Today the babies that inspired this website start public Kindergarten. Holy macaroni and cheese.
A moment of reflection today.
As Julian and Holden have grown, we’ve grown the site, adding activities for toddlers, then preschoolers. But now what?
As Heather and I struggle to balance our dedication to supporting true rookie moms with our self-centered desire to blog authentically and document our own real lives, we frequently debate how our readers might be reacting to what we write. Fresh new moms, we fear, will be unable to relate to tales of shoelace- tying lessons and soccer practice.
On the flip side, if we stick to nursing bras and maternity leave outings, we offer nothing to our peers with whom we entered the world of motherhood in the mid 2000s. Of course some of them are doing it all over again, but they are no rookies. (Although aren’t we all rookies? Forever?)
Julian swinging, the same week this website launched.
Julian in the same swing, last week.
So what do you think? Newbie moms, do you enjoy reading about our big kids or do your eyes glaze over when we talk about them? RSS subscribers, we hope you’ll click through today and weigh in. How old are your kids? How long have you been reading Rookie Moms?
Love your site (and my kiddos are toddler and infant) and think a good mix is best (some baby, some toddler, some big kid). Maybe some contributors from those “stages” so the blogging stays authentic?
My little man is 12 months. I love reading your blog. It gives me insight into my future, tee hee. I take lots of notes from your “adventures”. I’ve been reading this since I was pregnant, early 2009. I read the archives up till the current posts.
Keep up the good work.
As a mom of a 4 year old and a baby on the way, I love your site just as it is. I love reading about your “big” kids and also clicking through old links when I’m looking for something different. Maybe you could switch it up some and write about both.
I enjoy all of your posts here on the rookie moms blog. I have a 4 year old and a 1 year old so the content has enhanced our family at many different stages in the last couple years. I agree that writing about both new moms and having big kids would be great. I look forward to more fantastic posts
I started reading your site while I was pregnant with my son, who is now 13 months old. I love it. I think it’s fresh and honest and relevant. I’ve been reading your “back posts” when I feel like I need something pertaining to my specific age group and totally paying attention to your references for older kids so I can file them all away in a part of my brain saved for “what’s coming next.”
I did notice that you are using some guest posters lately to talk about rookie summers and camping excursions and stuff. Could you maybe keep up the awesome site as it is now but sometimes throw in guest speakers to keep it real for all the rookie moms who are in the thick of the poop/crying/learning to operate a baby carrier?
I have a 5 week old baby girl and just stumbled onto your blog. (On my blackberry during a 3am feeding!) I’d be fine reading the ‘big kid’ stuff, but I have definitely used your resource and gotten advice for 0-3 month olds! So don’t stop.
I agree with Katy… I loved the Very Rookie Summer Series. Maybe continue that throughout the year, with guest posts from moms in that “stage” (or other “stages” that you both no longer personally represent)? I have a 16-month-old, but I love to read about other’s first few months as parents. I also love getting previews of what’s to come from moms with older kids.
In other words, I love what you guys are doing with the site. Keep up the great work!
Well, I’m one of your long-time readers and I’m well out of that newborn/true rookie phase, but I’ll happily weigh in. I really like that you have expanded the age groups you cover on the site as your kids have grown and I hope to see you continue with that. As you said above, I still feel like a rookie in a lot of ways. After all, I’ve never been the mom of a big kid before and big kids come with their own unique benefits and challenges. I’ve used your activity ideas for all age groups over the years — not just when the activities correllated to my kids ages. For example, when my sister-in-law had her first baby earlier this year, I dug into the newborn repository to come up with outings for us that I thought she’d be comfortable with. And when my toddler was younger I reached up a little for ideas to nurture his physically precocious tendencies. In my opinion, as long as you keep the site well-organized (for searching the archives) and continue to offer activities in a range of ages you’ll be doing a service to the community you’ve built here.
I’ve been reading since my first son was born 3.5 years ago. I now have a one year old too. I like reading about older kids and about the challenges of the first rookie year.
I still consider myself a rookie mom since I have a newborn & 21 mo old. I think we can all learn from older kiddo posts, but I would love to see continued posts intermixed that would be applicable to being a rookie mom. Maybe you could find a way to do both?
