Everyone who has a partner who complains about their blog, raise your hand.

Wow. That’s a lot of hands.

So, why do they hate our blogs so much? What is it about us gals (and guys) hanging out on the internet that ticks our fellows off? Why are we pulling out our hair and screaming “My husband hates my blog” as we pound our keyboard?

And, let me stray for a moment.  When I say “we” and “us” I don’t actually mean that. My husband doesn’t hate my blog. At all.

And all because of one thing.

It pays our mortgage.

Think about it.  If your partner had a hobby that took up hours upon hours every week and pulled you into it’s vortex most evenings.  A hobby that (often) caused you stress, anxiety and frustration.  A hobby that while it wasn’t “expensive” did have expenses. A hobby that returned nothing but “potential” for months or years.

How would you feel about it?

As partners, while we do need time on our own, hobbies and activities outside of our relationship, we also need to respect the time we do these things and acknowledge that it takes away from time with our partner and family.

You can only fully immerse into something like this for so long until the wear starts to show.

So, why doesn’t my hubby hate my blog?

Simply because it isn’t a hobby, it is a career.  It isn’t even a “add some money to the kitty” job, but a full on “pay the mortgage and redo the kitchen” gig.  It isn’t just a hobby or just a passion. It is a hobby and a passion that has become our livelihood.

If you are finding that every time you open the laptop your partner glares across the room, here a few simple steps to rectifying the situation.

1. Count how many hours you HAVE worked on your blog that day (or week) have that number divided by the amount of revenue you made from your blog that day (or week)  If that number is less than 20$ you need a new plan.

2. If that number is 20 or higher, and what you are about to do online at 8pm is NECESSARY, show your partner the numbers and explain what you are doing. If it is not necessary, close the laptop. The work can wait.

3. If number two got your hackles up, imagine what it would be like if your partner just stood up after dinner and left the table, went outside and drove off in the car.  If you don’t start respecting and acknowledging this “time online” as work, and find your own boundaries for work vs play, how will he?  You disappearing into your computer without a word is akin to him driving off without saying “I’m going to work babe”

4.  If your number is lower than 20 it is time to take a good hard look at WHY you are online, what is being sacrificed to be there and what the benefit is.  The ole “don’t flog a dead horse” line comes to mind here.  That being said, if the horse has some life left in it, you need to make a plan to bring it back to health and have it start plowing the fields, and stat!

5. Lastly, be conscious of separating church and state online.  Even though you may include your friends and family in your content, be wary of sharing YOUR story, not theirs.  Write from your perspective, and don’t spin a tale from theirs. Your partner’s experiences are not fodder for your site, they belong to them. Respect that and find a way to only tell YOUR story, and not hijack someone else’s.

Most importantly, if your blog is a place for you to escape to, and find companionship and you need to do that MORE THAN 30 min a day, it might be time to look at LIFE and figure out why you prefer the virtual vs reality?  Life is actually a pretty good place to spend time and when we open up and share our dreams and ideas with our partner he (or she) can become our best advocate for success.

My husband once told me to be courageous and confident and that I COULD do this, and I could do it on my own. He gave me the confidence to spend those hours building a stable foundation for my business, which has now returned tenfold with its consistent growth.

And because of his support, and because I was confident enough to know that I deserved a return on my invested time, my blog doesn’t run me or rule me. It enhances me.

Want to learn more about how to make your blog into a business?  Join my Facebook group  and sign up for my “For Bloggers” newsletter to hear about sponsored opportunities and workshops!