Hi guys, and welcome back to my channel. Today I'm doing part two of my Q&A. I put out a
message on Instagram recently and I got so many questions that I'm now making a second
video on this. So I'm just going to get straight into the questions.
So the first question is, what are your strengths and weaknesses as a mom? That is a tough question.
I would say my strengths are that I'm very, very loving, and a lot of you comment on me
being calm, so I think I am quite patient as a mom. My biggest weakness is definitely
that I can be too soft. I can let things go or slide, I can let them have a few more sweets,
I can let them do this. There are a few things that I'm like Hitler with, like bedtime, and
I do use the thinking step and stuff. But I think I am probably a bit too soft.
I had a few questions about whether I would do a meet-up or not, and I would totally be
up for that but I never really felt like anyone would turn up. So let me know in the comments
if you would actually like a meet-up. I suppose the first logical one would be Essex or London.
But yeah, I don't know, I haven't ever really thought about it. I would never bring the
children because of safety, but I would maybe do a meet-up. So yeah, let me know.
The next question is, are you planning a trip to Canada with the kids? So we were planning
a trip in October to see my mom, but her house is not done. She's renovating a very old house
by hand, so it's taking forever. So we definitely will go out to Canada soon but I just don't
know when yet.
"I want to ask if you are already planning to potty train Jackson. How did you do it
with your older kids? Love your channel." Thank you. Right, so I will link a video down
below that I did about potty training. I showed the steps I went through with Caleb. It only
took four days. He got it so quickly and I think the whole reason he got it quickly is
because he was so ready. He was two years old and nine months I think.
Fraser was actually just 20 months old when he decided to potty train himself. He would
just take his nappy off and say no, so I had to just go with it. I was reading a book and
it was like, "Don't ignore the signs," and I was like, I think this is a sign, him throwing
away his nappy whenever I put it on. So yeah I have, obviously Jackson is only 11 months
old, so I'll definitely wait until he's over two I think.
Question here about disciplining the kids. She asks how do I discipline my kids, they
always seem so polite on my channel. But bear in mind my channel is edited. Fraser is actually
a very obedient child. The only technique that I've ever used with them is the step,
the thinking step we call it. So basically if they do anything wrong like throw a toy,
that's a regular occurrence, throwing toys, if they throw a toy then I will say, "Please
don't do that." If they do it again I will say, "If you throw a toy again, you will be
sat on the thinking step for three minutes," or however minutes of their age. And then
if they do it again, then it's on the step for three minutes. So that's really the only
technique that I've done.
I do always say please and thank you to them. I feel like I'm saying it forever, always,
over and over. "What do you say? What do you say? What's the magic word?" et cetera. I
have actually asked Caleb, "What's the magic word?" before and he said, "Abracadabra,"
to me. I'm like, "No, it's please."
The next question is, do you have any plans to write a blog as well as your fantastic
vlogs? So no I don't. It's something that I've thought about so much, and I did actually
start a blog when is started my vlog and I was like, "Well I'll do both alongside each
other," because that's what everyone seems to do. But if I'm honest, I'm not the most
confident writer and I'm a very visual person. I like to see things, hear things. I like
to be able to do cooking and watch a vlog or listen to someone talk. As much as I love
taking photos, I have no plans to make a blog.
I had a few questions about whether we would ever move back to Canada or if we would ever
move anywhere else in the world, and we have absolutely no plans to move. As a child I
moved around a lot. I went to a few different schools. So I feel like now as an adult with
young children that it's really important that we actually stay rooted in one place.
So I'm really happy here. I actually love Essex, I love living here. I think it's so
beautiful and so close to London. I think it's the ideal place to live. I know Matt
always makes fun of me when I say that, because he's lived here his whole life. I think you
don't really appreciate it when you have. But yeah, no, I feel really happy, so at home
in England.
Right, the next question is, do you ever feel mom guilt? Yes. All the time. I think, what
mom doesn't? It really shouldn't be called motherhood, it should be called guilt hood
because I have literally felt guilty since the minute I found out I was pregnant. I was
then felt guilty about what I was eating, would the baby like it and stuff like that.
And then anything now I will blame myself. Like often Matt will get home from work and
I'll be like, "Oh Caleb didn't eat his dinner," and I'll be like, "It's my fault." I just
honestly, I feel so much mom guilt. It's a bit ridiculous.
A question about what editing software I use. I use Final Cut Pro, but I am very basic.
It sounds really fancy but I only really know the basics. "What is her favorite place to
take the boys on holiday?" This is difficult because if it was a few years ago I would
have said without a doubt Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. We used to love going there on holiday
because it's not far by plane, it's four or five hours, and it's always hot. It's guaranteed
hot whether it's October, November, any time of year it's just gorgeous. So I would have
said Egypt probably.
Cypress has been a big favorite of ours because we went there last April and again, that one
is one where it's always going to be nice weather. I think for us when we spend so much
money on a holiday, we do want the guaranteed sun. Even a day or two of rain we're like...
We kind of want to go away and have that. Saying that though, we just booked a cruise,
which is actually going to be around Norway so that's going to be a lot more for sightseeing.
So yeah, I think Cypress is up there. Punta Cana, which is Dominican Republic, we went
to last year. It was amazing, so, so beautiful. That's when we seen the Caribbean.
A few people have asked when I edit and film and stuff like that as well. So basically
what I do is be a mommy most of the day. If Matt is around on his days off I will take
some time out and film videos, normally when Jackson is asleep. And then when they go to
bed at 7:00 that is normally when I edit, I'm actually filming tonight, but that is
when I edit and do a lot of emails. Throughout the day I will also do emails. So it is a
massive juggle, but come September my two eldest boys will both be at school and preschool.
So I'll have a little bit more time to myself.
But this August, also doing Vlogust has been really challenging. It has been so, so busy
but I'm glad I've done it and I'm amazed actually how much I can get done in a day. But, I am
feeling quite tired. I'm probably getting five or six hours of sleep a night, which
I can function on but I'm probably aging from. So I should probably stop doing that.
The next question is, how did it take as a YouTuber to be financial stable enough to
quit my day job? So I've had my channel for three years, but the first 18 months I didn't
make any money. It was very much just a hobby, just building up my channel putting out content.
Then I started to make a little bit of extra money just doing a few brand deals and stuff,
and I was like, "Oh this is interesting and good." And then it wasn't until I got to three
years where I was at the point where I was like, I could quit my job now doing this.
So while I've been on maternity I've just spent so much time and energy to grow it to
get to the point where I don't have to go back, and I'm not. So yes, I think with anything
if you put the work in it will pay off.
But yeah, anyway I hope you like this video. It's probably getting a bit long now so I
will end it here. There's still a few more questions so who knows, I might even make
another one. But ask me any other questions you have down below and I will make sure to
reply and answer them, and thank you so much for watching. Bye guys.