Congrats on such a big milestone! I’ve been reading since I was pregnant with my first child (now almost four) and also have an 18-month old. I’ve since moved to Berkeley so particularly appreciate the local tips. I don’t use the true rookie advice very much anymore but I agree with the comment above that we’re always rookies at whatever stage we’re entering. I’d love to keep following along a year behind you as you encounter new stages but it’s probably true that you’ll need to enlist some other perspectives as the newborn time fades for both of you. Thanks for such an witty and informative site!
I’m a newbie (19mo) and really appreciate the age-appropriate tips, but I like the look ahead as well, and I’m sure I’ll appreciate it even more as my kiddo grows! Even he won’t be tiny forever.
I’m a new reader, and am due to become a rookie mom in November. I like reading all the posts- the ones relevant to where I am and the ones relevant to where you are.
I think it’s important to remain true to where you are in the process. I think you can also keep content fresh for new rookie moms by posting things you think are relevant for each stage as you encounter them.
I do wish a complete archive was easier to find. It’s unclear whether the “activities by age” archive contains all posts relevant to that era, or just the “activities.” A complete archive, if organized well, would allow new rookies to browse past posts that are more relevant for the early years very easily.
Thanks for all you do!
I don’t have any kids, but I enjoy your site and have definitely sent articles over to friends of mine with children!
Hi gals,
I’ve been reading your blog for more than a year now. My girls is turning 2 next month, and we’ve been growing learing very cool tips from your blog! Please don’t stop! there will always be the archive for the new rookie moms, who in the endless hours of brestfeeding can dedicate to read and go trhough all of them, so she doesn’t have to wait for a new post every day!
I have a 2 year old and a 4 month old and it is nice having a good mix of posts to read–some for babies, some for toddlers, bigger kids, etc. I like being able to click through the age group and find what I’m looking for.
I really enjoy reading about your rookie babies and their siblings and your families. It’s a nice personal touch.
I have a 15 month old baby (toddler?) and I’m planning on having another baby soon. A lot of us readers will have both tiny babies and older kids – maybe you can take on contributors with little babies to keep that content current while you guys go on to bigger and better (and older) things?
I started reading just before my 18 mos old daughter was born. I loved your posts then, and I still love them now! I say keep on trucking along and keep having contributors and guests write about the younger years. Great job . . . keep it going!
My little guy is 7 months old, and I love both the posts directed at rookie moms and the ones about older kids. Keep ‘em coming! I meant to submit a story about our rookie summer watching the world cup soccer games, but alas, the time slipped away. We had a good time during my extended maternity leave though, and now I’m back to the grind.
I found your site last summer when my baby was less than an handful of months old and have been following ever since. I have also recommended it to friends as they have become rookies. Now my kiddo is 16 months but I’m thankful that your site is still a good resource for me. I do like that you talk about your kids – it gives me hope.
When I needed age specific ideas, they were easy to find with the links on the homepage. I vote that you keep blogging and posting ideas of how to survive motherhood. I’m pretty confident that I will want somewhere to look for help when my boy is a teenager!
I’ve been reading since 2006 when I was pregnant with my son who is now 3.5 and I also have a daughter about to turn 2. I’d love for your blog to grow with your families so long as the archives are always there for new readers (and the rest of us!)
After reading your blog for 4 years, this is the first time I’ve de-lurked so THANK YOU Heather and Whitney for all the great posts over the years – and keep the ideas flowing for your gift guides, always full of good ideas!
I found your blog when in a desperate search for mommy blogs after my baby girl was born 7 months ago. I will admit that I enjoy the guest baby posts the most because I identify with the “how do you leave the house with a 2 month old” and the “how do I find somewhere to nurse in the middle of a state fair” aspect to them, but I don’t mind the older kid posts because I like to know what I am in for. So, long story short, many mommy blogs have been deleted from my RSS feed but you guys stuck, so you must be doing something right.
As my “name” says, I’m a grandmother who started subscribing to your posts when my 8-month old granddaughter came along. In the beginning I was just looking for a few tips and a little more awareness — the context of childrearing is a bit different now than when I brought up my sons (“…aren’t we all rookies, forever?”). I keep on because of your continuing good ideas and your sense of humor. It must take energy and motivation to keep up a blog, and I’m guessing it might be easier for you to sustain both if you write from your current situation. However, your experience with the blog (and your book) puts you in a good position to ask “what’s really worth posting?” when evaluating the guest input that other commenters have suggested. So I guess my vote is also for “both”. Thanks for your work.
