Why I’m still talking about parenting (and a change of direction)

Seven and a half years ago now, I started this blog to talk about my pregnancy. Because, obviously I was the very first person to have a baby (and here’s my first ever post!). I wrote about childbirth, the confusion and joy of the early baby days and what happened next, and then later on, my second pregnancy. Over time, two million people have read my posts on everything from things they don’t tell you in NCT classes to why you shouldn’t cherish your children’s summers.

And now, all these years down the line, my very first baby on board just turned seven (how?) and my youngest is four and starting primary school soon (waaa). I don’t think we’re planning on any more babies (another story, for another time).

So bearing all that in mind, will I still write a blog called A Baby on Board, and will I still write about parenting?

It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently. Especially as life gets in the way and blogs gather dust. Like this one. Lots of people I know who used to blog, don’t. Lots have changed direction to write or vlog – brilliantly and successfully – about other things, like fashion and homes and life and style. Blogging itself has dropped out of fashion, usurped by other social networks, and Instagram.

There also seems to be an idea that the baby days are all-consuming, and once you’re out of them you don’t really write about *that* any more, and need to move on to have other, non-parenting interests instead.

However, I’m still fascinated by pregnancy, fertility and motherhood.

And just as you don’t stop being a person when you have children, you don’t stop being a parent as your children stop being babies. In fact, there’s a lot about parenting older children – and the perspective you get about the early days, especially once you’ve clawed a bit of sleep back – that’s not talked about, but is still massively relevant to so many people.

And although being a mother isn’t all I am, it is who I am and what I do. Mothers are not regarded well by society in many ways and for many reasons, and there’s still so much to explore.

And most of all, I still love writing about anything and everything.

So, what can you expect?

A Baby on Board will now be a blog for parents, in and beyond the baby bubble. Writing on the site will fit loosely under four main themes of pregnancy and parenting / mum life and style / creative family homes and interiors / London, and travel.

There’s lots I won’t share about my own children as they get older (as annoying as all that un-used topic fodder is). But I still want to write about life from the perspective of a parent, so I’m going to writing about more things related to, about and for parents and parenting.

And I’m keeping my blog name. Which was picked to represent pregnancy, London and the motherhood journey, which never ends, so it will still fit.

So that’s why I’m still talking about parenting, what do you think? And thanks for getting on board, and coming along for the ride.

P.S. If you don’t follow me on Instagram, say hi for more of the day-to-day, suggestions, thoughts and random ideas…and so on…