the project

When the founder and managing editor of Modern Parents Messy Kids – one of those cool parenting sites sharing tips for “simplifying, connecting and living well” – wanted to expand the parenting section, she brought me on board to do just that. She found me after reading a post I submitted on a whim to Coffee + Crumbs, an amazing collaborative blog about motherhood with the kind of writing that just blows me away. I was a little worried that Steph wanted me to write crafty, Pinterest-worthy how-to posts, but nope. She just told me to do my thing.

the approach

Much like the posts I spent over a year writing for Pregnancy & Newborn magazine, my MPMK posts are slice-of-life stuff. Unlike P&N, I’m not limited to just writing about my littlest, so I do my best to look at every tantrum, milestone and pre-teen drama as inspiration for my next post. Whatever the story, it needs to be written in a way that’s relatable and honest.

the upshot

I’ve been writing for MPMK since 2015, and my posts are published about every three weeks.  “Adding Jessica to our team of regular contributors was one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made,” says Steph. “With her signature wit and relatable writing style, she is adding a much-needed breath of fresh air to our site. I recruited her in an attempt to add a level of intimacy that had been been missing since the transition from me being the sole writer to managing a team of contributors – and she’s more than delivered. Her stuff is smart, funny and oh-so-spot-on. I’m thrilled to have her as part of the MPMK team.”