Starting a blog while raising kids is NOT an easy task.
Between diaper changes, school runs, and making endless snacks, finding the time (and energy) to build something from scratch felt almost impossible.
For context, here’s a little about me:
Hi! My name is Jordan, and I am a final year Math student in London (big up L town!). I also have two little boys, Finn who’s 2 and Kody who is 8. All this to say, I am busy. Since I’m in my final year of my degree, I’ve recently realised that I’ll soon need to go back to work – I haven’t worked since I left my job to have the baby!
So in January, I decided to go all in with this little blog project, and now, after a month and a half, I want to share my experience—what’s worked, what’s been challenging, and what I’ve learned along the way.
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Why I Started Blogging & My Goals
I’ve always wanted a way to contribute financially to my household, which is of course why I decided to get a degree.
A traditional job doesn’t seem ideal—childcare is expensive, and I want to be present for my children. I’d heard that blogging could be a long-term way to earn income, and since I already love writing, I thought, Why not give it a go?
So what are my goals for the blog? Let’s go in order of importance:
- To earn anything at all in income by May 2025 (currently halfway through Feb!)
- To build a relationship with people who read my content (come on guys! Email me or message me on Pinterest! jordan@jorlou.com)
- To grow my email list to 100 subscribers by the end of the year (currently at 44 BFF’s on the list!)
- Consistently reach 1000 page views per month by… some point not too far in the future
- Improve my SEO knowledge and strategies on the blog for greater reach long term
How I Made Time for Blogging as a Mom
The biggest challenge has been finding time to work on my blog. My youngest is still very much hands-on, my older child needs extra support and I’ve still got assignments and exams to do! So carving out uninterrupted work time hasn’t been easy. Here’s what’s helped me stay consistent:
- Blogging during nap times or early mornings (and on the train!) – Even if I only get 30 minutes, it adds up over time.
- Batching tasks – Instead of writing, editing, and designing pins daily, I dedicate specific days to different tasks.
- Letting go of perfection – I’ve had to accept that sometimes ‘done’ is better than ‘perfect.’
What’s Worked Well So Far
Some things have gone surprisingly well, and these wins have kept me motivated:
✅ Pinterest is a game-changer – I started pinning consistently, and it’s already bringing traffic to my blog. In January, these were my stats on Pinterest:
The funny thing is, despite Pinterest being basically my only traffic driver, this is what Google Analytics says:
That’s double the amount! Over on Google Analytics it says the other visitors were ‘direct’ i.e. not referred from Pinterest or search or anywhere. Who knows where they’ve come from! This leads me into my next point…
✅ Getting accepted into an ad network – What the heck guys. When I started my blog I installed Grow by Mediavine from day 1. This basically gives you some extra stuff on your blog designed to help engagement, like social sharing and related blog posts. When I installed it, I was asked to apply for Journey (the ad network for websites with low traffic) and I got in??? Was not expecting that one.
I think it took about 2 weeks to get accepted into Journey by Mediavine, even though they say that you have to be running the Grow plugin for a minimum of 30 days.
✅ Consistent blogging has helped me stay disciplined – Even on tough days, I push through because I know consistency is key. I’ve currently published around 40 posts, which is a lot for the time I’ve been doing this – some were prewritten, and some target similar keywords so were not too difficult to write.
✅ I’ve grown my email list – I started with zero subscribers, and now I have a small but growing list of people genuinely interested in my content. I’ve grown from 0 to 44, from January 1st to mid February as I write this. Pretty cool! Sometimes people click through to the blog from email, which is always cool. I’m not promoting any products or affiliate links through email and I am mainly doing value drops or blog post round ups.
The Biggest Challenges
While there have been wins, there have also been struggles:
❌ SEO takes forever – I am so impatient when it comes to this. I knew Google traffic wouldn’t happen overnight, but it’s still frustrating to wait months for results. When I have had any impressions, I’ve had an abysmal click through rate (CTR) of 0.06%. This is horrendous, and I know I need to make adjustments to the appearance of my posts on SERPs (search engine results pages).
❌ Balancing everything – Some days, I feel like I’m juggling too much, and it’s hard to prioritise what matters most. At the end of the day, a blog that might never come to anything is less important than my children and my studies.
❌ Overwhelm is real – There’s always something new to learn, and sometimes, I feel like I’ll never be ‘caught up.’ Not to mention the new stuff coming out all the freaking time, the internet moves quick!
What I’d Tell Another Mom Wanting to Start a Blog
If you’re thinking about starting a blog but feel like you don’t have time, here’s my advice:
- Start before you’re ready. You’ll never feel fully prepared, but action beats waiting.
- Be patient with yourself. Blogging is a long game, and results take time.
- Find a schedule that works for you. Even if it’s just 15 minutes a day, small steps lead to big progress.
What’s Next for My Blog
Right now, I’m focused on building momentum. My next steps include:
- Continuing to post daily to build my content library.
- Refining my Pinterest strategy to grow my traffic.
- Experimenting with different monetisation options when the time is right.
Final Thoughts
Blogging as a mom is challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. It gives me a creative outlet, a sense of purpose, and the possibility of financial independence in the future. If you’re considering starting a blog, my biggest advice is: just start. It’s not always easy, but it’s absolutely worth it.
Are you a mom thinking about blogging? Or have you started one already? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!
