Blogging has captured many Internet users’ imaginations. A large number of people blog merely about their personal lives, or display photos of flowers in their garden. However, increasingly, bloggers are taking this activity very seriously, and are making (or trying to) money from blogging. Once you have blogged for a while, regardless of how serious you are about it, you realise that your blogs have almost become your children. Here are five ways in which blogging is like parenting.
1. The pregnancy
You spend months thinking about nothing else but its arrival. You spend ages planning the virtual nursery (the hosting platform) and making sure that each aspect will give your baby just the space and comfort she needs. You deliberate for hours to decide the exact shades of the perfect colours to make it just right. You read everything you can find online and from books, sometimes even buying ‘courses’ you don’t need. But as far as is possible, it’s got to precise. You’re serious about your baby. You want the very best for her.
2. The choosing of the name
Oh, to choose a name! You do your research to make sure the name you want for your baby is not too common. You check out what it means, alternative spellings, and do searches to confirm that it doesn’t sound like anything indecent or silly. You run it by friends and family ‘in the know’ to make sure it would be loved by everyone. Everything is ready, but you don’t sit back. You can’t relax. You go over all your plans time after time, to make certain all is taken care of before the launch of the new ‘life’.
3. Sleepless nights
The baby gets here and the sleepless nights begin. You stay up late at nights to deal with a ‘baby’ who still does not know the difference between night and day, so it keeps you busy 24/7. When it’s resting, your mind still isn’t. All it wants is your time. It eats and eats and eats, so you have to work your fingers off. You still read all you can find. Your hunger for information has grown since the birth and you can still almost smell the ‘freshness’ of the event.
4. You want everyone you know to meet the baby
…And not only your immediate circle. You post pictures on Facebook and Twitter too! You tell everyone about this new ‘baby’ in your life. You create a signature link on your email so that everyone you contact will have access to the news. Your conversations, regardless of the topic, always find a way back to your baby and how greatly it has changed your life. You sign up to every forum you can, and all the social networking sites you’ve seen hanging about the web, just so that you can link up and everyone can be made aware of your exciting news. Sometimes you even strike up the nerve to show ‘baby’ pictures with perfect strangers. They don’t really want to know, but they politely humour your incessant boasting.
5. Once you pop you can’t stop
Before your first one, the thought of a ‘birth’ scared you silly. Now that you’ve learned the ropes, anything is possible. Your second one’s a breeze. Some people say the real difference is between numbers one and two, not numbers two and three. So far, you can’t say for sure, but you’re itching to find out. The second one is already in the planning. Each time you feed your first ‘child’ you think, ‘I’m going to do it… as soon as I get this one off the ground.’
Has your blog become your baby? Please visit me at A Blogger’s Books to see pictures of mine.
Twitter: janesheeba
says:
LOL! That is very wise of you
Indeed launching a blog takes much effort just like delivering a baby and when we reap benefits we just forget about the hard times 
I would like to add “the responsibility”. I am not just the same “Jane” as before I launched my blog. Now I am responsible to feed the loyal readers with quality content, help them grow and take care of my blog is a perfect manner. That’s blog parenthood!
PS: I am sure women can more closely get your point than men
Cheers,
Jane.
Jane | Find All Answers´s recent blog post ..Why should you install Commentluv on your blog
Definitely, Jane!
The responsibility part behoves us to always look out for the best interests of our readers. Our articles should reflect how seriously we take our role.
Thanks for your input.
Anne
annelg´s recent blog post ..Has Anyone Used ComLuv
Twitter: christinebiz
says:
Ha! Great analogy. Definitely at the sleepless nights stage. But the key is to make sure you are still moving forward in building that business up. Its so easy to get caught up in writing and social bookmarking – rinse, repeat and lather – and many times, it won’t move past that stage (then you know its time to hire another writer ).
Christine´s recent blog post ..Even Bloggers Need a Strategic Business Plan
Hi Christine, writing is the easy bit for me, as I’m a writer. What I find difficult is the techie part. Building links, SEO etc don’t come naturally to me. I’ve been blogging for years and still am at the learning stage where making money etc is concerned.
annelg´s recent blog post ..Has Anyone Used ComLuv
Twitter: selfishyayun
says:
i want learn more about seo tips, but someone say to me now seo is not important, I read it here too… can you tell me your opinion?
selfishyayun dofollow´s recent blog post ..Dofollow Directory Ready To Use- Submit Your URL
I know. I’ve read that post too. I’m not sure what to think about that. I think maybe the truth lies somewhere between the middle of the two sets of opinion. SEO on your blog and directories/commenting/forums may be equally important to strike a balance.
annelg´s recent blog post ..Have You Made A Blog Will
Twitter: dejaporter
says:
Very funny, I would agree though there wasn’t too much planning in my case, so it’s now that there is a lot of thinking about it. In other words, the pregnancy has been very short but the parental learning curve is huge! All the rest is spot on, love point 4 of course. In my case, the name was very hard to find but as our blog tags along a service that we are developing (entrepreneur anyone?), it was actually finding the name of the platform that was a very arduous process… I would have added one additional common point which is about learning all the tricks. We have many parenting books at home and for blogging, it’s all about understand how it all works, the SEO, the trends, etc… Takes less space as it’s all online so no book as such but all the reading is also very time consuming!
