, "Hey Robin! Did you know one of the new DotMoms is from Massachusetts?" I was stunned. A DotMom, here? In my very own state?

Kris: I'll never forget the e-mail Robin sent me that day. She made me feel so welcome.

Robin: I was overjoyed, especially after reading Kris' posts. She sure knows how to make me laugh! Finally, a few months ago, we decided to meet. On my way to meet her for some outlet shopping, my cell phone rang. It was Kris, telling me she was running a bit late. I asked her what happened.

Kris: When I said, "It was a combination of calamities," Robin let out a big chuckle. Any nervousness I felt dissolved when I heard that laugh.

Robin: Kris tends to make even the worst situations sound funny, so I couldn't wait to hear what had happened to her.

Kris: Here's what happened. I bought an iced coffee at a drive-through and my sugar-mixing technique -- blowing into the drink through the straw -- backfired, big time. I was covered! Scrambling, I found a pile of ancient wet wipes in my purse, tore into them and found not one molecule of wetness. I dashed into the McDonald's bathroom, which had blow dryers, no paper towels. Using my quick-thinking skills, I grabbed toilet paper instead, which left embedded shreds of itself all over me. The coffee stains looked quite wearable in comparison. If you think that was dumb, consider that when I got back in the car, I forgot coffee had pooled on the lid and promptly spilled all over myself. It was SO FUNNY! Well, the next day it was.

Robin: Kris was exactly like I'd thought she'd be ... even better. When she told me her story, I laughed but I was truly amazed. I would've thrown a tantrum if that had happened to me. I probably would've called the whole meeting off and driven home in tears because my skirt and shirt had coffee stains on them. Kris just shrugged the whole thing off. I've never met anyone like her.

Kris: Robin really floored me with her bright personality and constant smile. Everyone should know that she is also very kind to flustered waitresses. I love that in a person! I'm so glad we finally consummated our friendship ... for lack of a better word.

Robin: After browsing, we headed into Ruby Tuesdays for lunch and more chatting. We were amazed to find we both attended UMass, Amherst, and we both majored in journalism, although I was there five years before she was.

Kris: The most amazing similarity? We both hold our pens the same wrong way, balanced on the ring finger. What are the odds?

Robin: I've been an outcast all my life because of my pen holding technique ... until I met Kris! If we weren't worried about being stuck in rush hour traffic, we probably could've talked for a few more hours.

Kris: Who is she kidding? We could have talked for days! Although, at the rate the words flew out of our mouths, we probably did cram in two days' worth of conversation.

Robin: We made a plan to meet again in October to go holiday shopping at the same mall. Neither of us could deny that we'd made a real connection. The only thing we couldn't figure out was, why did we wait so long?

Have you had the chance to meet any of your online friends? We'd love to hear your story.

Robin P. lives with her husband and daughter in a suburb south of Boston. Kris is a thirtysomething writer and stay-at-home mom who lives north of Boston with her husband and three children.

Contact Us

Masthead

DotMoms founder and Editor: Julie Moos

Photo Editor: Andrea Tomkins

News Editor: Kris Clouthier

If You Want to Join DotMoms: Writer Guidelines

DotMoms is a group weblog that connects mothers to themselves (through writing) and to each other (through publishing). You can read more about our philosophy at "Better babies through blogging."

If you are a mother and a writer, here is information about what is required of regular contributors.

When I am considering a new writer, I ask her to submit a short biography that emphasizes something unique about her life (you can read other bios here). With about 40 women writing for DotMoms, I am looking especially for mothers whose voices are distinct in some way from others already published on the weblog. That could mean you bring to the group a different sense of humor or sensibility, a child who has different needs, or something else that makes your life unique. In addition to the bio, I also request a sample post of about 300 words, which is the desired length of each DotMoms item.

Each mom is expected to write short, original material for the blog once or twice a month; items cannot appear first anywhere else. You can write about anything related to life on the homefront, there are no assigned topics. Items are submitted via TypePad (with an e-mail alert when the post is ready). I edit all posts, offer feedback, and publish.

If you are interested in contributing smart, fun writing focused on family life, send your bio and sample post to me at jmoos@poynter.org. It may take several months to review and respond to queries, so please be patient. Meanwhile, keep writing and keep reading!

Media Inquiries and Coverage

DotMoms has been featured on television, the radio, in magazines and newspapers across the U.S. and around the world. Links to selected clips appear below. For information or interviews about DotMoms, contact Julie Moos at jmoos@poynter.org.

April 2006: "Bloggin' Mamas"
By Meagan Francis
Baby Talk

January 2006: The Boston Globe "Sidekick"

December 2005: "Blogosphere: Best of Blogs"
By Peter Kuhns & Adrienne Crew (Que Publishing)
DotMoms is included in Chapter 6 about parenting blogs, and three moms who write for DotMoms are also featured in the same chapter for their individual blogs: Betsy, Charlene and Mindy.