My little guy is a year younger than your oldest, and we’ve (surprise) got another on the way, and I totally still feel like a rookie. Each age and stage presents its own challenges, and I would love to keep up with your older kids (and I hope you’ll continue to feel comfortable writing about them as they get older). Perhaps you could recycle some content geared to parents of younger children, and also have guest posts by parents of infants/toddlers/etc that weigh in with good tips, tricks, and general support. Thanks for all you do!
I LOVE your blog!! My baby is 15 months, and I’m still a rookie mom. I think your blog has a really nice mix of things to do with your older kids as well as things brand new mommies should know. I love reading about what to expect in the months to come, but since I’m also planning on another little one sometime in the future, it’s nice to read about infant stuff too.
I think you’ll always be a rookie when it comes to your first born. New things to learn as each stage progresses. Still very relevant to your readers!
I agree that I love a mix! I love following your little ones, and I think that occassional guest blog posts about little wee ones would be great too! I have been reading the Rookie moms site for almost 3 years now I think! 3?! Is that even possible! Wowee!
My big kid went to school for her first day today! I feel like a total rookie and am almost as nail-bitingly-nervous about doing it right as I was when she was a newborn. I also have a 3 year old (who has blown away all my expectations of 3 year olds, so that always keeps me on my toes like it’s the first time too!) and we have another in the oven. Although I don’t have the same concerns about a new baby as I did 6 years ago, I still feel like a rookie, and I appreciate your blog for its variety. Keep up the good work!
I am a mom-to-be (any minute) and I’ve been enjoying your site for months. I don’t need your daily post to be exactly what I’m experiencing today, I love the path your forging and can hit the archives when I need a fix that directly relates to my progress.
I’ve been with you guys for years…my kids are almost the same ages: 4 1/2 and 3. I really enjoy hearing about your kids now so definitely keep up with that! I do like hearing baby ideas sometimes too because it gives me ideas for friends that are having their babies now.
Love your website!
I have always liked the mix. When my boys were younger, I would star the posts for the future that interested me. Do you remember doing the pictures in front of graffiti with both of your older boys? That was one I flagged as planning to do with my boys but then never found graffiti I liked.
Not a baby rookie now, but there are lots of rookie things I’d love to learn about with older kids:
* Packing peanut-free school lunches
* Getting dinner on the table every night (have loved this series)
* Crafts that older sibling and younger sibling can do together
And I agree with a better index! And move the search bar higher to a more prominent place.
I wasn’t sure how to answer this, but now I think I know. I started reading Rookie Moms when we were trying to concieve and I found all the things I could look forward to, to be interesting to read. If the site graduates to a level that will keep the writers interested and engaged, surely the readers will continue to enjoy knowing what the future could hold.
Everything needs to progress and it’s only natural for a website about motherhood grow as the children grow. And you can always continue to have guest writers with younger children.
I look forward to doing one of the ‘day of your life’ stories with my new baby. I remember the post from some time ago to photo document a day in your baby’s life and write it out for them to read later. Doesn’t matter when it was published, it’ll still be fun for me to do when baby and I have figured out how to leave the house! (technically it’s still quite easy to travel as I’m only 37 weeks….)
My rookie baby just started kindergarten too! I love reading the stuff for older kids and for toddlers as I have a 2 year old. I definitely skim or skip the baby stuff although sometimes there are some ideas I can use. I don’t see why you can’t continue providing content for moms at various stages.
I have been reading your blog since my almost 5 year old was a baby, and I now have another one on the way, so I find the content for all of the age groups very compelling and useful. Keep up the great work!
I think keeping up with the current stuff is best. These are your rookie school-age kid years. As long as you keep the original content for those moms who are at that stage. Someday we will be rookie moms of college age kids. Let’s keep hanging out through that stuff too.
I just wanted to say that when I saw the two photos of your son swinging, then and now, I started to cry. Why do they have to grow up?
I enjoy your blog very much and with a 3-year old and an 8-month old, my interests run the gamut from onesies to preschool right now.
@Rebecca, your comment made me cry.