My blog is my baby. I mean that in an almost-but-obviously-not-quite literal sense. I care for my blog, nurture my blog, and am sad when no one wants to play with my blog. Below you'll find 5 ways how having a blog is like having a child, and what you can do to grow the little fella.
1. You’ve got to feed him or he’ll die
You are your child’s sole provider. Without you, he’ll die. Sure, maybe he’ll eventually be able to figure out where the Cheerio stash is, but that will only last so long. Junior’s got to have his meals every day. You don’t just feed him once, call it good for a couple weeks, and leave him. No. You’ve got to feed him regularly. Do you see where this is going? You can’t just update your blog once in a while and expect it to grow and thrive. Consistency is key! Feed your blog often.
2. Feed him good food or he will die
You can’t feed your kid ice cream and Twinkies and expect him to be healthy. Likewise, you can’t put lousy content on your blog and expect it to poop out a diamond. Quality time and effort goes in, rewards come out.
3. Your kid needs to interact with other kids
Research has shown that children are more intelligent if they have better social skills. Well, I imagine research has shown that. I haven’t looked it up, but it makes sense, right? Children need other children around to play with. So does your blog. Except that it needs other blogs. Not children. Comment on other blogs and frequent forums. Be social! Make friends! Be on various social media sites. Your blog will grow faster that way.
4. Raising a kid is hard work
Make no mistake, being a parent is rough. (I assume. I’m not a parent, but again, I think this is just a commonly accepted truism.) Changing diapers, waking up at all sorts of horrific hours of the night and wee hours of the morning, playing peek-a-boo… The list goes on. Though the hardships are different (if you’re changing blog diapers, something is seriously wrong), blogging is indeed hard work. It’s hard to write content. It’s hard to find people to read the content. It’s hard to find people to like the content. It’s hard to make money from said content. You get the idea. If you’re not ready for parenthood, consider getting a pet rock or something. If you’re not ready for the time, energy and commitment that blogging requires, get a real job.
5. It’s always worth it in the end
I’m a pretty great kid. I’m definitely worth whatever trials, pains, and headaches I subjected my parents to. It wasn’t always the smoothest road, but I somehow made it to adulthood and I’m doing pretty well, thank you very much. No matter how many times you want to just abandon your blog on a stranger’s doorstep, just remember that when it matures, it will all be worth it.
It would be great to hear from some of the actual parents out there! If you've got more ideas of how blogs are like children, leave them in a comment below. And if you're single, has all the work of growing your blog made you not want to have kids? 🙂
Tristan Higbee just launched Blogging Bookshelf, where he mixes his own experience with nuggets of wisdom from the best books about blogging, personal development, and Internet business. He's also on Twitter: @TristanHigbee.
Hi Tristan
A novel way of looking at blogging 🙂 I’m relatively new to blogging so just taking the baby steps. But got lots of teens to have fun with and adults to keep me on the right track. Thanks for sharing your take on this.
Patricia Perth Australia
Baby steps! I like it! And when you’re new to blogging, you also feel like you need to coddle your child and you kind of take offense when no one wants to play with it (Why isn’t anyone commenting on my beautiful blog posts!?). Thanks for the comment!
I love this way at looking at blogging, I never really thought of the comparison before, but I suppose it’s true, specially number 5, it is indeed worth it in the end to see our little babies all grown up and doing well in the world 😉
Exactly! Who would have thought that spending all my time blogging is actually preparing me for parenthood? 🙂
Great analogy. I believe that if one is really serious in bogging this is by far the best comparison that can be given on how to care for your “baby”. I really like the part of not just giving food, but giving good food. All said.
you have pointed out some very good points here, very much appreciated. blog should be treated like a baby.
Great..I love these tips..well I do treat my blog better then my wife if you ask her.
“TrafficColeman “Signing Off”
Traffic, I think you’d better take a day off from blogging and take your wife out to dinner, ’cause if the Momma ain’t happy, the baby can’t be happy either 🙂 Just some friendly advice because I know I need take some time off too LOL!!
