Blog Guilt and Mommy Guilt: I shouldn’t, but I do

I’m not really sure if this post is about Blog Guilt, Mommy Guilt, Work Guilt, Wife Guilt…maybe just Janet Guilt, but I need to talk about it. I have been writing a lot more for myself and for my blog, rather than for my sponsors and the brands that I work with and the stats and review items. I’m seeing a slight drop in traffic, but an increase in engagement. I pretty much suck at Facebook and Twitter engagement and I’m trying really hard to increase my Google Plus engagement. Last, but not least, I am reading as many blogs as I can, or at least as many as I want, and commenting. All of this is taking up time and energy and I’m experiencing some major blog guilt and mommy guilt.

On August 2, 2010, I started this blog as a hobby. I was up at night reading blogs and entering giveaways and I figured I would take a shot at it. I had been reading long enough that I knew the basics of what I wanted and how to launch it. I took a week off from work and started working on the design (all self made and it looked icky) and deciding what I would write about. I wrote a little and then found a few weekly link-ups I liked. I can remember telling Howard that I HAD to stay up late one night to write for a meme topic and it was soooo important that I link up! It was fun and I was meeting new people along the way.

As you know, I was swept into the giveaway frenzy and now I’m coming down from the high of it all. My husband is sad that I never got around to reviewing some fancy kitchen accessories for him. My sister is still recommending products in general and I may still pitch every now and then for a lifestyle article of some kind. My boy is pouting every day when he comes home and there is no new “prize” at the door.

Something better has happened to my family in the meantime and we are learning to have fun and enjoy each other’s company. We have family nights and movie nights. Howard and I have date nights occasionally (and we are long overdue on that!). I have learned a new voice – which is actually just my voice, without all the “product” behind it. I still talk about products, but it is not commercialized.

Not the point of this post at all!! Let me get down to business…

5 Reasons I Have Blogger Guilt {that I shouldn’t, but I do}

1. I want to post something new and exciting every single day and be consistent. I want to post at the same times with the same categories. I want to become the place for you to come if you need ideas for family movie night or crazy crafts for kids or even how to build your never-ending list of why I love my husband!

2. I want to effectively promote my hard work and be better about engagement in social media. I want to get you talking and then I can chat with you. You are here. I see you visiting, but you’re not commenting as much and you’re definitely not talking to me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. You haven’t started following on Instagram and Pinterest yet, either… Not all of you, but some… (btw, no hard feelings, half the time you don’t know I’m here, my bad!)

3. I want to have time to research my articles and provide you with useful and timely information. Usually by the time I get my thoughts together about a post, or I find time to research and get my details in place, you have moved on and read about it somewhere else. I want to be the one to help…or at least make you laugh!

4. I want to freshen things up on this blog and make it look nice. There are things in the background that you may or may not notice that I want fixed.

5. I want to better supplement my family’s income through this blog. There are many things that I could be doing differently that would help with this. I need to learn it all and put it into place.

5 Reasons I Have Mommy Guilt {that I shouldn’t, but I do}

1. I work during the day and there are times when I can get some writing done, but I really should be writing at night. If I write at night, I am ignoring my husband and son or I am waiting until they go to sleep to get things done. By then, I’m exhausted so I don’t get anything done and then I’m cranky the next day. Mommy is not a nice mommy when she is cranky. (that can be added to the Wife Guilt as well)

2. I cannot even count the number of times I have to tell my son, “one more minute” or “I’m almost done” only to hear him get frustrated. There are deadlines and I’ve never been the best at planning ahead and avoiding procrastination.

3. I am making money for the family, but not fast enough. I try my best to get the opportunities that pay well and are trustworthy, but we are not getting ahead. If I sign up for any more opportunities, we are not spending enough time together. I cannot find that balance without the guilt creeping in.

4. I’m away from my son for too long. I drop Benjamin off at daycare between 7 and 8:30 and pick him up between 5 and 6. It’s not fair to him that I also have to come home and work as well. I typically take weekends off from blogging so we can play, but then the blogging guilt creeps back.

5. Pretty much everything my boy does is photographed and I’m trying to find a way to make it into a blog post. Is that fair to him? I don’t know, but there are times when I look back and feel the guilt.

I am linking up with Tales From the Nursery and i Need a Playdate for Prompts are Fun. Check them out for more guilty pleasures and guilt-ridden posts!

Do you experience these types of guilt? Vent it here or offer advice. We’re all friends, right?