November 2005: DotMom Christine Hohlbaum is featured in "Virtual Family Reunions," an article by Debbe Geiger that appeared in Better Homes & Gardens. (Download it here)

October 2005: Selection, Top 10 Sources for Motherhood

September 2005: Megabyte Minute, Web Minute

August 2005: Family Circle (Australia)

July 24, 2005: Mombloggers, Unite!
By Cooper Monroe
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

July 2005: Your Time
By Janice Chen
Parenting

June 30, 2005: Everyone's Blogging
By Laurianne McLaughlin
PC World

June 20, 2005: 50 Coolest Websites: Blogs
By Maryanne Murray Buechner
Time.com

June 2005: Best of the Web Directory
By Karen J. Bannan
Forbes

May 22, 2005: Birth of Blogs for Parents
By Karen Goldberg Goff
The Washington Times

May 2005: Blogger Moms
By Ellen Forman
South Florida Parenting

April 24, 2005: Pop Psychology
By Heather Salerno
The (White Plains, N.Y.) Journal News

March 12, 2005: Diaper Rash
The Providence Journal

February 2005: What's a Weblog?
Six Apart/TypePad

February 7, 2005: Blogging and Journalism
"HearSay with Cathy Lewis"
WHRO 

January 30, 2005: Mommy (and me)
By David Hochman
The New York Times

January 28, 2005: Have Kids, Will Blog
By Meredith O'Brien
BabyZone

January 3, 2005: It's a Baby Blog (if that link doesn't work, click here)
By Lisa Chamoff
Newsday

November 25, 2004: Baby Blogs
By Molly Millett

St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press

November 23, 2004: Mom Bloggers
By Mike Wendland
NBC News Channel

July 25, 2004: DotMoms is a Place for Bloggy Mamas Everywhere
Blogging Baby

April 29, 2004: On Mothers and Weblogs
By Shai Coggins
About.com

Help us Improve: Provide Feedback

Below, readers tell us what they like about DotMoms. We'd like to know your thoughts and suggestions (comments may be published online and in printed promotional material). Just send your feedback to Julie Moos at jmoos@poynter.org

The below e-mail excerpts have been edited for spelling, grammar, punctuation and length.

"I'm so glad to have found this site. How perfect: a place in cyberspace that reflects the greatest joys and blessings -- not to mention the ironies -- of motherhood. Thanks. Now a 'favorite' place to visit online." -- Judy

"I was really impressed with the site when I found it last Friday. I went through most of the archives over the weekend and I laughed and cried and felt a little less alone. It's really great to read other mothers who are articulate and honest and who make the institution of motherhood something to aspire to. The site is a great illustration of how mothers can still be critically thinking individuals. I love these women! I want to have coffee with them and meet them at the park. Thanks for putting it together. It is now one of my daily reads." --Heather

"Great site! Thanks for providing a place that I can go to and not only have a great laugh, but feel completely comforted to know there are other mothers out there going through the same thing as me." -- Carie

"I've just stumbled across your site, and I'm just so excited to read everything here. Thanks in advance for all the wonderful stories and insights." -- Kathy

"I love this site. It's nice to see there are so many inspirational and positive women out there. Thanks for the fun reading!!!" -- Tammy

"I am amazed to realize that I am not alone! I have added your site to my favorites list! Hoping to come back again and again to visit the blogs of other moms... I had thought I was the only one!!!!! Nice to know that I am in such great company. Thanks for the wonderful site!" -- Chana

"I just wanted to tell you that I enjoy your site immensely. I think it is great what you are doing and hope to continue to enjoy your site for years to come. Thank you for showing that motherhood isn't all runny noses and dirty dishes! You go girls!" -- Susan

"I just found your site, and I've spent the past hour rolling around in the posts like a happy kitty! I'm new to blogging about my multiple personalities -- wife, mother, teacher, yada yada yada -- and when I grow up, I want to be like you! *Deep envious sigh*" -- Mari

"I love your website! I can relate to all of you. I balance my life between my dear husband, my two precious children, plus my own business, which keeps me busy all the time... I will pass along this website to all my friends!!!" -- Esther

"I have been reading your site for a few months now and have enjoyed every minute of it. At least I feel like today I can sit and read with my coffee and not feel guilty for 'wasting time' -- it's Mother's Day for Heaven's sake!" -- Angela Marie

"I'm so glad to have found this site. How perfect: a place in cyberspace that reflects the greatest joys and blessings -- not to mention the ironies -- of motherhood. Thanks. Now a 'favorite' place to visit online." -- Judy

