A Mom + A Keyboard + The Internet = Power??

No, I'm not talking about myself. I just find it interesting that there are so many great parenting blogs today and am also surprised at the ways in which they can be influential.

My favorite blog, Single Dad Laughing, seems to make its mark more in the domain of advice and encouragement than anything else. The blogger shares stories, mostly about his son and family, that are funny, or thought-provoking, or really meaningful. Readers can really relate to his posts and take something from them.

Of course, there are a lot of "mommy blogs" too. Many of them also generate advice or relate anecdotes that I enjoy reading. One of my new favorite blogs is The Woven Moments, which you should really check out.

I also find that a number of mom blogs provide really creative ideas for entertaining your kid with fun projects or activities (see, for example, the melted snowmen) - very useful for those of us with toddlers who, with time on their hands, will quickly detour into mischief. Which is pretty much everyone with a toddler.

As for me, I started this blog in part to share stories to which I think other parents might relate, and in part to put our family's unique story out there in the hopes that other "non-traditional" families would appreciate it. Of course, it would also be nice if, just maybe, people with more traditional notions about what a family should be might evolve in their perspectives. That and Anna's so funny I had to find some way to chronicle all of the interesting happenings of her younger years.

But one thing I didn't think about is that parent blogs may actually have an influence beyond impacting the lives of readers (which, in my view, is the most important goal). They might actually have an influence on the marketplace - and, in fact, many do.

Recently, I came across this article about how mom blogs may have influenced toy purchases around the holidays. Just one little post about how cool a toy could have the power to make that toy a sensation - or, if it's no good, completely ruin it for the manufacturer.

And I thought, wow, how wonderful is that that some of us may end up having a voice like that, or some sort of widespread influence. Not only would that affect toy sales generally, but it also may make companies rethink poor decisions (i.e., the Dora tween example in the article). More importantly, it may call attention to safety issues with products for toddlers.

And my next thought was, of course..... and it would be great to get free stuff! I'd gladly have a LeapPad party like the blogger in the article if it meant trying out new, fun toys with Anna.

LeapPad Explorer Tablet (photo from gizmag.com)

Anyway, it's just food for thought for those of you who are aspiring bloggers like myself. I don't have the widespread audience yet that many bloggers do, but that's okay - I am grateful for each and every one of you who read My Life With Pie and I hope that if you enjoy the blog and get something out of it, you'll share it with your friends.

Mostly, I just think it's great that there is some potential for reaching people and influencing things on a broader scale. And no, not just for the sake of getting free stuff to try and, as a result, influencing the toy market, but moreso for influencing people's lives in a variety of potentially meaningful ways. And that's pretty cool.