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Blogging, family-style
By Jeremiah | April 24, 2009 | 21 comments / Comment now
We have always been very careful about how we present our daughter, who is now four and a half, on Z Recommends. I could write a book about that, but I'll spare you, and I've caught a nasty head cold so I'm not sure it would make much sense anyway. Suffice to say that we are not interested in having our record of her childhood littered with adult-choreographed product endorsements, and for busy bloggers it can sometimes be easiest to gouge very deep lines in the sand to help keep track of where we want to be.
But Jenni and I have been talking a lot about the role of family in our blogging, and we've decided to adjust things a bit.
We have been working hard the past few weeks to launch what we hope will be a couple of pleasant surprises for ZRecs readers, and these programming and editorial tasks have involved fewer steps that Z can be a part of. Once we launch them, though, we'll be back to what we did routinely for a long time, which was publishing a review or industry article every single weekday, and as we look forward to that time we have reflected on how it shapes Z's perspective on the world. Rooms in our home have been given up to pending-review product storage. Weekends involve a lot of computer time for Daddy and a lot of product testing for Z and Mom. Z has different toys to play with every day, thoughtfully critiques them, and even after two-plus years of reviewing, we still open the packages from FedEx and UPS like it's Christmas morning.
We also feel that we have developed something of a family online. We hear from readers regularly and have made friends with many through email correspondence or on Twitter. But since we read many of our readers' personal blogs, we often feel like we see more into our readers' lives than they do ours. And we'd like, somehow, for that to change.
The first step we'll be taking is letting you see a bit more of Z, who is, like all children, a fascinating creature. We'll be starting with some things we've cherished from when she was younger - a year old, two, maybe three, but definitely younger than she is now. It's a strange, perhaps silly barrier to maintain, but we never want to do something we regret with Z's image or personhood and can't take back, and given that our blog is not already explicitly concerned with who we are as a family, we'd like to ease into this in a way that feels natural. That means starting with memories rather than the present.
We'll also be telling more stories here on Z Recommends about Z, all of those very much current. We used to do this a bit but that has actually proven a wonderful way for us to remember some of her qualities as she grows and changes before our eyes. We are also starting to think that this life we're making for ourselves is something many others are trying to do as well, and that stories from our family life might shed a little light on how we do all this in ways that might help other bloggers build profitable parenting blogs.
We're still planning to let Z start blogging as soon as she can type, which we've planned since the early days of ZRecs as part of her education. Whenever and however that happens, you'll see it unfold here on Z Recommends.
Also, we're ready to let everyone know her name. Z and I have been told we'll have a small appearance in a pretty big parenting magazine next month, so the beans will be officially spilled then anyway. We'll probably keep referring to her as Z in our regular posting, but if we're going to be sharing videos like the one below (at 18 months, showing off her memorization of "A Tisket, A Tasket") there's no sense in trying to talk around her real name.
Say hello to Zella! And have a great weekend.
But Jenni and I have been talking a lot about the role of family in our blogging, and we've decided to adjust things a bit.
We have been working hard the past few weeks to launch what we hope will be a couple of pleasant surprises for ZRecs readers, and these programming and editorial tasks have involved fewer steps that Z can be a part of. Once we launch them, though, we'll be back to what we did routinely for a long time, which was publishing a review or industry article every single weekday, and as we look forward to that time we have reflected on how it shapes Z's perspective on the world. Rooms in our home have been given up to pending-review product storage. Weekends involve a lot of computer time for Daddy and a lot of product testing for Z and Mom. Z has different toys to play with every day, thoughtfully critiques them, and even after two-plus years of reviewing, we still open the packages from FedEx and UPS like it's Christmas morning.
We also feel that we have developed something of a family online. We hear from readers regularly and have made friends with many through email correspondence or on Twitter. But since we read many of our readers' personal blogs, we often feel like we see more into our readers' lives than they do ours. And we'd like, somehow, for that to change.
The first step we'll be taking is letting you see a bit more of Z, who is, like all children, a fascinating creature. We'll be starting with some things we've cherished from when she was younger - a year old, two, maybe three, but definitely younger than she is now. It's a strange, perhaps silly barrier to maintain, but we never want to do something we regret with Z's image or personhood and can't take back, and given that our blog is not already explicitly concerned with who we are as a family, we'd like to ease into this in a way that feels natural. That means starting with memories rather than the present.
