10 on Tuesday: 10 Reasons Blogging Makes me a Better Mother

There are times when I complain about social media.  I've had my moments of fear when I think of my own kids being online and interacting with other. But honestly, for the most part, I love the Internet and I love my blog.  There honestly are 10 reasons why blogging has made me a better mother!

1. My memory has never been great. Add in three children, a full time job, and a messy house and I don't always remember things very well.  The stories on my blog allow me to go back and find out when someone lost a tooth, how often a symptom has occurred or when a problem started.
2. Blogging gives me a great way to process the daily events of our lives. There are more times than I can count that I have started typing a post to ask a question and in the process answered my own question.  I have found that I "think with my fingers" in that I often need to write to get my thoughts to come together.
3. On the other hand, sometimes I do need advice or perspective.  I can write a post about the topic and easily get advice from people I know and people I don't know.  It gives me lots of thoughts to chew on and hopefully make better choices with.
4. I'm not good at keeping a journal or even printing out pictures, but this blog is a digital scrap book of my children's lives.  I hope they will appreciate it when they get older.
5. Parenting young children can seem very lonely.  It often seems that my life is not only dictated by my job, but also by nap schedules, tiny appetites, and bedtimes.  Blogging allows me to feel less alone. And if you'll excuse the shameless plug, this book has made me feel so much more normal!!
6. With the aforementioned scheduled, it's hard for me to get out and meet people.  Blogging has allowed me to find friends that I can keep in touch with regardless of distance or time.  Making friends is good for moms.
7. A good blog post needs pictures. And since I'm home a lot, most pictures I tkae will be inside my home.  That's a good reason to keep {at least} a corner clean and organized!
8. I will be honest: even when the stars align and I've got a chance to go out and do something with the kids, I am often tempted to stay home because I'm a homebody.  But then I think, "That might make a good blog post!" and my motivation to leave kicks in!
9. I don't get to see my family as often as I'd like. Sometimes that's because of schedules, but it's also because of distance in some cases.  The blog allows me to share my family with my extended family.  Keeping those family connections is important to me for the kids.
10. It allows me to be and to have a creative outlet. And a happy mommy is a better mommy.

Do you think blogging makes you a better mother (or father or person...)?