Parents start blogging for a variety of reasons, but how many of us have any real appreciation for the impact it can have on our lives?

As usual, this week I have selected posts by one dad and one mum, one illustrating an awareness of the potential pitfalls of blogging, the other a celebration of the varied and positive upsides that can come from being part of the blogosphere.

I need to slow down – Inside Martyn’s Thoughts

Martyn is an interesting chap, who you may know as one of the co-hosts of the Big Fat Linky. He’s a single stay-at-home dad of six and four-year-old boys, the elder of whom he home-schools.

He has been blogging on and off for quite a while but has really stepped up his output in recent months. However, in his post I need to slow down he recognises that his recent success as a blogger, exciting though it is, must not come at the expense of his sons, his work and social life or his health. Something has to give.

It’s a sentiment I’m sure many of us can associate with. Blogging and interacting with other bloggers can be so much fun, and then there are the stats and the awards to get excited about, not to mention events and product reviews – so many things! But it’s also easy for those of us who write part-time to have our blogs become all-consuming or start to feel like a job rather than a hobby or a passion.

Martyn has been wise enough to recognise the signals and is committed enough to do something to redress the balance of his life. Bravo.

You can follow Martyn on his blog Inside Martyn’s Thoughts and on Twitter @Mr_Kitney.

Blogging changed our lives – You Baby Me Mummy

Aby is mum to a two-year-old daughter and is one of the most prolific and varied bloggers out there, including writing for the Huffington Post.

This week she collated input from ten other bloggers, asking them to describe how Blogging changed our lives. Their responses demonstrate the many benefits that blogging can bring, from plugging in to a community to providing both inspiration and opportunity.

There are nearly as many different upsides as there are individual bloggers. It’s well worth a read if you want to see a broad cross-section of what other people get out of the simple joy of writing about and sharing their parenting lives.

You can follow Aby on her blog You Baby Me Mummy and on Twitter @YouBabyMeMummy.

If you have any suggestions for great posts by other bloggers you’ve read this week, feel free to add them in the comments below.

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