Blogging with Children.

I while back Brother Abu Sinan re-started his blog. Previously he had shut it down just around the time I discovered it. I vaguely recall him saying that blogging was taking up too much of his time and that he was giving it up to dedicate more of his time to his family (apologies brother if I am getting this wrong).

But the reason he gave stayed with me. Modern life is so busy that many of us can’t give our children, partners and homes the attention we want to sometimes. Being a working mother, sometimes you are doubly conscious of this fact and the time you have available feels very precious.

I have also noticed that the internet can be as much of a time-stealer and distraction as the television if you don’t police yourself.

With this in mind, when I started blogging, I laid down some house-rules for myself. I promised myself that I would not do it in the time that I should be spending with my husband or children (although I am more than happy to write when I should be doing housework). So I write during my lunch hour and sometime in the morning when I get to work. I publish posts when I get home or when the kids have gone to bed, and I check my comments while I have my breakfast and everyone is still asleep.

I’ve noticed the few times that I am on the net when the kids are around me, I don’t pay enough attention to them ("mum, mum, mum, mum, mum" "oh, huh, what, huh honey?"), so I am trying to avoid this.

I suppose the point is about priorities. I blog because I really enjoy it and because I wanted to see if other people share my situation and can guide or advise me. Also I had hoped to present a positive representation to Non-Muslims of a Muslim family. To help reassure people that we are normal human beings just like them (whatever normal means). My time and energy is first and foremost for my husband, children, family, home and community. Somewhere in that list comes some "Me" time and I suppose blogging slots into that.

Also, although I have been posting regularly at the moment I like the "blogging without obligation" idea that says that if you blog only when you want to and feel inspired to, then your blog will retain its integrity and you’ll carry on enjoying it. I think this thinking works great with the prioritising I’ve described above.