Good Reads: Closing comments, grandparents & the John Lewis ad

Wednesdays are a bit rubbish aren’t they? We’ve all got the hump…it’s AGES until X Factor and where’s the snow? (Famous last words.) I’ll do my best to cheer you up with my weekly round-up of fabulous posts from t’internet. But before I do that, I must mention that there’s a Blogger Meet Up this Friday (25^th) in London village. It would be great if you can come along – the more the merrier! (Details HERE.)

First up is Her Melness, who wrote about her decision to close comments on her blog. She summed it up perfectly by recalling a tweet that she wrote about how her blog was an important legacy to her children. It sounds like she’s made the right decision for her and that’s all good in my books.

In ‘Do you let your children watch the news?’ Mrs M raises a really valid point and something that I’ve been worried about myself. How much should we shelter our children from what is often sensationalist and upsetting news? I won’t even let my seven-year-old look at our local newspaper these days, let alone be around when the 6 o’clock news is on!

Emily from BabyRambles made me laugh with her stream-of-consciousness post entitled, ‘What my brain is saying while I’m on Twitter.’ She asks the questions we all have about conversations that happen on Twitter and reassures herself that one day, she will get the hang of Twitter!

Scottish Mum asks, ‘Are Labels Embarrassing?’ and puts a different spin on the question of whether it’s a good or bad thing to put a label on your child. Really interesting perspective.

Several bloggers recently attended a meningitis forum and I thought it important to include one blogger’s post. In ‘Why You Shouldn’t Wait for the Rash – This Post Could Save a Life,’ Christine Mosler from Thinly Spread gives us all the information we need as parents about meningitis.

In another post about using social media, Lerner from Stay At Home Babe talks about Internet PMS and questions why she often becomes a social media hermit. I know what she means. As you might have noticed, some days you just can’t get me off Twitter! Other days…meh.

For something a little different, and as an ex-creative writing student myself, I wanted to include a piece of creative writing this week. I came across Susan Mann’s entry as part of the meme at Julia’s Place, ‘100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups,’ and thoroughly enjoyed it.

My dad-blogger offering this week is from SAHD and Proud, in which he asks, ‘Why do John Lewis ads make me weep like a baby?’ I’m sure he’s *cough* hard as nails really, but when these ads come on the telebox, he’s a bloody mess. He’s got a point. That boy’s face in this year’s ad! *sniff*

Katie from Mummy Daddy and Me Makes Three writes about the importance of grandparents.  A very poignant post about not taking our extended family for granted with some super sweet photos of her family (and Katie as a baby looking exactly like her own daughter).

And last, but by no means least, it’s Gemma from Hello It’s Gemma. I love Gemma. There I said it. But I reckon anyone who meets her feels the same. She admitted to a real aversion to vlogging but took the brave step of finally recording her first vlog. Congrats, Gemma – turns out you’re a natural!

So that’s yer lot! Hope to see some of you at the blogger meet up on Friday if you can make it but if not, I’ll have a vodka and Diet Coke (or 5) on your behalf. I’m nice like that. Have a good week and…keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep blogging! (That’s going to get really annoying, isn’t it?)