I am so grateful for Mommy bloggers.
I am also so grateful for Mommy vloggers, podcasters, email and social media groups.
After spending nearly a decade in graduate school, I was certain that I may never read for pleasure again. This was heartbreaking because I had previously loved to read, especially (gasp) just for the fun of it! And then it turned out that I had my first baby and finished my dissertation all in the same year!!!!!! My reading interests sharply and without pause turned from dissertation drafts, peer reviewed articles and transcribed interviews to parenting books and children’s literature. I became an avid reader of both. That was nearly a decade ago.
Overtime, much of the parenting advice I cherish and found most useful began to shift to learning from the other Moms– sharing wisdom in various online platforms. Much has changed in the world since 2010, and the amount of parenting advice and perspective I get from the blogosphere is probably the most impactful. I love the pithy headlines about parenting styles, and reviews about the latest gear or how to maximize vacation planning. I also love the blogs about Moms and wellness, workouts and work life balance. I especially appreciate the Moms who have opted to do this incredible job of parenting without wine-o-clock. I also love the Mommy blogs that share free reviews of kid friendly or not so friendly businesses, products, media and everything in between. I thank them for the snarky reviews and the heartfelt gratitude, and the time it takes to share both so the rest of us can save a little time. And I am moved and inspired by the Mommy blogs that tackle questions of choice and time management, leaving so much room for the rest of us to imagine how we might fit it all in, albeit not at the same exact time. And lastly, perhaps because I am the parent of two biracial daughters who identify as black girls who rock I love the Mommy blogs who take on topics related to race, racism and navigating parenting kids of color. I have learned tips for natural hair care, how other parents of kids of color navigate white teachers and friends and all the complex conversations about how parent for liberation in confusing and unpredictable times.
And in this, my very first contribution to the Blogsphere, I wanted to share how I find more joy in my parenting (and my life)—here is a list of just a few of my favorite books which influence my parenting, my life and my work. Many of these I found through recommendations from guess where…yes the mommy blogs and some of these authors even have their own blogs!!
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
Big Magic: Creating Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Mistakes I Made at Work by Jessica Bacal
What the Most Successful People Do at Work by Laura Vanderkam
The First 90 Days by Watkins Michae
Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
The Conscious Parent by Shefali Tsabary
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam
Marcella Runell Hall, Ed.D. is a mama/author/educator, currently serving as Vice President for Student Life at Mount Holyoke College.