The NYMetroParents blogroll features the best blogs in the parenting world, from New York and beyond. Here’s a closer look at why we love these mom bloggers and dad bloggers and how they’re shaping the web for parenting today.
Blogging From: Suffolk County, Long Island, New York
Journalist, author, and mother of two Denise Schipani is a refreshingly frank voice in a sea of parenting stories and advice. Denise, who has worked for women’s, parenting, and health magazines and now does freelance writing and editing, isn’t afraid to give her honest opinions of everything from giving kids sugary drinks at soccer practice to Rielle Hunter’s tell-all book that expounds on her affair with John Edwards.
Her blog—which has the same title as her book; “Mean Moms Rule: Why Doing the Hard Stuff Now Creates Good Kids Later”—has healthy doses of irony and wit, along with the earnest goal of helping shape her two little boys into two good men with her “mean mom” style. In her entries, it’s clear that her sons are given treats, hugged, praised, and adored, but Denise also makes sure to teach them the rules of life (such as employing proper table manners, and not always getting what you want when you want it) with firmness. Many of her entries do not directly involve her sons at all, such as the Hunter post and an entry about the pervasiveness of massive sugary beverages in the U.S. They all relate to being a parent, though; Denise’s concern is always her children, or children in general.
Denise is a professional writer, and it shows. Her posts are sometimes on the lighter, funnier side, and sometimes on the more serious, but they are all written in the engaging, punchy style of a journalist who knows her own voice. She is honest about the less-than-glamorous aspects of motherhood, and often turns a keen, critical eye to child and parent-related news, and her posts tend to generate lively and moving discussions in the comment sections. After a visit to her blog, it’s clear that Mean Moms do rule—and Ms. Schipani is definitely blogger royalty. — Kimberly Mollo
Are you a mom or dad blogger in our community? We’d love to hear from you! Reach out to us at [email protected]
