the painful feedback of the internet

My belly cast that my sweet doulas & best friend did when I was 38 weeks with BabyLoves. I LOVE it and am so glad they did it. The kids helped me paint it, finally, many months post partum. But I have something heavier I want to share about today.

I came across an online forum that had some negative comments about my blog, and people who I’m friends with that also blog. I will spare you the details, but some of what I read really hurt my feelings. But more importantly, made me think that maybe the people who have followed my journey of familyhood no longer think I’m writing anything of real value because I’m doing giveaways and working with brands.

Gosh.

I don’t know what to say. I really love that I can approach a company and ask for free quality products for my friends. I know that’s not every reader’s cup of tea. Totally get it. And my etsy shop and my sister’s organic skincare products? I do talk about them a lot. They’re both a big part of my life.

And some of the comments talked about my Catholicism and how it’s masked or veiled, or I’m not trying to be up front about my beliefs because I’ll then get more sponsors. Confused about this. My ad bars on the side? They’re friends of mine. People who are mostly in the natural parenting world, helping families and moms. I charge a very small fee (compared to most bloggers) and love promoting their work in helping families. I’m not hoping to hide my faith so I can score . . . ?? A sponsor who is not Catholic? My sponsors aren’t Catholic.

I think it depends on who you ask if they perceive I write about being Catholic often. Some friends & family say um–you write a lot about it. Others say, oh I barely noticed it.

I’m not being politically correct for some hidden agenda. That’s genuinely what I believe. My best friend is a spiritual person, not religious, who leans toward Buddhism. I have family and friends who are gay. And who are Muslim, Jewish, agnostic & atheist. I’m a straight white Catholic. This doesn’t dictate our closeness.

The blog has a smathering of gardening, recipes, crazy stuff my kids do, and really mostly natural crunchy pregnancy, birth, and parenting. Just another mom hoping to share her experiences in a way that can be helpful–especially all the things I’ve done with my small children that hasn’t worked! Maybe I sound smug, like they said. I do not mean to sound like that at all. I’m not smug. I’m drowning in plain sight with three small kids, an ill-kempt house, and hair that keeps going dredlocked but not on purpose.

What I took away were valid criticisms: people don’t like giveaways, people think I’m too religious, and people think I’m annoying and a know-it-all in my tone about parenting. I will really take a look at the latter, can’t do anything about the middle, and am planning a reader survey about the former. If people don’t want giveaways who read my blog, I’ll stop! I would love feedback on this.

Sorry if this is a blah blah blah post but I had to get it off my chest. Thanks for listening, gentle reader.