I've spent two weeks now covering the pros and cons of blogging as a birth parent. I've told my own positive and negative stories. And now I'm here offering birth parents a challenge (as I'm all about challenges!): start a blog! You heard me right: BLOG!

Trust me when I say that there are many more positive points than I was able to cover in five days when it comes to blogging as a birth parent. And, true, there are some other negative points as well. But, when it comes down to it, the positives far outweigh the negatives. When I think about my blogging experience, I have an overall positive feeling. I have made great friends, learned many things and generally had a great time. I've also pushed myself down a path towards healing when I might have otherwise been content to sit alongside that road and watch others pass me up.

And I want you to benefit as well! So, start a blog and get blogging.

First, some technical tips. My favorite free blogging platform is, by far, WordPress.com. Their blogs are easy to use, easy for people to comment on and easy to make private if the mood strikes you to lock up for awhile. They're also easy to customize and generally work better than other free platforms. Trust me. You won't be disappointed with WordPress.

Second, some naming tips. Don't just name your blog "Jenna's Blog About Adoption." Be inventive. In fact, don't even put adoption in the title. While you will be blogging about adoption, you also want others who are untouched by adoption to click over. So spend some time thinking up a name that doesn't scream adoption and makes people want to click in and read your words.

Third, write well and write often but remember its always quality of quantity. If you can't write well everyday, well, don't write everyday. On the same hand, you've got to write enough to keep people coming back. Start off with some general introductions to yourself and your story and then let your story begin to unfold on the blog. Other tips for stuff to cover: visit forums, other blogs and news stories and write your opinions on similar topics. There's a wealth of information to cover if you only take a few minutes to look at it.

And finally, enjoy it. It's no fun if you don't enjoy it. You won't learn anything if you don't enjoy it. And you won't find your way towards healing if you don't enjoy it. SO ENJOY IT!

If you are currently blogging or decide to blog, please stop back and leave a comment with the link to your blog. I'd love to read about your birth parent experience.

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For more on bloggers and blogging, read these posts.




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