We'll also be telling more stories here on Z Recommends about Z, all of those very much current. We used to do this a bit but that has actually proven a wonderful way for us to remember some of her qualities as she grows and changes before our eyes. We are also starting to think that this life we're making for ourselves is something many others are trying to do as well, and that stories from our family life might shed a little light on how we do all this in ways that might help other bloggers build profitable parenting blogs.
We're still planning to let Z start blogging as soon as she can type, which we've planned since the early days of ZRecs as part of her education. Whenever and however that happens, you'll see it unfold here on Z Recommends.
Also, we're ready to let everyone know her name. Z and I have been told we'll have a small appearance in a pretty big parenting magazine next month, so the beans will be officially spilled then anyway. We'll probably keep referring to her as Z in our regular posting, but if we're going to be sharing videos like the one below (at 18 months, showing off her memorization of "A Tisket, A Tasket") there's no sense in trying to talk around her real name.
Say hello to Zella! And have a great weekend.
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Hello, Zella! (Great name, BTW)
It’s an odd thing, isn’t it - deciding how to bring our kids into this crazy 2.0 world. I remember having the long conversation with my husband about how much I would talk about my daughter on my blog. Would I use her real name? Show pictures of her? In the end, I felt like showing and taking about Olive was part of the genuine expression of myself and my family as I talk about various things on my blog, and I hope you find the same satisfaction involving Zella in that way.
Won’t it be awesome when these girls can blog?
I couldn’t see the vid, but I am eager (you two have created quite a mystique around your daughter!)
I totally understand your position on how you “expose” your family. I’ve been going through the same thing. I’ve always told stores, but never shared images of my family or my home until very recently. It’s such an inherently personal space, it’s hard to know how to balance it with a professional, public passion.
We certainly live in a new day and age, though, where it’s totally customary for people to bare themselves (figuratively and literally) in the very public webosphere.
I’m hoping to find a balance that I’m comfortable with (and my family is). I know our personal stories are very compelling and help build this powerful community for change.
I look forward to your increased transparency - I’m on the journey of the Seven Veils right along with you!
It’s nice to finally meet Zella.
What a beautiful name!!
I’ll look forward to reading her blog one day.
Lovely name! Can’t wait to see you in a magazine!
She’s even cuter than I imagined. I am also impressed with her language at 18 months. Wow!
Thank you for sharing her with us.
I am happy to finally meet Zella! She is adorable and so smart!
I understand the need for being cautious online, but I have wondered how to include my children in online activities such as blogging, since this is the way things are now. I am excited to see how you teach Z about the online world, and hope you will have some tips on how we can teach our children about it too.
Love her. :) Glad you decided to share.
That was so sweet. I need to go back and look at videos of Roo now! It’s amazing how much more verbal skill she and Zella had at that age than Jasper does. He’s 21 months now and does a lot of grunting and pointing and most of his words are one syllable still.
Thank you so much for sharing this part of your life. Zella is a beautiful name! This video is adorable.
I completely understand about drawing the line, too. I have a private blog to keep family and friends updated with our goings on, but how much of that do I want in the public realm on other blogs and sites? It is interesting to think that everything we as parents decide is okay will be what our child has to live with forever. I am sure you will find a great balance and set a wonderful example for the rest of us. :)
Hello, Zella! So glad to finally meet you! You are simply adorable and we’re all excited to get to know you better...and eventually read your blog posts! ;)
wow! i must say it’s thrilling to meet z after all this time. i look forward to seeing more zella around here.
WELCOME, ZELLA! We look forward to your discovering your internet voice!
I’ve known her all her life and she is just as adorable and brilliant now as shown in this earlier video. Can’t wait to catch up with her in real time and space!
I enjoy reading your blog, with or without the personal family stuff. But I have to admit that I love the personal family stuff, too. Then I can remember that you guys are also parents like me, not just super cool product testers :)
I love her name! What a cute little toddler she was!
I feel like I’ve been reunited with an old friend. Hearing Jenni’s voice is just as exciting!
Love your blog and have been reading it for ages. I recently started a blog myself and have been struggling with where to draw the line. It’s murky waters out there indeed.
Love the name Zella...always wondered what the Z stood for.
hi zella! ::waves!::
That is totally exciting. I can’t wait to see and hear more about Z!
What a great name, and I like that you’ve removed some of the mystery around Z. It’ll be fun to see a little more about her.
I got my “pretty big parenting magazine” in the mail today. It was a nice surprise to find you and Z inside the glossy pages! Congrats!