Why blogging? What's the purpose?

Today I talked to my youngest about how I will be taping an episode of The Homeschool Loft's podcast "The Homeschool loftcast". Tomorrow we are recording, I do not know precisely when the podcast will drop on all the major podcasting streaming options. 

Talking about the podcast, watching some Pioneer Woman, and mentioning to my youngest that I followed Pioneer Woman and read her blog before she became famous because she homeschooled and was blogging about homeschooling -- made my youngest say something like: Well that could be you? Why are you not on TV? 

You see she remembers my blogging, she remembers how I had a good size following, how I had companies regularly have me test their products. She remembers how our homeschooling besides the regular stuff we used was filled with other things that mom got for free and had to blog about! Much of it she remembers with fondness and how she enjoyed some of the products! She asked what happened? Why didn't I stop blogging?

Truth is I co-launched a local homeschool group with a couple of other homeschool moms and we had to promote the group and did what every other person did at that time, and still does, got on Facebook, and started to promote it. Made a Facebook page, and later made a Facebook group, but with that also came having to make my own profile. That and promoting my group and trying to get the word out there was my downfall to blogging. My time as an active homeschooling mom, and manager of my household was limited. I didn't feel the need to blog about my day, what was going on, and what we were doing in our homeschool because well frankly I was doing it on Facebook with my posts. 

That and one day go by, one week goes by, one month, and then a year or 2 it gets harder and harder to get into it again. You realize the readers you have had have moved on. Your kids have grown. One is no longer homeschooling -- you sent them to the public high school. The other is still at home and continues to homeschool all the way to 12th grade, but as they get older and can voice their opinions they don't want to be the primary focus of your blog, writings, and musings. They wanted some autonomy. 

Thankfully for my kids, I in all my years of blogging never put their names out there. I always mentioned them by nicknames that were just for the blogging world! So my kid's silliness and the funny things I shared are not associated with them on any type of google searches.

My daughter seems to think that I would be "famous" if I continued blogging seeing I started at the golden age! When it was all brand new -- My ideas changed and I toy with wanting to blog again. I think I have lots to share, but I'm torn over what to do and how to do it. 

I did change the name of the blog and the URL some time ago because while I do want to talk about homeschooling from time to time, my kids are grown now 20 and 21, so without actively homeschooling I don't have much to say unless I want to go down memory lane, share what I did do, what worked for us, what didn't work for us. 

Right now with only 2 years post my youngest graduation it's not that different, but as the age gap goes on it will be. I probably would sound like an old lady "back in my day".  When I told my sister I was going to be on the podcast to talk about Illinois homeschool laws she was questioning if I was even relevant seeing my kids are post-school age. She said I assume you are keeping up with the laws? 

Yes, I'm keeping up with the laws. It's only been 2 school years, going on 3 since my youngest graduated and the laws haven't changed. Eventually, the materials I used could be no longer available -- I have seen that happen in my active years and people scrambling to find alternatives. Does anyone remember currclick? landry academy? 

I have struggled with my weight for nearly all of my adult life! So I have thought about blogging about that -- blogging about politics as I see them. I have had this feeling for a long while which is why I changed the blog's name to "Nikki's Thoughts On ... " I figured I had to expand and grow and go beyond just homeschooling. However, seeing I'm not in the habit of blogging it has been a struggle. On one hand, I want to and on the other, I just got to get over the hump of not doing, dust off the keyboard, and get back at it. 

Also seeing I now sell coffee and teas I would like to blog about that from time to time. Or blog about tips for Facebook groups, email management, etc seeing I do have my virtual assistance business too. 

I have thought about multiple blogs for all of that, the Assistance by Nichole website having a blog, a separate one for the weight/foodstuff, and this one for homeschooling, politics, and all the rest, but the truth is I don't want to be pulled in all those directions. -- at least not when it comes to blogging, sharing, and journaling. I don't mind the separate Facebook pages. It's easier there to post things on the dedicated page, but I really don't want to have a million websites up and running -- okay it's not a million, but I really don't want multiple websites like that.  So I think I'm just going to buckle down and make this really be about my thoughts whatever they may be for the day and just go do it!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase something. See our full disclosure policy for more details.

