'Momversation' Blows the Lid off Parenting

When you got home from school growing up, was your mom sitting at her computer blogging? Some of today’s kids are being raised by a whole new generation of web savvy parents. Momversation offers their viewers the chance to join the web’s most outspoken mom-bloggers in a smart and entertaining video conversation. From the controversial Heather Armstrong of Dooce to the extremely frank Giyen Kim of Bacon is My Enemy, the show offers a discussion of today’s parenting topics. Tubefilter talked to Asha Dornfest of the popular website Parent Hacks to find out more about mommy blogging, Momversation, and what her kids think about the web celeb in their house.

Tubefilter: What do your kids think of their mom being a blogger and on a web series?

Dornfest (Momversation): My kids are thrilled and are very proud of me. The first time they saw me on Momversation their eyes widened and they asked: “Are you famous?”

Tubefilter: What is the philosophy behind Parent Hacks?

Dornfest: Parenting is often a seat-of-the-pants proposition and most of the learning happens on the job. The philosophy behind Parent Hacks is that, no matter how clueless we sometimes feel as parents, *every* parent has a little bit of expertise to throw into the pot. The more we share the tips and insights we’ve stumbled onto, the easier it will be for all of us.

Tubefilter: As a mom of two, what is your New Year’s Resolution in term of parenting?

Dornfest: Acceptance. I want to be open to the people my kids are becoming. I want to slow down and listen more.

Tubefilter: What is the best Hack ever sent into Parent Hacks? Did you follow the advice?

Dornfest: The best advice I’ve ever gotten from Parent Hacks has to do with how to think about problematic kid behavior: the Problem is the problem, not the kid. I try to keep this wise, gentle advice in mind whenever I can.

Tubefilter: How did you get involved with Momversation?

Dornfest: The producers of Momversation and DECA, the company behind it, got to know Parent Hacks through their relationship with Federated Media (the company that organizes the advertising for Parent Hacks). Before they created Momversation, DECA collaborated with another FM-associated site, Boing Boing, to create the popular video show Boing Boing TV.

Tubefilter: What impact do you think web series have in the media?

Dornfest: Just as blogging has given writers and reporters an open medium for distributing their work, the web series format turns “TV” into something regular people can be a part of. There’s an immediacy with web video that just isn’t possible with television. Momversation is exciting because it combines the intimacy of home filming with professional editing, and the result is as approachable as it is entertaining.

Tubefilter: What has been your favorite topic on Momversation so far?

Dornfest: I loved the episode where we mused about turning into our own parents once we became parents ourselves. I found myself thinking out loud as I filmed, and I discovered a few surprising things about how my own upbringing has found its way into how I parent my kids.

Tubefilter: The show covers fairly controversial subjects like ‘sex after baby’. What subject do you think will still be too private or personal to discuss during the show?

Dornfest: The wonderful thing about Momversation is that we (the panelists) come up with the topics ourselves. No one compels us to talk about topics we’re not comfortable with, so the conversation flows so easily. I think it has a lot to do with how the show is produced — each of us films our questions and answers alone in our own homes. Despite the fact that our answers become part of the show, filming them privately makes it easy to open up.

Tubefilter: What topics are coming up?

Dornfest: “Would You Consider Having Plastic Surgery?” “MILF: Compliment or Degrading?” and “How Do You Discipline?”

Tubefilter: Did you know some of the other Momversation bloggers before you started being on the show?

Dornfest: Most of the other Momversation bloggers are friends in that we’ve met at conferences and corresponded, in some cases, for years. I feel closer to all of them as a result of doing Momversation together.

Tubefilter: What has been the reaction of the Parents Hacks community to Momversation?

Dornfest: Parent Hacks readers love it. I love Momversation because it’s essentially a video version of what’s been happening on Parent Hacks for a long time — real-world conversation about parenting.

Watch Asha and the other moms reveal all on Momversation. Stay tuned to find out what they really think about boob jobs and the term MILF.