John Adams In his Caring Role!

John Adams, “dadnloguk”, a father to two beautiful daughters, Helen and Lzzy blogs about his experience and what its like being a stay at home dad. his wife,Gill, works full time and he concentrates on his family and home. Hear John disusses about fatherhood,parenting and blogging.

Blogging is not an easy job, how do you manage your time? How does blogging help you as a father?

Blogging is actually easy; keeping up with social media is real time consuming! When I have a lot of work to do, I do not mind getting up at 5a.m. Blogging has introduced me to many inspirational mothers and dads. I learn from them and get ideas for raising my own kids. Some ideas work, some don’t but you don’t know until you try.

Have you ever wished that your father was a blogger too (if blogging was popular that time)? Why/why not?

I grew up with a stepfather and he’s more of a private person. I just don’t think he would be comfortable with having such a public profile so I am glad he is not a blogger.

Tell us about a regular day in your life.

Depending on what work I have, I get up at between 5 a.m. or 6.30 a.m. I get my kids to school then I work till about 3 p.m. It’s the time when I have to collect the kids from school. It’s then homework, dinner for the family, bedtime routine and after that Gill and I go to bed around 10 p.m.

How do you choose your topics and posts for blogging? 

It is like I am reacting to a news story. Sometimes I have an experience that inspires me. As I run my blog as a business, I am often commissioned to write articles on family health and wellbeing etc.  

What and who inspires you?

I am inspired by my children and their curiosity for the world. A keen photographer, I am also inspired by the seasons and the natural world and how it changes throughout the year.

Tell us about the challenges you face as a father blogger.

In UK, blogging is highly regulated, more so than journalism. Complying with all the rules is a challenge. I am also very careful not to write anything that could embarrass my family.

Are you a full-time blogger?

Blogging is my sole-source of income. Roughly speaking, over the course of a week I work full-time hours (including what I do at the weekend and evenings). Slowly but surely blogging is becoming an accepted occupation.

Discuss some ‘dad hacks’ that all the fathers should know

1. Always keep wet wipes and tissues with you to clean up spillages
2.Always tell children you are leaving the house 20 minutes before you need to leave
3.Never offer to carry your kids’ school bag because they’ll expect you to do it all the time!

What is the best thing about being a father blogger?

I started blogging at just the right time. I am one of a tiny number of dads in the UK to do this as an occupation and I love the opportunities it has given me. I’ve travelled from Canada to Australia and love what I do.

One good quality that you have and you wish you inculcate in your kids too.

I am an internationalist, I like to see the bigger picture and understand what is happening in the world. Thankfully I have managed to pass this on to my children and they don’t see the world as a small place.

Are you a hands-on dad?

I have been Helen and Izzy’s main carer since 2011. My wife goes out and works each day so yes, I am definitely hands-on. From nappy changing to homework, play dates to medical appointments, I handle a lot.

Would you recommend blogging to other fathers? 

I would recommend blogging to other dads as a hobby. If they wish to blog like I do, they would need to be aware that it is very time-consuming and it comes with a lot of administration. It’s not a glamorous world what people think.

A message for your kids on Father’s Day…

You make me proud, you make me happy, I love your fearless approach to discover the world. You also infuriate me but I love you dearly and I wish you never change (I would, however, appreciate it if you would get better at eating salad items).