Adelaide Dad: Being a dad blogger in the city
The three Elliot children - Finley (5), Lilly (3) and baby Sam – will not have to look through old albums or VHS tapes to rekindle their childhood memories. They just have to go online. for their father Geordie Elliot is one of the few dad bloggers
(blogging about parenthood from a father’s perspective) in Adelaide. Through his blog, adelaidedad.com Geordie records his sometimes fun, sometimes frustrating, but always blessed journey through parenthood. The blog and its Instagram account with numerous fun and happy pictures aim to encourage other fathers to embrace and celebrate their own fatherhood.
The pull of writing:
Geordie was, by his own admission, “a lot cooler” when he was younger. “I used to take photographs at music concerts, and write about them. Soon, I started getting opportunities to write for a few glossy magazines back home in the United Kingdom,” says the 36-year-old.
Slowly adulthood came knocking, followed by parenthood, pushing creative writing and photography to the side. But, every now and then Geordie still felt the pull of creative expression. That’s when he stumbled upon the idea of starting a blog that chronicled his experiences as a new dad.
Lack of dad blogs :
“I did some research and found out that there were numerous parenting blogs written by mothers from their perspective, but not much written by fathers. And, it is important to understand that the parenting approaches and experiences of mothers and father are unique and different. So, I decided to start one last year. It has been a wonderful way of recording our journey as a family,” he says.
Geordie usually gets an idea for a blog from the varied conversations he has with others. “Speaking to other parents reminds me of the different kinds of parenting and experiences that exist. That sets me thinking and I end up writing about them," he says.
Overwhelming response:
The dad of three points out that he was quite surprised at the overwhelming response his blog and Instagram handle received. “Many of my friends who are fathers themselves have been extremely supportive. Nowadays, fathers are more open than they were in the past to speak about their personal parenting experiences. They are not afraid to be vulnerable. Recently, I did a round table with some local dads. We spoke about the good and the bad parts of parenting, and the learnings were extremely informative. It is nice to know that the blog has helped fathers to speak about their personal experiences and not feel shy about it,” adds Geordie.
Though Geordie has written numerous blogs, one blog post, in particular, manages to stand out. “It was a post articulating a conversation I had with a close friend who had just become a father. He was overwhelmed by the love he felt for his new baby, and the ‘daddy’ hormones were kicking in! Becoming a dad can really change a person and that conversation got me writing about the time our first baby came along. That was a special post," he says.
Interestingly, Geordie has found admirers among non-parents as well. “I have had a few friends at work tell me they love my blog, even though they don’t have kids! The blog has been great for meeting people and sharing stories. I would have never dreamed of having half-a-dozen guys at my house for pizza to talk about kids, but it was a great experience,” he adds.
Geordie’s blog has encouraged a few fathers to do the same. “Though I don’t know many who have started blogging, I do see many dads taking to Instagram, posting pics of their kids, and talking about their life experiences and events,” he points out. He also adds that his journey as a blogger would have been incomplete without the support of his wife. “She has done what she always does when I get an idea into my head – encourage and support me," says Geordie.
Geordie was born in the United Kingdom and moved to Adelaide after marrying a beautiful Australian girl! They lived in the UK for five years before deciding to move to Australia in search of a bit more sun. Geordie lives in the southern suburbs and his hobbies include running. He is an insurance man, likes to run half and full marathons and will be trying his first ultra-marathon this year. Hope on to his Instagram handle and wish him luck.
