This is a conversation I have had a few times lately. You see we are very lucky. We get to go to see Pantos, enjoy days out, play with the latest toys and even go on holiday without paying. Yes, it is a lot of hard work and I have to put in lots of hours but it does mean that I am around to take my kids to school and pick them up again. I do wonder what our life would be like if I wasn’t a blogger though, what sort of parent would I be?
This year we decided to take a step back from some of the festive experiences that we get invited to review. This wasn’t because I thought the kids wouldn’t enjoy them but because I didn’t want a big workload during the festive season. I wanted to be able to spend time with my family without me working on my laptop. This means that we have not been ice skating or to visit Santa. Stopping doing these reviews got me thinking, just how much would we do as a family if I wasn’t visiting these places as a blogger?
I know during Autumn that I almost felt guilty that we didn’t visit a pumpkin patch like every other blogger on Instagram and the same goes for fresh fruit picking in the summer. I don’t even know where the nearest Lavender field is for those gorgeous family photos you see people sharing. That being said we have had some amazing adventures this year as we reviewed various holidays and attractions.
Being a blogger allows my girls to play with toys that I would never spend that sort of money on yet I hope by donating most of them to charity helps to keep them from being spoilt. We get to meet celebrities and people they look up to and they get to do things that their classmates can only dream about. I try my hardest to spread these opportunities around if I can and I usually ask for extra tickets for local shows so that we can take some of their friends with us when we do these things.
I know that the best thing about being a blogger is that it allows me to be at home with my kids instead of working late in an office like I used to do. Being able to collect them from school if they are ill without having to explain it to my boss or being here when they finish school to cook their dinner is something that wouldn’t be possible if I had a “real” job.
If I didn’t have this blog or the income that comes with it, I know our family life would be very different. With my husband working shifts, we would have to look at breakfast clubs and after-school childcare so that I could get a job and I know we wouldn’t get to spend as much time together let alone enjoy the fun things that we do.
I complain that being a blogger is hard work sometimes and the hours can be long if I don’t limit what I do but I wouldn’t want to go back to life before my blog and spend my hours working and not with my family. That being said I certainly need to think about my work-life balance and either write quicker or plan less into my week to save me working in the evenings when I should be relaxing or sleeping.
Are you a blogger? Does being a blogger make you a better parent?
*blog* not bought! Damn autocorrect
I bought for therapy more than I do for money or the perks, but I can’t deny that side of it is nice! I think, as you say, it’s important to think about when or where to draw the line, and to keep time for yourself and your family x
You could have paid to visit Santa or go to the panto and then relaxed and enjoyed them without having to blog about them. At least the hours can be put in when it suits you rather than strict hours given by a boss. I got round this years ago by child minding back in the days it was a hobby job without all the strict guidelines of today. Meant I earned money and got to stay with my own children
I have just notched up my 1st year as a blogger and in that time we have had experiences I could not have envisioned previously and my daughter got to meet her idol. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am to be able to have worked on even the relatively small number of campaigns I have.
As well as the “stuff” though there have been other changes in my life due to blogging. I have stopped taking antidepressants because I find writing helps more. I am making plans for the future, I feel more positive and that is helping me to be the best parent I can be.
It is an interesting way to look at it. My blog is still a hobby, but we get so much from it and all the memories I’ve logged over the years is wonderful to look back on. It is a lot of work and you work so hard on so many different things. This has made me think x
I’ve never really thought about it from that perspective. I am a blogger but I also have a ‘normal’ job too. I’d absolutely love to blog full time and be at home when my son gets in from school. I think I’d then feel like a better Mum! I think it’s amazing that we actually do have these options and it’s quite clear how how hard you work too. X
I’m sure you can appreciate that if I wasn’t a blogger, we wouldn’t have gone anywhere in the last 4 years. I don’t earn a lot of money and that really has to change because it’s untenable, but it would be virtually impossible for me to get a 9-5 or any other hours job as I have to be there for my kids, and my partner, so heaven knows where we’d be now 😀 I did pack condoms once as a part-time home job…
Blogging has given us as a family opportunities that we never could have afforded otherwise. I know lots of people see this as freebies, if only they could see the time, effort and work that goes on behind the scenes. I love that I get to be here for the kids but also be creative, productive and proud of the work I do also. Blogging truly is hard work but there isn’t anything else I would rather be doing ! Have a lovely Christmas Laura x