Homeschool Benefit: I actually know who are around my kids

My own kids are nearly 20 and 21 now, adulting and doing their own thing and like many parents of young adults, I don't know everyone that my kids interact with. They hold jobs, have co-workers, developing friendships outside of mom's social circle. 

However, when my kids were young all the way up to high school I knew who they were hanging out with, the adults they interacted with, etc. Even if I took them to soccer, swimming, dance, I was there. I saw who they were interacting with even if I didn't know them well. Same with scouts. 

With the kids being adults I have been working. I have my own business doing virtual administrative tasks, Assistance by Nichole. I have been selling responsibly grown coffee and teas, Nikki's Coffee Klatch.  I'm doing okay with those things, it's slow and steady, but I also have taken to working part-time outside the home. I'm working at the local boys and girls club as part of the program staff for the after-school program. 

I have been working there for the last 3 months and today's events brought me to today's thoughts. Hubby and I went out to eat at a local restaurant. I went to the bathroom and on my way back to my table I was being stared down by a little girl. I could see she was trying to figure out where she knew me from or why I was familiar. I said hi to her. This alarmed the parents! They had no clue who I was, I could sense that so I just told them I work at the club. This put the parents at ease and also gave the little girl more time to figure out who I was and she shouted my name with glee because she realized who I was. 

The little girl is 6 maybe 7. I would be rightly concerned if a stranger saw my daughter at a restaurant at that age and knew my child. It's amazing how stating I worked at the club put the parents at ease, but also goes to show how I have interacted with their child for the last 3 months and they have no idea who I am.  This honestly while the cultural norm is very scary. You should know or at least recognize every adult your child has regular, daily, contact with. 

With homeschooling, you know who is interacting with your children!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase something. See our full disclosure policy for more details.

Nikki's Thoughts ...

My thoughts are all over the place and I can't help, but think I'm being called back to blogging. I did it when the kids were younger and enjoyed the interaction. I meant many wonderful people many of whom I'm still friends with and will be for the unforeseeable future. 

This blog is going to be shaken up some. Sure it will still include some homeschooling, but not as much seeing both the kids are high school graduates now. Yes, that's right Webprincess and Superstar are adults now, 19 and 20! Wow, in my early years of blogging they were just kids, 7/8. Seeing they are adults now there social media nicknames have changed. Superstar is now Chef and Webprincess is now Cadet, but Cadet is probably not fitting, seeing she's no longer active in CAP (Civil Air Patrol), maybe I should nickname her Artist. She spends her free time drawing and her art is impressive.

The Next Chapter

My son, Scout or Superstar as my older readers may remember me calling him, graduated from high school! He for the second summer in a row will be gone all summer - leaves little over a week from now and will not be back until the Sunday before school starts. He for the second summer in a row will be working at a BSA camp. Last year he worked as a merit badge counselor, this summer he will be a line cook. He's super excited about being a line cook because in the fall he will be going to a local technical college to study culinary.

This means my daughter Cadet or Web-Princess as my older readers may remember me calling her, will be starting her senior year of high school. She wants to homeschool all year this last year -- right now we are on a little break; she is just chilling and doing her thing. I'm focusing on my son and helping him finish up his BSA Eagle project before he leaves for camp and ages out.

With the kids getting older and approaching college I have decided it's time for me to think about what I'm going to be doing for my next chapter. That next chapter for me is doing virtual assistant work. I have a Facebook page started https://www.facebook.com/assistancebynichole and been reading up everything I can on being a virtual assistant, running your own business, and everything else related.

I'm looking forward to this next chapter! 

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and purchase something. See our full disclosure policy for more details.