🙂
Liked your comment. One big thumb-up. Would allow a contact medium to ask to your wife?
Wonderful analogy! I really like the ‘play together’ aspect – it helps bring out the social networking goodness that commenting and interacting on other sites can create.
Thanks for the comment, Barbara. I’ve started a lot of blogs, and the ones that have been most successful are definitely the ones where I’ve “played well with others,” so to speak. Interacting with other bloggers isn’t only fun, but it really is just the best way to grow your blog!
Studies have shown (well they should) that children and blogs need nurturing to grow to their potential. However, they require more than food and diapers.They need more than good content and samurai editing. They need constant education, improvement, and help. There is no such thing as stagnant. Your blog is improving or regressing. BTW I’m the proud father of two wonderful daughters.
Very well said, Randy. I especially like “samurai editing.” It’s so true! You’ve got to be efficient, quick, and brutal when self editing. Great point.
Interesting and great. What a comparison, when we treat our blog like a baby then it gonna be a great success because nobody even will miss a step to take a good care of his baby even if you have to make a huge sacrifice.
Too true, Biodun! That’s a great point that I didn’t make in this post; you’ve got to prepared to sacrifice in order to have a successful blog. You’ve got to be prepared to give some things up in order to raise a happy, healthy blog.
Interesting take on blogging that’s for sure. The comparisons you have made put managing a blog in perspective.
Hi Tristan,
Always happy to see a new blogger launch so wisely. You are off to a great start knowing Ileane and guest posting here. Has Ileane told you about our blog collaboration?
Fantastic ideal Gail. I didn’t have the chance to mention SBC to Tristan yet so I’m glad you beat me to it.
I plan to make sure he hears about the GASP plugin also. Once any blogger installs the GrowMap Anti-Spambot Plugin they will really be giving their blog some TLC. GASP is not only an alternative to Akismet but bloggers will also see an increase in the number of comments they receive when they remove annoying comment CAPTCHA’s too.
Enjoy your weekend Gail!
Great analogy. You have to nurture you blog and guide it in the right direction. Make sure that it’s healthy and that it’s wise enough to help others. It’s very much like raising a child!
@Gail: Nope, I don’t know about your blog collaboration. I’ll check it out!
@Richard: I’m glad you agree! Thanks!
I completely agree with you, our blog is totally our baby, we need to take care of it to continually develop. We have to feed it with interesting post and have some interaction with others. Blog is completely a baby to nourish for!
Tristan,
I like the ending. It’s the hope of every blogger to create something grand and fantastic at the end but along the way, every parent should bear in mind to raise their kids according to their own ability and not just be like the other kids.
I do not give up on my kids. I keep working on being the best parent/blogger I can be no matter the obstacles!
@motivational quotes: Thanks for taking the time to post. I appreciate it!
@Bryan: Wow, well said! “Something grand and fantastic.” That is a great goal, isn’t it? I wish more bloggers had a long-term vision like you.
@Irene: Thanks for the comment! Yeah, there will always be obstacles in blogging, but it wouldn’t be fun or gratifying if it were easy, right?
How sweet it feels to appreciate the analogy. What could be more stronger bond than a mother and her baby! I agree, there is no difference when we talk about caring. You should help your blog learn how to be more social and behave properly. Lovely reading.
Hey Tristan!
Very good post, love it.
Especially because i am a mother of two, so i really know what it is about LOL.
It is great analogy about blogging and raising kids.
But the ironic thing is, i have less times for my kids since i blog!
Indeed, i prefer my “real” babies than my online baby =)
Here comes the real verdict from a true mother. Startling irony – loves more and has less time – that’s very true Kimi. Blogging makes you addicted!
Yeah, I HOPE you like your real babies more than your online baby!! Thanks for the comment, Kimi!
Very cool and having a brand new grandchild in the house with me brings back all of the lessons in caring for a child. The only thing that unnerved me in the post was when you referred to the child as “Junior” … it may sound crazy to some but Junior happens to be the name I gave my beloved pet! 🙂
Good post with great advice to remember and utilize.
