In the next interview in our blogger interview series, we speak to Tim, an author and blogger at “Bringing up Charlie”. Tim kindly read our questions and wrote back to us…
I’m Tim Atkinson, author and blogger at Bringing up Charlie
On Twitter I’m @dotterel and my Facebook author page is here.
I started blogging three years ago when I gave up work (ha!) to look after Charlie, my (then) infant son. I imagined a life of domestic bliss free of the stress of paid work and with plenty of time for a bit of dilettante writing in the afternoon. In reality, I’ve worked as hard as I’ve ever done in my life. Let no-one ever say staying at home is the easy option. Not in my hearing!
I suppose I’m an accidental blogger. I’m an accidental lots of things but having exchanged teaching for a life of nappy-changing I did what all blokes do when they’re looking for information – I googled the questions about childcare I needed answering. And in the process I stumbled across the world of what was then ‘mummy’ blogging. Undaunted, I thought ‘I’ll have a go at that’ and the rest, as they say, is history. Or if would be if I wasn’t still doing it.
Although inspiration does pall occasionally I find having the means to get things off my chest usually provides all the impetus I need to get a blog post written. There’s plenty to grumble about, from dogs (or owners) leaving little deposits for me to collect on the wheels of the push-chair to, well… how long have you got?
There’s no doubt that the main thing I get out of blogging is the interaction with readers – other bloggers, lurkers, anyone who stops by and reads and – hopefully – leave a comment. The sense of community in the parent blogging world is amazing, quite unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. And the mums are fantastic. Did I mention I was almost alone as a dad when I started? Well, I was literally alone as the only dad blogger among several hundred mummies at the inaugural Cybermummy blogging conference in London a couple of years ago. Can’t say I minded, though… not a bit. Apart, maybe, from going through the door marked ‘gents’ to find it had been appropriated as a ladies loo for the event. Embarrassing? Well, just a little…