"I was really impressed with the site when I found it last Friday. I went through most of the archives over the weekend and I laughed and cried and felt a little less alone. It's really great to read other mothers who are articulate and honest and who make the institution of motherhood something to aspire to. The site is a great illustration of how mothers can still be critically thinking individuals. I love these women! I want to have coffee with them and meet them at the park. Thanks for putting it together. It is now one of my daily reads." --Heather

"Great site! Thanks for providing a place that I can go to and not only have a great laugh, but feel completely comforted to know there are other mothers out there going through the same thing as me." -- Carie

"I've just stumbled across your site, and I'm just so excited to read everything here. Thanks in advance for all the wonderful stories and insights." -- Kathy

"I love this site. It's nice to see there are so many inspirational and positive women out there. Thanks for the fun reading!!!" -- Tammy

"I am amazed to realize that I am not alone! I have added your site to my favorites list! Hoping to come back again and again to visit the blogs of other moms... I had thought I was the only one!!!!! Nice to know that I am in such great company. Thanks for the wonderful site!" -- Chana

"I just wanted to tell you that I enjoy your site immensely. I think it is great what you are doing and hope to continue to enjoy your site for years to come. Thank you for showing that motherhood isn't all runny noses and dirty dishes! You go girls!" -- Susan

"I just found your site, and I've spent the past hour rolling around in the posts like a happy kitty! I'm new to blogging about my multiple personalities -- wife, mother, teacher, yada yada yada -- and when I grow up, I want to be like you! *Deep envious sigh*" -- Mari

"I love your website! I can relate to all of you. I balance my life between my dear husband, my two precious children, plus my own business, which keeps me busy all the time... I will pass along this website to all my friends!!!" -- Esther

"I have been reading your site for a few months now and have enjoyed every minute of it. At least I feel like today I can sit and read with my coffee and not feel guilty for 'wasting time' -- it's Mother's Day for Heaven's sake!" -- Angela Marie

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Anyone want to nominate us for Best Mommy Blog?

We've never won (we've never even been a finalist), and we fit the contest criteria: "to recognize the great efforts of those online diarists who blog about the minutiae of their life … and entertain many others in the process." Go, nominate us by January 3, and if we are selected as a finalist, vote for us.

New to DotMoms?

If you're just discovering this weblog about life on the homefront, welcome! DotMoms provides daily headlines about parenting, and momoirs written by women all over the world. You can read more about our approach at "Better babies through blogging."

If you're interested in contributing to DotMoms, please send a bio and sample post of about 300 words to founding editor Julie Moos. I am looking especially for new voices, mothers who are unpublished and bring a different sensibility to parenting. It may take several months to review and respond to queries, so please be patient. Meanwhile, keep writing and keep reading!

Potty time

By Leslie

Potty training. Those two seemingly innocuous words strike utter fear in my heart. I get cold and hot flashes just thinking about pint-sized potties, Pull-Ups and nighttime sheet changing. I walk quickly past the potty training books at the bookstore, fearful one might come to life and leap out at me screaming, "Don't you know it's time to potty train your child??!! You only have a small window of opportunity to get this right! Snap to it, Woman!"

Now that we've passed the first set of major milestones (crawling, walking, talking and tantrums) with our just-turned-two son, we are supposedly ready for the next one, potty training. The only problem is that I am not ready. I am not sure I'll ever be ready. See, diapers are fabulous to me. Sure, they are a little expensive, especially when your child's cute little Buddha belly is so large that only the most expensive premium brand fits him. And sure, it would be nice if James could just "take care of business" on his own. But I don't care. I'll forgo a latte at Starbucks every day for the convenience that diapers afford me, at least for now.

Right now, I slap a diaper on James each morning and off we go. We can go to the mall, the movies, the park, no hassles whatsoever. If he has to go, he goes. No frantically running around trying to find a restroom in time. If he does need a change, it's a quick trip to a bathroom or even to the back of our car for a new diaper. What's not to love about that? And with baby number two on the way, juggling both of them while trying to get to the restroom in time just ain't this mama's idea of fun!

I dread the whole process of potty training and the conflicting methods I've learned about –- taking him to the potty every 30 minutes, giving reward stickers, letting him walk around naked all day, aiming for Cheerios in the toilet. Ugh. You don't suppose they make diapers for 6th graders, do you? Hmmmm…

Besides, I've already got enough pee on my hands (and floor!) with an incontinent cat and a dog who doesn't always wake us when she needs to go out at night. How much more can a gal handle?

So does anyone know of a nice "potty training camp" where I can send my son for a few weeks?

Leslie lives in northern Virginia with her husband and 2-year-old son.