Why is your blog called “All Thumbs Parenting?”

Good question! There are a couple of reasons why I called my blog “All Thumbs Parenting”.

First, I love to write and I love to document. It’s helpful for me to go back and review my writing months or even years later to see where my head was at the time of its writing.

Back in the day, I always carried a spiral notebook, or scrap pieces of paper, or a journal and pen on me. I have so many journals that I’ve penned with freeverse, songwriting, poetry, screenplay concepts, documentary projects, video projects, commercials, podcast projects, prayers, promises, pros and cons list, letters that I would never send, secrets, brainstorming, brain dumping, affirmations, mantras, and so much more.

But having Ash took me to the next level with the tools I use to write. The one thing that was usually in my hand was my phone. With a background in documentaries, capturing Ash living his best life came naturally to me. Through photos and videos and journaling about our day together, I created stories about my “day in the life of parenting.”

After a year, I realized I had written a lot. And what was amazing to me was how easy I was able to do it on my phone with my thumbs Instead of pulling out my pen and journal to write in, I simply opened the Notes App on my iPhone and “wrote” down my thoughts using my thumbs. It was an organic process.

The other reason for calling my blog All Thumbs Parenting is that I felt “all thumbs” when it came to parenting - awkward, clumsy, bumbling - and I still do!

Real life examples of bungled parenting: the baby rolled off the bed while his dad was playing a game on his phone; the toddler almost fell into the fountain, while his mom was taking a picture of a flower; the well-intended advice that was given to their child made their child feel worse.

Yes, the parents in those examples are Grant and me - not our proudest moments. Yet we continue to enjoy this parenting journey we’re on.