Thanks for sharing it with us.
Hahaha, that’s great that your pet’s name is Junior! Thanks for the complements, and thank you for posting!
Hey Tristan,
Very Interesting Post. You’ve made some amazing points.
Great comparison.
Thanks for sharing this great Post.
Nice comparison. Putting an effort on regular basis to get your blog from from its baby stage to time it brings returns for you is a must.
Very good analogy, and well said tips along the analogical line of thought, Ileane. 🙂
As your baby grows to a teen you need to take extra care of him/her same in the case of a blog
Solid use of this analogy, it is fascinating how somep eople throw up a website with a blog and 2 skyscraper ads and wait to get rich. It takes time to develop. And I am still waiting for my blog to get outside and mow the lawn!
Yeah Ed, I’m looking forward to the day when I get old and my blog will take care of me!
And the people who just write a few posts and throw up some ads aren’t really bloggers. They’re just trying to make a quick buck, but they won’t make much beyond that!
Hi Tristan,
Great analogy and so true all the points, the #3 good food – good posts is necessary as much as possible!
All the best,
Gera
Tristan,
I luv this post and the creative analogy. I don’t have kids but everyone around me does, so I’ll take my chances and vouch for what you said here :).
Here’s the thing, if my blog is my baby, which it absolutely is, then I’ve just suffocated the heck out of my child from all the TLC :).
Here’s why:
I’m always staring at it, talking to it, talking about it, seeing how much it’s grown, preparing to feed it by hand-picking the fresh ingredients, posting new pictures of it on the interfridge…if I’m away from it – I can’t wait to come back to it, if it needs to be changed I pamper(s) it with some new Luv and Pluggies, if it looks bored or lonely I tweet around with it or ask other’s to come and play with it and share the toys, if it looks sad – I spice it up and make it laugh, as it gets older and becomes more popular, more and more people start calling the house…
You know I could go on and on to make this a perfect “put me to sleep lullaby” lol 😉
But, was I clear? Geeky, I know, but you get the point, I hope :).
SO yes, my blog is my baby and your points are just spot on! I love my blog and I want it to grow into a friendly, honest, attractive and intelligent resource where it will be well-surrounded and cared for by insightful and engaging individuals…
Kinda sounds like a few of the things you’d want for your kid, No?
Anyways, all that to say, great job. Very smart piece you wrote there :).
Cheers
Wow, Ingrid! What a comment! You know, we should take this whole blog-baby analogy and turn it into an ebook! And you just wrote half of it 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Many of us calls our blog as a baby but many of us hardly take care like a baby.Just loved the way you compared both of them. I agree it takes hard work and sleepless nights while raising them and we easily get addicted with our baby as well as blog.
Haha! Love this post Tristan! Great post!
I really like your perspective on blogging. I’ve just realized that raising a blog is like raising a baby. 🙂
Cheers!
Gloson
Hi Tristan,
First I like your post Title and your comparison between the blog and baby is awesome.All the points were great. 🙂
Thanks for sharing it with us. 🙂
Interesting analogy comparing a blog to a child, but very true in a lot of the ways that you have pointed out.
Great metaphor, too many people think that they can just create a blogger account and start making millions the next day.
LOL…great analogy Tristan! As a parent myself I can totally get the correlation. My blog is like my baby and my second home and I give it all the TLC I can. Maybe too much sometimes. =)
Ciao!
@Whiztechy @Gloson @Goutham @Alex @Josh @Michele (whew!) — Thanks so much for the kind words and for taking the time to leave a comment! I’m glad you guys enjoyed the post!
though you’re not a parent yet..you’ve made a great comparison! Through it people perceive this useful information easier than in a “regular way”.Thanks! Keep taking care of your “baby”,I’ll take care of mine ;)))
Thanks! I hope he/she grows up to be big and strong 🙂
I agree with you. Forum’s are great to comment and become a part of. Anything that you nurture should grow. There should be some sign or evidence of growing. It is like planting a seed. A baby starts as a seed.
