What an odd title, hey?
Especially considering it's very apparent that it's still here and I have clearly typed this post up.
Those factors may be obvious to the occasional visitor, but if you scroll back through my posts over the past year or so, you'll notice that there's been a significant reduction in the frequency of my posts, and that my inane musings are few and far between.
Why?
Well, I'm not sure really.
It might be that my son is getting older, and with him at the age of seven years old I don't want to type anything that could cause him embarrassment? However, there have always been very few humiliations or daft stories as I've always been very aware of my role as a teacher in my small hometown.
So it's not that.
It could be that I received some fairly aggressive spam comments around two years ago, and as they turned out to be from someone very close to me, it's knocked my confidence? If a member of my own family could do that anonymously, then what could others do? But then as they were centred on the commercial aspect of my site, not my everyday life, it shouldn't be that reason.
The possibility is there that, as I approach my sixth anniversary of starting this blog, I've just run out of things to say about my little suburban life, or that I am back to my fledgling blogger doubts; that no-one is interested. When I started blogging in 2010 there were very few parent blogs out there, but now everywhere you turn there's a new wave of enthusiasm from excited bloggers. That's wonderful and I wish them the success that they're looking for, but it does make it rather difficult to snare a reader.
Back then my blog used to be a digital diary, an online place to record the everyday with my son and husband. I did find myself pressured into going out to places in order to create a blog post though. Initially I thought this was a good thing as it meant that we were exploring new areas and finding little gems to share with my readers.
But good Lord it gets tiring after a while!
Producing the craft posts to try and get Pinterest views, visiting new places to write about outdoor play and family days out, taking a photograph at every opportunity, editing and collating the photos or videos, writing the post, publishing and advertising it. It can be all consuming and I felt very much like I was on a hamster wheel that was getting faster and faster; I wanted off!
Only problem is now that I can't work out how to get back on again, and do I have anything of worth to say anyway?
I saw the familiar "TheBoyandMe has been babbling again" pop up in my inbox and immediately thought, "Oh! I haven't had one of these for a while". I think if you miss it, you very probably will find a way back to it, but without the pressure you mention. Time to rediscover blogging just for fun?
Oh thank you for saying that! Yes, I'd very much like to think that I will find a way back to it, softly softly might be the best approach? Thanks for your encouragement.
I would miss mine too, it is such a big part of life but it is a bit of a hamster wheel too, you keep everything going and juggle posts, reviews, social media etc and feel like you can't stop. I blog less about the boys now because they are older and have friends online and it is harder as they get older, they don't want you blogging about the silly stuff they do anymore and if you are busy with life and work, there isn't much time for blogging either. You will come back to it when you are ready or maybe you won't. Whichever way it goes, you should always be proud of what you have achieved with your blog.
Thanks Nikki, that means a lot. I do love my little blog and the memories and fun that it shows. It's so hard to find a balance, isn't it? Work has become all consuming and just trying to find time to work, be a mum and wife, a person in my own right, sort out my wellbeing, run a house, be there for my mum, enjoy crochet, etc. means that I've struggled to find the inclination to blog! But I think it might be ebbing its way back in. Thank you for your words of encouragement.
Your posts have been missed and it is great to see you at least attempting to get your mojo back. I know I need a kick up the bum to write something that I don't have to write if you know what I mean.
I know exactly what you mean! God it's hard with this balancing act called life isn't it? Thanks for your kind words lovely.
I miss seeing your posts come though. Your writing style is always interesting, I've just read every word of this post! I know what you mean about the all time consuming nature of parent blogging but then I do get a strange sense of satisfaction from pressing publish and knowing we've been somewhere fun, done something interesting, created something of value. I know you still do all of this, lets see it all again please before the boy no longer lets you have those photos!
Thanks Fiona, I'm going to try really hard to get back on track in the old way. Post what I want, when I want and not be pressured into commercialisation.
Your not alone!!!! ((Hugs)) Remember we try to teach our kids to not care about what others think and to attempt eveything with positive attitude. We all hit a slump at some point in our live whether it is due to environmental factors, people, time and changes in our lives. Do not feel bad. And if its the end of this blog then so be it or maybe its a start of something new. Its your blog and your life. ((Hugs))
Thanks for your kind words, they're very much appreciated. The slump has been quite a big one but I think I may be on the way back up again!
I nodded along with all of this. I would miss mine too much to leave it though, but it is so hard to keep up and post. Especially when working too. I do miss your posts and I think it's there when you want it and it's your space to write whatever you like. We'll be here to read x
Thank you Susan, your words are very much appreciated. I don't want to leave it because I have invested so much time in it, I just need to find my own way back to the beginning roots when I happily posted without fear.
Course you do! You have loads to say. I bet you could write up plenty about Cornwall and even local stuff. A good blog doesn’t need to be updated every day, it could be updated once or twice a year – it’s when it’s forced that a blog gets diluted. So don’t worry, and just do what you do.
Worst case you could always not include the boy’s face, but there’s still tons of interesting things that you do!
Thanks lovely, I think I want to go back to using it more like an online diary of the random crap of life – the bits you forget, rather than an index of places we've been to.
Your blog was ( and still is) lovely, and out of your blog has be born the vast majority of my blog – Project 365. Probably 80 % or even more of my blog is only there because of you and your encouragement. Not to mention others out there.
I agree with what your saying – enjoy the day rather then capture it for the world.
I think "The Boy and Me" has served its purpose, allowed you to log and share your son's young life. Make a keepsake for yourself and something for him to look back on, I agree they get to old to blog about as such, though Bob and Fifi do appear occasionally,
Why not start another blog sort of "Beyond The Boy and Me" and maybe do other things you do.
but why not start a more mature places you eat or places you visit on what we did on holiday type thing.
My blog would be gone if it was not for the younger four and I want to give them what I gave the older two – the madness we have together to look back on.
Thank you Elaine, your kind words mean a lot. I quite like 'Beyond The Boy and Me', but think for the moment I'm going to try and go back to my newbie roots of posting like a diary.
Just like the 'old days' I have read your post and used it as inspiration for my own (AKA nicking your post and writing my own 'not quite so good' version of it) I don't have an answer for you as I've been struggling with the same thoughts for probably a couple of years now. I've often thought of giving it up but it was such a big part of my life I just can't!
I think we should just carry on, as and when we feel like it, writing whatever random stuff pops into our heads without over thinking it, like we would have done all those years ago and see where it takes us.
Please don't stop blogging – if nothing else I won't be able to nick your posts and blog titles anymore! ( I still use 'The one where…. ' as you suggested probably 4 years ago!)
Thank you Elaine, your kind words mean a lot. I quite like 'Beyond The Boy and Me', but think for the moment I'm going to try and go back to my newbie roots of posting like a diary.