Good morning and welcome back to the latest Wise Words Wednesday post. Today we have the lovely Caitlin from Real Mom Recs, who’s blog is jam packed with adventure and family!
I’m going to hand you over to Caitlin to introduce you to her blogging journey so far!
Tell us a little bit about you & your blog:
I’m Caitlin and I’m a mom of 4 rambunctious kids ages 1-9. My family is a bit unique because my first two children were adopted as a sibling set from foster care. The younger two are my biological children. We stand out because we don’t “match” but it’s something I’ve gotten used to!
My blog Real Mom Recs is a mix of parenting humor, the ins and outs of Disney travel, and just talking about my interesting family.
What inspired you to start blogging?
I have my degree in social work and was a therapist for children with trauma before I stopped work to stay home with my kids. I’m not exactly the type to be a stay at home mom, since I hate cooking, cleaning, and most of the daily obligations that go with it. I like being home to do all the kid stuff but felt like something was lacking in my life. Blogging has allowed me to have a type of “job” that is flexible but fulfilling too.
What has been your highlight of blogging?
Getting comments from my readers always makes my day. When another Mom is able to relate to what I’ve written, I feel like I’ve done something meaningful.
On my blog I try hard to shatter the “perfect Mom” persona that you usually find on the internet and especially social media. My goal is to tell it like it is and make people feel better about their parenting. None of us are perfect and trying to put on that facade just makes others feel inadequate. We are all doing the best we can.
Is there anything you have learnt about blogging which you wish you knew when you started out?
I started out blogging just for the heck of it and I’m learning as I go. I know I’m still making a lot of mistakes, but I prefer to focus on the positives. There is always room to improve with SEO, graphic design, affiliate marketing, etc, but I never intended to have all of that mastered from day 1. I’ll get there eventually and go at my own pace.
Bloggers sometimes get a lot of stick however many work really hard and are reaping the rewards, what has been the most rewarding part of blogging for you?
I’ve made a lot of connections with people through blogging and that’s extremely rewarding. My blog has also given my life a focus outside of just Mom duties, which I really need. It’s also starting to make a little money here and there, which is always nice!
What would be your 1 tip you would give all new bloggers starting out?
Don’t overthink it, just go for it! If you make mistakes, it’s not the end of the world. Your readers will appreciate and connect with a real person, not a fake one. The best blogs I’ve read are the ones where you read a post and feel like you’ve just had a conversation with a personal friend.
Who do you find inspiring to read/watch in the blogging world?
Kristen Howerton from Rage Against the Minivan is one that I’ve read for years, since I started out on my adoption journey. Her family looks like mine and since I don’t have anyone like that in my real life, it’s been nice to be able to follow her.
Lastly – do you have any big plans/dreams for your blog in the next 12 months?
I’m pretty open to whatever this blogging journey has in store for me. Some people really enjoy my Disney posts, so I’d love to delve into that more and possibly with a YouTube channel. Other people just like following for the kid humor, and I’ve always got a steady influx of that too. I suppose we’ll see what the future holds!
Thank you Caitlin for taking the time to answer our questions! If you would like to meet more bloggers in the hot seat head over here now to read all the posts.