Nice comparison, and very well fit. After all, we’re all parents when it comes to defending, growing and feeding our blogging needs. As every product of thought, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.
That’s a great point, Gabriele: Every product of thought is a baby! Beautifully said. Thanks!
it’s like my comment last tuesday was not approved… Well, i have been blogging since 2006 and I have maintained some 15 blogs already… It’s great to blog…
Hi Glenn, If your comment wasn’t approved it might be because it wasn’t really on topic, but it could also be because your email address isn’t connected to a gravatar. If you want to have more of your comments accepted in order to build backlinks to your site from this blog (and many others that I know) using a gravatar will be extremely helpful for your business. One important thing I’m sure you’ve learned in all the years that you’ve been blogging is the importance of branding and credibility. Using a gravatar properly – by making sure to use the same email address associated with the gravatar as the one you use when you leave comments – will go a long way in your comment approval rating.
One more tip that I can share for your benefit and for the benefit of others that comment on this blog is to register for an account with CommentLuv. Vernessa has done a lovely job in this post to detail all of the benefits Exclusive: ComLuv Members Club for Savvy Bloggers Only.
Here’s to your success!
Hello Ileane, thanks for the tip… I really appreciate it… The gravatar I made a few months ago was associated with my free email… I should have used that email instead… but anyway, thanks for your big help…
Glenn, you’re welcome, I’m more than glad to help. You can add more than one email address to your gravatar account. Just login and add all of the emails that you think you might use to your account, that way you don’t need to worry about which one you’re using to leave comments on different blogs. I have a bunch of emails associated with my account(s). It took me a few months before I realized this, that’s why I always spread the word about the importance of using a gravatar (and the flexibility of using different emails) whenever I can. There’s so much to learn and never a dull moment. 🙂
That’s a really interesting way to approach it Tristan – I like it. You know, it makes a lot of sense and I even had a similar talk along those lines tonight with a friend – we were talking about business and many people treat their business as their baby – they raise it from birth to adulthood – a blog doesn’t have to be any different than a business – we can put the same care into it 🙂
Exactly, Murray. Bayb = Blog = Business! And all too many blogs/businesses don’t make it to adulthood.
Hey Tristan, I like the creative insight, keep up the good work!
Thanks, Dan! Glad you liked it!
Hi Tristan!
You are right! Creating a well balance blog is similar to arising a child, need to put a lot hours, effort and sacrifices to produce a quality blog.Thank you for sharing 🙂
You’re welcome, Rammesh! Glad you liked the post. Cheers!
You gave a very nice concept for blog writing, it’s really interesting and amazing very nice post. Thanks Tristan
Best Regards, Sam Stephan from iPhone Game Developers
No problem, Sam! Glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Lol! I’m loving the “your blog is your baby, treat it like one”-motto. Really.
Now I realize that I’ve been treating my blog like a baby for the last year. I feed it everyday 🙂
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You are absolutely right and I considered it a lovely kid like my son and I even use my sons pic as my gravatar and never want to do bad things for my kids (2 kids) too 🙂
Hey Tristan,
What a great analogy. So true – if you don’t look after your baby, he will die. Caring for a baby can be hard work, but it’s all worth it.
Nice one 🙂
All the best,
Mavis
I love my babies too. Although I promote my clients’ blogs, my own blogs are my real babies. I will take care of them no matter what happens. I will stand on their sides anytime and anywhere. I will defend them to enemies even I will die 🙂
Great analogy! I completely agree. Treating your blogs like your own baby will make them grow into an effective and relevant part of society, just like what human beings are supposed to be. Do this and you you’ll guaranteed to become the proud parent of a healthy, happy, bouncing baby blog!
Haha great way of putting it.
Then Google is the elite school you want your kid to get in, or kindergarten.
Sometimes they refuse you for no apparant reason. If you raise your kid well it will perform better in school and get higher grades. Maybe one day he/she will even be class president.
When I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service? Thanks!