The head and heart behind SA mom blogs

Recently I have been raving about the moms I have met through SA mom blogs so I thought it would only be right to introduce you to the lady who started the whole initiative Heather Step…Reading her blog you get the feeling that you are listening to an old friend, she just has that comfortable niceness about her which makes you feel like you would trust her with your secrets within half an hour of meeting her…weird but true.

Here what Heather has to say:

-I love what you are doing bringing all the SA mom bloggers together, where did the idea come from?

I guess the idea really came from frustration of getting all these USA mom blogger opportunities in my inbox, knowing that I couldn’t participate because they are overseas. I see how established mom bloggers are in other countries and I want that for us. I so enjoy writing, and it would be wonderful to start something to bring us together and see where it can go. I have just discovered this site britmums.com and have been dreaming a little!

-What made you decide to blog in the first place?

I started blogging to document my infertility journey. I attended an online fertility telesummit and got clicking away, one thing led to another and I saw this advert for the fertility blogs. I started there, then I moved to my own domain (surviveandthrive.co.za) and later after hacking, moved to onestepatatime.co.za.

-What was your concept behind the whole thing?

I started out just to survive my infertility experience and connect with other bloggers going through the same thing. Now it is about surviving the toddler years! I am just taking it one step at a time!

-Did you find yourself nervous at prospect of letting people into your life in this way?

I initially kept it to myself but now I’ve made it more public. I think the biggest risk was writing about my parenting opinions (attachment parenting, extended breastfeeding) and knowing that not everyone I know would agree. At the end of the day I am documenting my experiences and the ups and downs of trying to parent as best as I can, and although it may make me vulnerable, it also has brought some fantastic friendships and connections.

-Do you ever worry that your kids will be like “mom why are you exposing my life?” (I worry sometimes)?

I do worry about that. I think while they are little it isn’t such a big deal, but as they get older I predict my blog will probably change and I might focus on other things. We’ll see…

-Does your family read your blog?

Yes. My mom even comments sometimes. My husband helps me edit occasionally.

-What do you hope to achieve through the blog?

I hope to create a supportive platform for those going through infertility and for moms battling parenting struggles. For my SA Mom blogs site I would like to create more connections and increase the numbers on the blogroll. From there on I would like to build it up into a real blog resource for SA Mom Bloggers.

-What do you think about the blogging culture in South Africa?

I have met some awesome bloggers so far but I feel like I am a bit of a newbie on the SA blog scene. Even though I have been blogging since 2010 and connecting with the infertility community, I have only just started connecting with SA bloggers, going to events and doing sponsored posts. I am hoping to get more involved.

-What do you think makes for a “good blog”

A good blog is one where you can’t wait to read the next post. You have to be a good writer and build a connection through the story of your life.

-How do you personally measure success in the blogging world

This month’s edition of Living and Loving magazine had a list of the top mommy bloggers in SA. I think that would be success! Increasing readership, making money but still “blogging for profit without selling your soul” would be success for me.

Heather Step is a stay at home mom to Nicholas, born June 2012. After enduring five years of infertility he was totally worth the wait! When she isn’t following him around she likes writing and blogging at http://onestepatatime.co.za. She has also founded a blog directory for South African mom bloggers: http://samomblogs.co.za. Heather also used to be a Grade One teacher and has an interest in children and psychology. She has a BA (Hons) degree in Psychology and is also an Emotional Freedom Techniques practitioner. You can read more about that at http://healwithheather.com. She lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with her husband, little Nicky, and their two dogs.

Blogs: http://onestepatatime.co.za

http://samomblogs.co.za