This is a first for me – getting tagged in a post one week and it being published the next! This time, I have been tagged in The Childhood Tag by Lianne over at Mrs Mummy Harris. Thank you for the tag lovely.
What were you not expecting/not prepared for before becoming a parent?
I’ve said it a million times over on this blog. Nothing prepares you for being a parent. If I had to pinpoint one thing, I would say that I wasn’t prepared for the constant worry and concern. Born of course through the overwhelming love for the new life you’ve created. Everyone says a parent always worries and only ever wants what’s best for their child but I don’t think you can ever realise or understand the true meaning of this until you are one yourself. I understand my own parents so much more these days.
And love. You think you know love before you’ve had a kid, but you really don’t. It may be a different kind but it’s completely overwhelming.
And tiredness. If you’ve never been a parent, you haven’t known real tiredness. Especially in the newborn days. Nothing can prepare you for that.
What is your main piece of advice for new parents?
Take as long as you need.
Don’t have everyone to visit all at the same time. Have one a day if you really have to but don’t be afraid to say ‘no’. If you don’t want to hand over your baby to all and sundry for cuddles, then don’t. I learnt the hard way with this and one day found myself watching him being passed around whilst I watched on. I hated every second and had no idea why I felt this way. I get it now and if I were to ever have another baby, I wouldn’t let that happen again.
How do you encourage family time at home?
We all lead busy lives so it’s just important to make the most of time at home together when we can get it. I do like to make sure that we have a whole weekend with no plans every now and again. For me, it’s important to spend time at home as much as it is to go out.
How do you balance being a blogger with parental duties?
Set hours. It’s the only way. I try to work Monday through to Thursday nights and if there is anything I need to catch up on at the weekend then I grab a couple of hours when the husband is home. But where possible I try and stick to the schedule I created at the start of the year.
It can be hard and I have been known to put pressure on myself but it’s so important to remember that it’s okay to take a break if it get’s too much. It will still be there if you need to take a couple of days off.
What was your favourite toy growing up?
Oh my god. This is so hard. I didn’t really have a specific toy as such. I was always drawing and writing, forever to be seen with a pen in my hand. I also used to love playing ‘shops’ and ‘cafes’. I guess I used my imagination rather a lot!
Have you kept any of your toys from childhood?
There is a Barbie knocking around somewhere and I was presented with my favourite soft from my childhood by my Dad during his speech at my wedding.
What are your children’s favourite toys?
I think we have a miniature version of Legoland in our house at the moment. Little Man had so much for Christmas we had to go out and get storage to keep it all in. We secretly like it though, we had fun helping him build it all.
Do you actively limit the amount of screen time your kids have?
Not really. Our Little Man is into so many different things that he doesn’t spend a constant amount of time with a screen. Even when he does a lot of what he does is educational. I even downloaded a phonics app they’ve used at school and it was the best £12 I’ve spent on the iPad. He loves it and it’s teaching him so much. I’m a big believer in ‘everything in moderation’.
How do you reduce plastic waste in your home? – Reusable bottles, buying wooden toys, avoiding excessive food packaging, etc.?
Wooden toys are great, they are so much more durable, but now our son is older, his toys are of a different kind these days. We are lucky if we can get a cardboard box into the recycle bin without our small person stealing it to make something and he’s always asking if he can have an old bottle to create something with. But yes, we do try to recycle where we can.
What advice would you give to parents who want to start blogging?
Go for it. Just start writing and learn as much as you can from other bloggers. There is a whole lot of advice out there in the form of blog posts – you can find a lot of them on my blogging Pinterest board. Don’t get hung up on numbers and don’t expect huge success overnight. It takes a lot of time and dedication, but if you really enjoy it, it won’t feel like a chore.
Tag, you’re it!
Since Mulberry Bush (www.mulberrybush.co.uk) created this Childhood Tag and Lianne passed it on to me, I am going to continue the game by tagging: Welsh Mum Writing and Pam’s Bake And Baby Blog.
Join in and share around – you’re it!
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