Cheers, Jacquie
Jacquie´s recent blog post ..Tooth fairy Petite souris Tooth Souris
You’re right, Jacquie. I’ve spent probably 6 months of my life reading up about SEO. The problem is, there are such conflicting reports depending where you go. I want to strike the perfect balance, but so far I’m still working out what that is.
annelg´s recent blog post ..Have You Made A Blog Will
Twitter: techwork_dk
says:
Hehe. That was a funny comparsion Anne
I don’t have any kids but I do have a blog and it works pretty much the way you have just descriped
Thomas´s recent blog post ..Twitter Guide For Dummies part2
Hi Thomas,
In that case I’d have to write an article entitled, ’5 Reasons Why Having Babies is Like Blogging’
annelg´s recent blog post ..Has Anyone Used ComLuv
Twitter: techwork_dk
says:
Hehe
My blog is my little baby, but I hope one day it grow up and can take care of it self
Thomas´s recent blog post ..Let pacman find your lost disk space
Definitely a clever comparison!
And I’ll take my blog over a real baby any day
adultawkwardness´s recent blog post ..Where are the mail order husbands
Oh, wait till you have a real baby. (I’m assuming you don’t?). There’s no other thing quite like it in the world!
You’ll find that you suddenly have so much love to give – more than you ever thought you were capable of.
annelg´s recent blog post ..Has Anyone Used ComLuv
Twitter: ashusukhija
says:
Certainly a very good way to interact with the audience and guiding them some wonderful tips.
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Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Ha ha…this is great! The funny thing is that I do treat my blogs like babies but I never realized this until you pointed out to me. OMG thanks!
Mitz Pantic´s recent blog post ..WordPress website builder has dofollow backlinks and comment luv comments
Hi Mitz,
You’re not alone! We all do (as you can see from the other comments). Many times our laptops spend more time on our laps than our kids do (or ever did). I think there ought to be a balance. We need to remember to look up sometimes and spare some time for the kids when they come needing attention.
So true Annelg, this post definitely made me chuckle when i read it. I definitely feel like my website is my “baby”, i can see the link
bingobabe´s recent blog post ..Chris Moyles Likes Playing Bingo
Twitter: selfishyayun
says:
This article is interesting, although it seems funny but managed to make me interested in reading and commenting.
Unfortunately I’m still single, not married and have not had children.
Hahaha …
but so far I really feel very close and dear to the blogs that I manage. As if I did not want to loose and much even for a little while ..
like me with my girl ..
Thank for unique article Jane
selfishyayun dofollow´s recent blog post ..Dofollow Directory Ready To Use- Submit Your URL
Twitter: junevaa
says:
I tell m mom about this, unfortunately she can’t even turn off the computer , lol! any way nice article to read, before I have a wise wife..
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Twitter: arjunchauhan24
says:
Omg..
THose are quite same.. 
I think the way u personified Bloggers and Mothers .. is amazing.. though i am a 9th class ‘boy’ >….
Thanks, Arjun. Are you a blogger?
annelg´s recent blog post ..Does Your Job Make You Ill Take The Test
What a great and entertaining post. I have lost quite a bit of sleep especially in the beginning when I wasn’t sure if creating blogs was for me! I am so glad I stuck with it through thick and thin. So true also about how you have one and you can’t stop planting the seeds for others!
Silvano´s recent blog post ..Printable Subway Coupons Can Be The Start Of Something Big
Yeah, it’s like us women. We say how bad the child-birth pain are, but years later we forget and have another baby!
annelg´s recent blog post ..Marriage And Healthy Arguments
Twitter: HollyJahangiri
says:
I suppose there ARE some similarities! Thanks for the chuckles. Are you saying I blog because my real “baby” is a teen and I’m moving into empty nest territory? Maybe I should write a follow-on to this: Why Blogging is Like Parenting a Teen!
Hmmm. I’m joking, but the wheels are turning.
Holly Jahangiri´s recent blog post ..WBB Guest Posting Contest Update 2- TGIF Edition
You’re welcome to do so. I would love to see how it turns out.
annelg´s recent blog post ..Has Anyone Used ComLuv
Though I am yet to experience the real parenting, but reading your post I can feel that I have already done so, in some ways. I am a blogger and I blog for the company I work in, so I didn’t have to go through the naming step. I really enjoyed reading your post.
shree´s recent blog post ..The Rise of Minimalist Web Design
Twitter: ddshosting
says:
Too right. We have started a blog and put so much effort into getting lots of high quality and useful posts. I think we are in the toddler stage or getting there. Probably more like first learning to walk. We have great content but it can only get legs (learn to walk) if a community builds around it!
Nice analogy!
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Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment, Shree. I suppose you’re an adoptive parent in this case?
annelg´s recent blog post ..Writing Opportunities – Another Update
Twitter: crunchybchmama
says:
LOVE this!! Very creative and TRUE
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