For those of you who’ve been here since the beginning, you’ll know that Honey House has had a few forms. It started out as a membership. I cared deeply about this because I wanted Honey House first and foremost to be a community. A place for parents to find each other and feel less alone. Turns out the community model wasn’t quite right for parents. Some could come to events more than others. Some didn’t want to commit. We get it. Kids are fickle things.
There’s been a few other iterations in the mix too. Pregnancy and postnatal support, because the maternity system is FUCKED and I can’t stand to see more women get pushed and prodded by policy after shitty, souless policy.
But at the core, what I’ve been driven by is the desire to make parenting feel less impossible. But HOW Honey House has tried to do that has shifted and wiggled a lot over the past two years.
Stepping back always gives me glorious perspective.
And what stepping back over the last few weeks has given me is somewhere near to clarity in our next steps.
I know these ‘update’ notes are meant to end with a neat little ‘next steps’ epiphany. And I’m kind of there. But I’m also kind of still getting there.
I guess that’s because as well as a business woman trying to do things to make parenting a better place, I’m also a mum of three small people, trying to navigate life in these crazy, crazy times. And as I say to my daughter, “we’re all learning.”
If you’re interested to read more about where we’re at and where we’re headed, grab a cuppa and read on for part three.
Where we’re at and where we’re heading
I’ve honestly always been very, very bad at tooting my own flute. I’m also very bad at remembering what it is that I was very passionate about just a minute ago. Basically I’m an in-person kinda gal. Ask me about why I founded Honey House in person and you’ll be like OMG YES I GET IT!!! If you ask me to do a reel, I clam up. Big time. LIKE. A. CLAM.
I’m not just ‘afraid’ to show up online. I actually can’t remember what it is I want to say when I’m on the spot. I think it’s an ADHD thing. Also. I cannot (and I stress) bear to manipulate people’s vices in the name of marketing and business gains. So I end up just saying the vanilla thing. The what without the why. I guess this makes me shit at marketing myself. (I’m quite good at marketing others ironically).
I can’t bring myself to say that you NEED this in your life. Or “Here’s five things you absolutely have to do if you don’t want to be a fucking shitty mother.” Basically. It’s everywhere isn’t it. People telling you where you’re failing and how purchasing their (insert: collagen powder, weaning app, sleep guide) will change your life for the better. It’s exhausting. Confusing. Knackering. And expensive. And I’m over it.
I really don’t want to make parents feel any shitter than they already do. Particularly mums. Mum-ing is as polarised as politics right now. What I want to do is make parents feel BETTER. But that’s all a bit vague isn’t it. So I guess I’m going to try and be not vague. Here’s what I mean.
I think we’ve overcomplicated parenting. In fact I know we have. In fact NO. We didn’t do it. They did. You know: the ‘man’. They. Society. The royal they. The money makers and community breakers. Somewhere they overcomplicated parenting for us.
Whatever the reason, here’s how I can see us reversing the tide.
1) Community