Interview with Evil Genius Mum: Taking over the World one Geeky Blog Post at a time

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Exclusive Interview with Evil Genius Mum

Have you ever wondered how to balance being a fun mom whilst ensuring your kids get the most out of learning, science and Comic-Con? Well, you are not alone! We interviewed our favorite evil genius on how she manages her family life, children and work aka Evil Genius Inc. Ann-Marie from the refreshingly honest and genuinely funny blog, Evil Genius Mum has given us all insight into her life before blogging and how she faces the challenges of being a geek mom.

The idea behind Evil Genius Mum came from my desire to simply do stuff with our kids. Not your everyday Pinterest stuff. I’m talking geeky stuff. Science stuff.

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Image credit: Evil Genius Mum

Can you talk us through what you were doing before you became a blogger and how you made the transition?

Before blogging… hmm. That’s a while back now. I was a lawyer. It doesn’t seem like such a big jump from Lawyer to Evil Genius, does it?

The idea behind Evil Genius Mum came from my desire to simply do stuff with our kids. I’m talking about geeky stuff. Science stuff. Building a deeper understanding of different things. In the beginning it was hard to find other young families like us. Every now and then we would meet someone at Comic-Con, Comic Book Day, or Science Week.

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Image credit: Evil Genius Mum

Initially blogging was about the funny geeky things we do, and how it is life experience for the kids. As people came to know us, they started associating with us. We found our minions, so to speak. The best part is how much I love sharing the information. I know how frustrating it can be, wanting to talk about something but having no-one close by to do so. So that’s how I started blogging.

What has been the most challenging moment in your blogging journey so far?

Having a third child. Don’t get me wrong, I love her to pieces. But she is taking her merry time to grow up and chip in with housework, so I can catch up on writing! It’s a fine line between managing the kids and managing a blog.

How do you balance being a successful blogger and being a mother?

I don’t. No really. Anyone wanting to blog out there, be prepared for ideas to hit you in the middle of a conversation with a seven year old about Benjamin Franklin’s research paper on farts – and not being anywhere near a notepad and pen. Or being all ready to do a Skype interview, and your three year old walks in with a permanent marker and a grin.

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Image credit: Evil Genius Mum

How would you describe your blogging style?

Relaxed, crazy, real. I write like I talk, because I see it as just another conversation.

My interests are varied, so sometimes it is serious research. Sometimes it is just a life experience, no-one else has talked about (seriously – who cracks a tooth-filling on fruit loaf?).

Who has impacted you most in blogging and how?

My first impression of blogging was from Nicole Avery at Planning with Kids, mainly because she is just so organised and ‘together’ – I so wanted to be that. However, I realized it’s not me.

Then I found Bruce Devereaux, at Big Family Little Income. I gravitated to his blog, looking for confirmation I wasn’t alone. Not only has Bruce become a mentor for me, but he’s also become a good friend. Because he and I are both the crazy ones in our little family, and it is really our spouses who maintain the sanity. Finally, I have my fellow bloggers at GeekMom. They are my people.

They remind me how connected you can be to people anywhere in the world, simply by sharing communication online.

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Image credit: Evil Genius Mum

As a mum what is your best secret weapon when it comes to managing your kids?

A sense of humour. Even during serious moments, a sense of humour will relax your kids enough to still feel like they can approach you about anything. Yes, they need to know when things get serious, but they can’t do that if everything is serious. We always try to find something positive – like a lotus flower in murky water. It helps. A lot.

What do you do in your spare time? Do you even have any!?

I travel and holiday plan. More holiday plan than travel, but that is slowly changing. I read, a bit. I also create cosplay designs (not as much of the making). Somewhere in there should be sleep, but who am I kidding?

Weirdest or most unexpected interest?

I am absolutely stumped. I don’t see any of my interests as weird or unexpected. On the other hand, I live in a fairly conservative area. Apparently all of my interests are weird or unexpected.

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Image credit: Evil Genius Mum

What advice would you give new parents that you wish you knew yourself?

The only person you are on show for is your child. Don’t do it for the accolades or ‘Likes’. Do it for the split second moment when your 10-year-old son will turn to you and say “Yeah, She-Ra is pretty awesome.”

Do the cool stuff with your kids. Share it with them. Show your vulnerability and invite them in.

What should we expect from you in the future?

You can expect two whole days per week of FREEDOM!! The three year old is starting preschool, so I have time to catch up on writing and projects I’ve been aching to do for ages. Projects including: supporting our local school with the National STEM Video Game Challenge, a Kickstarter project with one of the kids for a marine conservation project and researching the impact of AI on future education.

My next big project is looking at how we are adapting to a changing environment, and whether we’re adapting faster than the environment.

We hope that you enjoyed this exclusive interview with Ann-Marie who runs one of our favorite mum blogs. Read more about Evil Genius Mum.

If you want to read more influencer interviews, click here!

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