Occasionally, like many bloggers, I’m contacted by copywriters and ‘content generation companies’ keen to provide me with free content for my blog.
I usually hit delete. The majority are also asking for a follow link to their company website and the proposed content is often unsuitable. Posts about healthcare in America or essay writing companies simply aren’t a great fit for my site as they claim. I also prefer to write my own content. This is a personal blog after all.
But when I was contacted once again last week, I found myself sending a reply. Why? Because I was outraged at the title of the post they felt would fit well on my blog: The effects of single parenting on children.
Oh really? What effects would they be? And how is this suitable for my blog? Is it going to a positive piece celebrating the work of single parents, how one functional, attentive parent can be better than two dysfunctional parents, or how it’s possible for a single parent to raise a healthy happy child while holding down a job?
No, I don’t think it was going to be any of those things. It was going to detail, I strongly suspect, the perceived negative effects of single parenting, with single parents like me being the cause of all the apparent suffering we are inflicting on our offspring.
So, interested to know the effects I’m having on my daughter as a single parent, I replied and asked for a brief overview of the key points they would cover in their piece.
The company never replied. Perhaps they thought better of it. Or more likely they picked up on the abruptness of my reply. Or perhaps they took some time to glance over my about page.
I’m not sure how anyone can write a piece detailing the effects of single patenting on children. It assumes that all single parents are of similar ages and backgrounds and parent in the same way, which is utter nonsense. It also assumes that married parents affect their children in only positive ways, which we also know to be untrue.
It’s probably just as well they didn’t reply. They would not have appreciated my response. If I want to write about single parenting then I will, and with far more passion and experience than any company and its team of writers.
I’ve been parenting alone for the whole of my daughter’s life. I’m absolutely fine thank you, and so is she.
{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
Good for you Rosie. Actually you’re both more than fine – which is undoubtedly what undermined them in the first place. Shame. Would have loved to see you trash them! You’re a credit to us all. X
Oh thanks Anya. What a lovely comment. That means a lot. x
Hear, hear! (Or here, here… I’m never sure
)
Thank you Merry. (I’m never quite sure either!)
I so agree with you. I absolutely hate these emails and delete them, though occasionally I write back with an angry response of “if you’d read my blog you’d see I don’t work with outside companies” etc… These people don’t do their homework, research and don’t seem to care who they offend. But what irritates me most is how they assume their content will drive more traffic to your blog because it’s better than the content you write yourself. How dare they.
CJ x
I completely agree CJ. They should take the time to research as you say and many of their approaches do cause offence because they fail to do so. They seem to be unaware of the fact that we are writing personal blogs not commercial websites and readers want to read our content not theirs. X
Well said Rosie! And having met both you and your daughter, you’re more than fine.
Some people are such fuckwits!
Blumming love that comment
I had a great one last week telling me they could see I have guest posts on my Blog and could provide me with content on a number of themes, including things to do at a Princess party. I couldn’t resist replying, starting with ‘Thank you so much for the taking the time to look at my Blog’ and then went on to point out that I don’t have guest posts and I run a children’s party company, offering Princess parties. Funny…never heard back!
Oh that’s made me laugh. Perhaps they Googled ‘Princess parties’ and found your site so assumed it would be good SEO for their own content. Clearly they haven’t taken the time to research your blog, once again. You were good to take the time to reply!
Can’t bear these sort of “content emails” I reckon it is “hear hear” though
Me neither. Yes, I think it’s hear, hear. Here, here doesn’t seem to make sense although I see it often, usually on Twitter!
I got really sick of this type of email, but occasionally I got an email from someone who was a newbie wanting to guest post and just didn’t come across very well, so I didn’t want to have a policy of ignoring everyone. Plus I don’t like ignoring people because I’m a bit of a softy I suppose! So I put together this page http://businessplusbaby.com/response and now send these companies an email with “Thanks for your email, here’s my response” in it. It makes me feel better and saves a lot of time.
That’s an excellent idea Helen. I definitely think a reply is needed if it’s a blogger looking to raise their profile or promote a cause. It’s the companies who seem to think they are doing you a favour by offering you good quality content, when actually we’;re doing okay as it is!
Grrr! Having met you both last week I can safely say you are both top notch, what a load of tosh – a). to send to you without doing their research and b). what a load of tosh full stop. x
Oh, and it is ‘hear, hear’
x http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hear,_hear
See, this is why I think you are awesome Liz. And you have also cleared up the hear, hear/ here, here issue, which is an extra bonus. x
The only happy time in my childhood was the time in between fathers – when my mum had ended the dysfunctional relationship with my dad, yet not gotten into a new relationship with my abusive stepfather. I would loved to see the effects single parenting could have had on me.
You rock, Rosie. xx
Oh Met Mum. That’s exactly my point. Of course two functional parents is the ideal but it isn’t always the reality in the real world as you know. The assumption that all single parents are doing a bad job and damaging their children is just wrong. xx
PS: Too angry for grammar
Ha! I’m not sure I’ve even spell-checked this post!
Perhaps we should write our own piece about the effects of single parenting on children? Oooh, I feel inspired…
Do it NotSupermum! x
Rosie I think you should name and shame. As you know I have been a single parent since my son was two. My son is a straight A-student. I’ve also managed to have a very successful career. I know plenty of families with two parents where the kids have gone completely off the rails. The idea that single parenting = negative is antiquated, outdated and downright offensive, just Daily Mail-style churnalism. Enough.
You’re absolutely right, Liz. It is an antiquated, outdated and offensive view and it makes me very angry. It’s one of the few areas I feel very passionately about and have no issue with putting my views forward. There are so many positive stories about single parents – like your son’s exam results. It’s about time people focussed on these.
Wow, just wow. I have the upmost respect for anyone parenting alone as you are both the Mum and Dad in the relationship and offer everything the child needs – surely brilliant rather than anything else?
Mich x
Brilliant is exactly the right word Mich. Thank you. There’s too much single-mum bashing about. As you can tell, it makes me quite angry! x
Is there any blogger out there who set up their blog because they enjoy playing around with the layout and gadgets? Is there any blogger who started a blog even though they hate writing? Have any bloggers sued Blogger or Wordpress for harassment because they are being bullied into providing more content? Why do these people think we need them to provide content?
Well said Rachel. These are personal blogs and we all do an incredible job of writing our own blog posts ourselves. That’s why we blog and keep blogging and that’s what everyone else likes to read!
I’m not surprised you were insulted and I’m furious for you. These content people are so offensive – I’m often tempted to reply sarcastically but in the end it’s just not worth the effort. As for single parenting, my sister is raising her two kids alone and working full time and they are two of the best adjusted children I know – much better than if they were living with their feckless and selfish father.
Exactly. Goodness knows where these people get their ideas from and why they think such content would be suitable. We’re all doing a pretty good job of writing our own blogs. Why would we want to fill them with content written by companies who clearly know so little about us?
Well done Rosie! It ain’t easy doing it alone but it doesn’t mean that our kids will turn into school failures and a drain on society x
Absolutely Becky. Very well said! x
you tell em! I’ve spent many a lonely night lately wondering how my children are affected now I’m alone probably because of such rubbish putting ideas in my head!