Blogs Spot #7: Raising Sienna!

 

 

raisingsienna

Not to say that we have a “favorite” blogger (cause that’s almost as bad as saying you have a favorite kid, right?) but if there was a top 5 list he’s on it! Lorne from RaisingSienna.com faces depression and anxiety while taking on the role of fatherhood, and he writes about it wonderfully.  We’re pleased to have him answer our little questionnaire, and we hope you go check him out HERE!

 

1: Besides becoming a parent, what made you decide to blog and are you still blogging for the same reason? Have you evolved since you started, and if so, how?

I suffer from clinical depression and general anxiety disorder and have been told for years that I should blog to get some of the poison inside me out. I was always afraid to do so…afraid of judgment…but I finally gathered up the courage to do it. Once I started and received positive feedback, I realized that I was discussing an important topic – raising children while dealing with depression – and it became a mission of mine to help those with depression realize they’re not alone. I’ve definitely evolved. I’m not as scared as I was at the beginning, though I still struggle with writing sometimes.

2: Out of all your posts, which do you think resonated most with others and why?

I think there are 2 posts of mine that really resonated with people, but for different reasons. I wrote this post soon after reading at Dad 2.0 in New Orleans: http://www.raisingsienna.com/speaking-at-dad-2-0-challenges-my-defenses/ It details the shock I felt at the immensely positive reception I  received after reading and includes a link to a YouTube video of me at the podium. People seemed to be impressed that I was able to read in front of 200+ people despite my disease, that I faced my fears in such a public arena and then wrote about it, taking people through what was going on in my brain. The second post that I feel resonated with people was a humorous list I called “7 Unintentionally Dirty Things I’ve Said To My Kid.” When you become a parent, all of a sudden these phrases that you’ve associated with “xxx” things for a good portion of your life now have new and innocent connotations and you keep catching yourself saying things that just sound so wrong. When I posted it, I received tons of responses from parents saying they felt the same way and offering up their own funny situations. That post can be found here: http://www.raisingsienna.com/7-unintentionally-dirty-thing-ive-said-to-my-kid/

3: How do you think/hope your child/children will view your blog later in life?

I hope my daughter will see how much I love her. How hard I’ve fought against the irrational side of myself to become a good father. I hope she sees the courage it’s taken to do so and realizes that her dad his human and that she should never be afraid to try anything.

4: What kind of parenting advice have you received that you actually used in raising your little one?

The best advice I’ve gotten (and I’ve gotten this via numerous sites) is not to be so hard on myself. All of us parents go through stressful situations. All of us parents compare ourselves to others. All of us parents make mistakes and are human. All of us parents need to take a step back and realize it’s ok, we’re ok, and we need to give ourselves a break.

5. What do you hope to gain from blogging? What are your goals, where do you see it going?

My biggest goal is, as I stated earlier, to help those (especially parents) with depression realize they’re not alone. I want them to know there’s a safe haven out there where a person is putting himself out there as raw as he he can. I also very much want to work on my skills as a writer and hope to one day write a memoir. I’ve been lucky to have been chosen as one of the contributors to Dads Behaving Dadly: 67 Truths, Tears and Triumphs of Modern Fatherhood, but I’d love to one day write a book of my own. But most of all I just want to continue to conquer my fears.

 

Thanks so much to Lorne for his contributions! Go check out RaisingSienna.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter!

 

About PBDadCast 161 Articles
A couple of dads podcasting about being dads! Open your ears for some great stories and conversations about all things we dad's face on a daily basis. Also hots of #AskADad on YouTube.

1 Comment

  1. I really enjoy Lorne’s blog as well. Good choice of whom to feature.
    Lorne – your answer to number 3 – about your daughter seeing how much you fought to become a good father – is a beautiful is touching. I think she will recognize how much you love her and the blog will be icing on the cake.

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