Have you ever been scared of your blog?

Nov 16, 2011

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Last week I wrote a post about home education and abuse. It’s not the first time I’ve written about that kind of thing, or got political, or ranted, and I very much doubt it will be the last. In the past I’ve had my posts shared and read by other home educators but this time it gained an exposure I’d never seen before. The post got three times the views on one day that I’ve ever had before, and while initially I was amazed and rather chuffed, the next day I was kind of overwhelmed. I’ve thought that I wanted to build up traffic and readership, but my reaction really surprised me – I couldn’t bring myself to write anything for a couple of days.

I do kind of want to build up readership. And at least partly out of the home education circles – because that then allows me to spread the word a little and normalise our lifestyle. I’ve thought for a while that that’s our best method of defence, making sure that everyone knows a home educator, knows that it’s legal, knows where to turn if they’ve any questions, knows that we are just normal really, even if we’ve made different educational choices. And I think on those grounds I’ve succeeded. But would I want that kind of traffic every day? I don’t know any more. This is my quiet place too, the place where I vent my desires, fears, rants. Where I share my dreams and hopes, and waffle to myself.

Or not, it would appear. There are a lot of you out there. I know the numbers are creeping up, and I’m not really sure why. There aren’t many competitions (although I’ve got a couple lined up for you, what a tease I am!), there’s no gorgeous photography, though I can dream about that too, and my writing just isn’t in that top class league. So why do you all keep coming back? I’m intrigued. Grateful, and intrigued.

I know that a post with a controversial title or subject matter will drag ppl in. So the debate about McDonalds drew in a decent number, but generally speaking that’s not what I’m after doing. I don’t write so much about the older children any more as it seems somehow too invasive do maybe I’ve lost my way a little. It’s usually the personal posts that really get the readership though, and they’ve been a bit lacking recently, partly because of this feeling of exposure. But I guess I just have to grit my teeth and get on with it.

So hello new readers, if any of you are still out there. Welcome. It’s lovely to have you around. I don’t really know what you’ve come for, so I guess I’ll just have to continue blurting out the contents of my brain as I have done all along.

It’s where it is

Home Ed Inspiration, Ideas, and Activities

Click the links below and scroll through my collection of ideas, workshops, excursions, and more to discover practical everyday activities you can do together in and around your home classroom.

Home Education Inspiration

Home Ed: Ideas and Activities

Home Ed: Topics and Discussion

Exploring Neurodivergence in Children

Comments

11 responses to “Have you ever been scared of your blog?”

Midlife Singlemum
16 November 2011
I would love to read more about the nuts and bolts of home education. It is not something I am likely to do myself but I am fascinated about how you motivate the children to do enough work, how you organise your time, plan (or don’t plan) a curriculum, the social side, etc….
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Naomi
16 November 2011
Hi, I’ve never commented on your blog before but I’ve been reading it for ages! I’m one of those people who reads lots but very rarely makes it known. I discovered you when I kind of stumbled across HE a while ago and realised it was what I wanted to do. I now have a 2 1/2 year old who will be home educated for as long as she will let me.
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Allie
16 November 2011
I had a very weird experience once when someone picked up a post I’d written about my childhood and it spread like wildfire – ending up with the person I’d been writing about – even though it had been first names only! This was because I’d mentioned a particular early computer game, not because of any personal connections. It certainly did freak the hell out of me for a day or two and served as a reminder that I wasn’t just chatting in the park.
I find it impossible to blog these days because any mention of my kids feels too invasive of their lives. It’s a shame in some ways because I think that the details of how (if!) home ed continues to work for older kids and teens can be very useful. But I cannot imagine blogging about my kids now as I used to do.
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HerMelness Speaks
16 November 2011
I came to your blog as the place where I heard first hand from a home educator. Albeit, never considered an option for us, I was fascinated.
Having taken some heat today, myself, on closing the comment form on my blog I get how your blog can seem to suddenly take on a life of its own and maybe even outside of what you originally intended. So, yes, I can see how that would have made you a little uneasy. HMSx
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sarahmumof3
16 November 2011
::::waves:::: I’m new here I found you just now scouting around from some of my other favourite blogs and noticed you on their blog role with the title to this post, intrigued by the title I came over, now I want to read more.. so you may say your writing isn’t top class league, but I’d say its pretty good and that is why people are hanging around and I will be joining them.. as for home Ed, I don’t but have often thought about it, I hate the whole school system and just try to ignore it, I however don’t think I could motivate them to learn at home in any sort of structured way and I would become easily frustrated with myself so I have to put up with schools… intresting tho so like I say will be off to read more 🙂
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Clare
16 November 2011
I kind of miss the solely home-Ed focus of the blog, although branching out seems to be working for you! I know what you mean about it being scary if people actually read it! Makes me think twice about what I write, maybe it shouldn’t. Think it’s a great aim for everyone to know at least one HEer.
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Mummygadgetgeek
16 November 2011
Hello! I’m a new reader, and I’m not sure why I’m here either. I’m sure there was a reason but my befuddled mummy brain cant remember what I was doing two minutes ago. It definitely wasn’t because I’m interested in home education anyway…
So hello! I enjoyed reading 🙂
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Julia
17 November 2011
Keep blurting we love it. However, don’t let it get the better of you where you think you have to write for us. you don’t. As & when is fine!
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Bridget
17 November 2011
My readership has suddenly gone up too, I don’t know why. I wonder why people read and don’t comment, I had 95 referers a couple of Saturdays ago and only 1 comment, and that was from a regular! I use to read your blog a couple of years ago, then our computer broke and we went without for a while but because we HE we decided to get it fixed properly and so I found you again.
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Tracy Dixon
18 November 2011
I’ve only just discovered your blog but I’m going to have a good read of it now whilst drinking my coffee. I think home educating is a fascinating subject although I’m not sure it’s something I could do, I just don’t have the patience!
I too, blog because I want to – I don’t do it for anyone else. I often wonder what makes people read it too… I guess in the mummy blogging world a lot of us are quite similar in our thinking and it is great to conect with like-minded people.
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Crystal Jigsaw
21 November 2011
You get the readers and hits because you write an interesting blog. Home educators (correct me if I’m wrong) are in the minority, though I suspect they are increasing due to our many failing schools. This means a blog like yours offers intrigue and informative articles that a parent of children who attend school will find different from the average. It’s always good to read a different point of view and hear a different perspective to how our children are educated.
The other thing I want to say is why be scared about your numbers increasing? You want to raise awareness of home-education in particular and you want people to read what you have to say, otherwise there would be no point in having a blog open to the world. Just my thoughts, I don’t mean to sound disrespectful.
CJ xx
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