Children grow up, evolve, develop, become interested in new and diverse things.
So do blogs.
Anyway, it seems to me that the posts that have been attracting the comments recently are still related to the original idea of a blog about parenting, but have gone in new directions and come at issues from new angles. The Myths about Men is surely a topic that one day will be discussed with Jake, so perhaps think of posts like this as the sounding board for future conversations rather than a move away from the original prupose of the blog?

Thank you Bogue, that was very helpful.

I think that's the danger on getting hits and comments - if you're not careful you end up being self-censoring because of how your perceive your audience.

Every now and then I get worried that I haven't written enough "serious" posts or well-crafted posts or have done too many "this is what I did today" wibbles, then I just think stuff it. I write because I enjoy writing and because I like to keep the habit of writing every day. I wish I was the sort of person who could write quality all the time, but I'm not, and sometimes the dross is fun too.

My top hits (and I still get loads of hits on it) was on mooncups, ffs!! Not really representative of the way I write, but at the same time I'm quite proud of the post... just bemused at the popularity.

I think what I'm trying to say in a very waffly way is that sometimes we can place restrictions on ourselves for no real reason. Sometimes we can worry too much about what our "audience" does and doesn't expect (and most of the time we're wrong about that anyway). Write for yourself and if you have a really good idea about what you want to write about go for it. Some days you'll feel you want to cover something challenging, some days it's an effort to write at all.

It doesn't matter. Just write.

(Oh and get on with it - I'm really curious as to what you've got to say now!!)

I think you are successfully doing both. Your own experiences and views on related topics are both 'speaking as a parent'. Not one to speak or think 'as a parent' myself, I find your well considered opinions and insights valuable, illuminating and entertaining. You've got a great unique selling point here so there'll always be hits.

i think that it's important to remember, robin, that just because you're a parent that doesn't mean that you can't write about other topics - after all, parents are humans too. but only just.

Thanks all. I'm probably just having one of those bloggy 'this isn't as funny as it used to be/this blog is taking over my life/I don't understand any of this anymore' moments.

Others do them better. Some pretend to die, or threaten to stop. I just get hyper reflective. Perhaps some cellar bling will clear it all up tonight.

Ehhh I don't really have anything new to add, but I hope you go on, in whatever form suits you, ultimately to blog or not to blog is a question only you can answer. And I'm guessing your kids are a teeny-tiny bit more important to you.

If it feels good, do it. If you want hits, mention slap the penguin. It's humiliating, but at least I had no idea it was going to happen.

*gets hit by a cellar bling after nearly doing in her own blog by over-analyzing her audience, only to realize the only "audience" that matters is herself.*

Personally, I think one of the strengths of your blog is it's diversity.
So please keep up both the wine drinking and the blogging.

Speaking as a human" - I know the feeling. I think all sorts of bits of us make us the parent we become. We can't protect them from everything and there are some nasty things out there for them to discover. Just have to be there when they need us to help them come to terms with what they've seen. Same goes for the blog!!