by Chris Miezitis, Fathers Network Scotland

I love pictures of small babies. Who doesn’t? Small, wide-eyed, open-mouthed, soft-haired beautiful wee tiny totsy, gentle quiet creatures.

The minute my second child exploded into the world it was clear he was personally offended by the fall in his living standards. He was 9Ib 3oz of furious customer unleashed on TripAdvisor. If he’d had any control over his chubby, raging little hands he would have littered the internet with passive aggressive 0-star reviews. In his last residence he’d wanted for nothing! And now this?! This was a shambles. Daddy? Idiot. This baby grow? Burn it. Milk that I have to get myself? Are you mad? Sleep? How can you expect me to sleep in this wretched, godforsaken place? 

I left Scotland 10 years ago in a bashed up Ford Fiesta and all my belongings in a box. I returned 7 years later with considerably more baggage in the shape of 1.5 kids, a husband, a teaching degree and a lorry 60% full of plastic toys that bleeped. I was 40 weeks pregnant with an apparent future footballer and our daughter was just 3. Had we stayed in England, she would have been starting school the following summer at the tender age of 4. I was apprehensive. From what I had experienced in my teaching career so far it all felt a bit too soon, so I was delighted to discover that as a February born baby in Scotland, her and her January born peers would be entitled to defer their school start date by a year. Not only that but she would automatically be entitled to an extra year of nursery funding. 

If it seems that every second person you meet is giving up gluten or deciding to ditch dairy, then you’d be right. Figures from Allergy UK state that almost half of the population have intolerances to various foods, 48% of adults suffer from more than one allergy and the rate of hospital admissions for anaphylaxis has increased by a whopping 615% over the past two decades - in the UK alone. Studies suggest that as many as 1 in 3 of the population believe they have allergies, but many remain undiagnosed.

You’ve decided you would like to have some family photos taken, so how do you choose the best photographer to take them? ​

If you don’t know what a podcast is, let me explain it to you. Ben Hammersley first mentioned the word podcast in a 2004 Guardian newspaper article. It came from ‘iPod’ and ‘broadcast’. This doesn’t limit listening to an iPod. It is possible to listen through a smart device your phone, tablet, iPad or your desktop computer.  A podcast is a digital audio file which is created by anyone and uploaded to the internet. Today podcasts are available through smartphone apps like Spotify, Google podcasts or Apple podcasts. The cherry on the cake is that ALL podcasts are free!

Podcasts are so easily accessible and are listened to on commutes, in the car, while doing the laundry or at the gym. The ability to download podcasts also allows people on planes to tune in!  The number of people listening to podcasts in the UK has almost doubled in two years, with an estimated 6 million people (11%) listening to podcasts weekly. Podcasts, however, are not a new thing and were introduced around fifteen years ago although they have only really moved in to pop culture in the last five years.  According to a survey by Rajar, two-thirds of those people are 18-35 year old’s and twenty percent of people started listening within the previous six months.

In spite of this growth in popularity, the UK is lagging behind the US, where 44% of Americans have listened to a podcast in their lifetime, and Edison’s research found that more people in America know what a podcast is than who the vice president is!

The big question is why has there been such an increase in people listening to podcasts? There are several reasons, one of which is that people are spending increasingly more time on their mobile phones - personally, It is starting to feel like my whole life revolves around my mobile.
Apple podcasts are conveniently pre-installed on iPhones, and the connect-ability of newer cars means that you no longer have to listen to the radio and this opens up a wealth of opportunities for listening to what you want. The biggest reason, however, is that the Millennials/ younger generations are no longer looking to mainstream media outlets or TV for entertainment, they are and more likely to search out media by going on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook or tuning in to a podcast.

It is an exciting time for large broadcasters and media houses as the way we consume media is shifting. Physical newspapers, radio stations, and tv stations are having to innovate in an attempt to keep their audience. Collectively we are spending less time together, but more time ‘connected’. The reduction in physical contact, one could argue is being compensated by media such as podcasts, where listeners can feel as though they are part of something and in some instances in the same room.

I do however believe the growth in popularity of podcasts is a positive move. The beauty is that starting a podcast is (relatively) easy. This allows people to share ideas with others as there is low barriers to entry (there are no high startup costs for example), making it easier for people all over the world to share their voices. Almost every niche is covered, giving a voice to many who may have been otherwise overlooked. I love the fact that you get opinions and conversations straight from the horse’s mouth with no filter. It is freedom of expression at it’s finest, and there is something for everyone. My husband, for example, loves listening to ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ and I love listening to ‘Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations’. Not only are individuals making podcasts but the mainstream media companies like BBC, The Guardian etc have jumped onto the bandwagon hoping not to miss out on all the action.

‘Celebrities’ have also recently been getting into podcasting with my favourite two ‘Celeb Mum’ podcast’s being ‘Happy Mum Happy Baby’ by Giovanna Fletcher and ‘Happy Place’ by Ferne Cotton. They remind me that in spite of our very different lives, celebrities are normal people who go through the same highs and lows!

Excitingly Edinburgh has its very own podcast scene! I have just launched my own podcast called ‘Magnificent Mothers’. As an Edinburgh born and bred mother of two, I was inclined to start a podcast alongside my YouTube channel ‘Vanessa Kanbi’. I felt that mothers could often feel isolated. I wanted to create a podcast to inspire mums using other mums stories! In my podcast, I interview mothers from Edinburgh and beyond who have done extraordinary things.

Along with myself, other mothers in Edinburgh are doing big things in the podcast world. JoJo Fraser has a podcast called ‘Mummy JoJo’ Uncut Mojo Injection which discusses all things mental health. Kylie Reid who owns the well-known EGG - Edinburgh Gossip Girls has also started her own podcast called “EGG Talks To Podcast”. Along with mothers, Edinburgh produces a variety of genres during the festival there is a boom in podcasts surrounding the festivities. There are churches, students, tech and gaming podcasts all coming out of Scotland and this is just the beginning!