Mummascribbles – Mummascribbles meets…Mother under Measure – Mummascribbles

This week we meet the lovely Ally from Mother under Measure. Thanks so much for taking part Ally 🙂

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family 
I am a single mum of one, my little boy Joshua who was 3 in May. I am a teaching assistant in a school for children with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties. Josh sees his dad twice a week but I get him to myself the rest of the week, which I love! 

What do you like doing to be you, when you are not parenting, working (if you do), or blogging? 
I love getting out with friends for meals and wine! I wish I could say I do something more wild, adventurous or artistic, but I don’t unfortunately!  

What is your biggest achievement to date? 
As cliched as it sounds, Joshua is my biggest achievement so far. He has given me the motivation to continue with life when it gets difficult and keeps reminding me that I can do anything. Never did I think I could be a mum, never mind a single one, but when I look at how well he is doing I remember that if I can keep another human being alive, then I can definitely do many of the other challenges I fear!  

From your own experiences, what do you find the hardest part of parenting and what is the easiest/most rewarding part? 
The hardest part of parenting for me has been the loneliness. Being a single mum and not working until recently, I could get so low and isolated at times, I battled with a lot of depression throughout the first few years. Thankfully having got back to work I am no longer feeling it anymore.  

The best part is hearing my boy laugh, hearing him tell me he loves me, hearing him ask me for a cuddle… All those extra moments of love in my life that wouldn’t be there if I wasn’t a mum.  

Parenting in itself is no mean feat; how do you juggle everything you need to in order to get everything done on a daily basis? 
I struggle with anxiety a lot so being organised is my main priority. People think this sounds great, but it’s not. I can’t leave the house until everything is done and I’ve checked it all three times. I will make me and Josh late for things in order to do washing and housework, because I can’t bring myself to leave it and having it to come home to.  

Not being here much anymore means it is easier to keep on top of everything though, we’re only in for an hour or two in the evening before we go to bed, and thankfully he doesn’t make too much mess in that time as all he wants to play with is his trains.  

Why did you decide to start blogging? 
I was stuck at home with pretty bad anxiety and depression after I had Josh; my marriage was falling apart and I was having a lot of difficulties with my teenage stepdaughter. I started my blog as a way to reach out to people to be honest. Never did I think it would still be going almost three years later!  

Tell me a bit about your blog? 
My blog used to be Messed Up Mum, but due to issues with people from my past and people trying to spy on me I rebranded to Mother Under Measure. My blog is a bit of everything that is me really, it doesn’t have a specific niche. I blog about single parenting, parenting, mental health, beauty, days out…  

It’s more a journal for myself as much as it is for others to read, although it is nice that when I don’t blog for a while, my regular followers check up on me as I’ve a few who have followed for a long time. A lot of people with mental health, especially single mums, can relate to my blog as I open up about the things that some wouldn’t, such as suicidal thoughts, so I think people find comfort in knowing they’re not alone. I think it also gives people a little bit of hope at times, as when things are going positively, they can see that there really is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that if I can get through the darker times, they can too.  

What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows? 
I have no dreams or ambitions for my blog to be honest, I’m happy with where it is. It used to be a lot bigger than it is now but that was when I had a lot more time to keep up with it. I’m happy with it as my hobby for the time being, I still get so much out of it. The only thing I would ever really want is to stay friends with some of the amazing people I have met through it.  

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog? 

So many things…! 

Have respect for those who have been blogging for a long time and learn from them. 

Don’t expect everything for nothing, ‘freebies’ aren’t free, they just cost time. 

If you start to get a little bit successful, don’t let it get to you head and become arrogant. 

That’s the top three things I’d say!  

If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why? 

1. Bethanny Frankel because she is a chef with her own brand of cocktails,  

2. Chris Hemsworth purely because he’s beautiful and I can get him drunk and seduce him, 

3. Chase/Status to play the tunes while the rest of us party.  

I wish I could say more intellectual people like Stephen Hawking, Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela, but I would want a party really!!  

Tell me three random facts about you 

1. I have a huge crush on Stephen Fry 

2. I used to be a sailing instructor 

3. I have a fear of jelly 

  

Along with her blog Mother under Measure, you can also find Ally over at Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.