Caribbean Blogger Spotlight: Eva Greene Wilson of Soca Mom

I’m a mom and a blogger, but I wouldn’t consider myself a mommy blogger. I infuse culture with my little one and share when it’s relevant. Eva Greene Wilson of SocaMom is hands down my go-to mommy blog.

Eva is a well-sought after blogger and author, wife, while home schooling her kids, oh and, she’s in law school and still makes it a point to connect with fellow bloggers and authors continuously (talk about a Caribbean with multiple jobs!)

She’s one of the few non-Latino Caribbean moms who really puts out here Caribbean-American experiences as a first generation American, while exposing her children to their cultural heritage. Eva has such a wealth of knowledge about all of it (she explains more in her podcast with Kerry of Carry on Friends, check it out here), but she dives in here about her blogging experience, infusing her kids in her blog and her Caribbean related interests.

What made you start SocaMom?

My home was so different to my friends’ homes when I was growing up. Sometimes it made me feel isolated, and I did a lot of “code switching” to try to fit in with the white kids I went to school with and the African American kids that I hung out with. The first time I attended a Carnival celebration in America, I realized that it wasn’t just me, it wasn’t just my house, there were people all over the country with homes just like mine, parents like mine, and a love for Caribbean culture just like mine. I wanted to make sure that my children knew that side of themselves, and were able to embrace it early, so I went on a mission to find Caribbean cultural activities for us to participate in as a family.  A lot of the activities aren’t posted online – you just have to know someone – so I figured that I would be that someone that people knew, the person they could go to for information to connect their families to Caribbean culture.

Infusing you children into your blog can be challenging on what you want to share, how do you gauge how much to share on your blog?

My first rule of thumb is not to share anything that would embarrass them now or later with a classmate, employer, friend, or future romantic interest. I have a teenage son, so I don’t talk about him as much, not because his life isn’t interesting, and I don’t have a ton to share, but because not much will pass the “embarrassment test.” Teenagers think everything is embarrassing. Of course he is a typical teen, interested in video games and girls and things like that, but that is not my story to tell.  Some of the things that I go through as the mom of a teen is hilarious and would make for great content, but at the end of the day, it is his life and his story – not mine. I am usually pretty protective of their privacy, but I am a blogger that writes about parenthood, without my kids, I don’t have much to write about.  So if it passes the “embarrassment test,” and it doesn’t violate their privacy, and I’m still not sure whether or not to post it, I just ask them how they feel about it.

You’re not the only famous one in the family, your children have stepped into spotlights in their own rights, how was that progression for you and them, especially online and with TV?  

They always want to do what I do, and they want to do it better.  They started out doing little projects for me, so the progression has been pretty smooth. Even though they want to have blogs, vlogs, and do things on TV, that doesn’t mean that I have time to do what it takes to get them where they want to be. I’m not a stage mom, and I don’t have time to take them here and there to do all of the things they want to do with their blogs and TV, on top of sports, dance, music, and their other activities.  We give them the tools, teach them how to use them, set times that they can work on their own projects, and then they do whatever they can with the limited amount of time that I have to provide guidance.

What do you think is different about blogging from Caribbean mom perspective?

I think every culture has a different way of thinking about parenthood. How we raise children varies from region to region, and even from island to island.  One of the reasons I created SocaMom was so that Caribbean moms would have a place to talk about the similarities in how they were raised, the changes they are making, if any, in raising their own children, as well as talk about differences in island cultures and family experiences. Many of our readers are from the United States with no connection to the Caribbean, and SocaMom serves as a reminder that we all are fundamentally the same, with many of the same concerns about raising our kids, from anxiety over rashes to helping them apply for college scholarships. I think that adding the Caribbean perspective helps Caribbean moms to see that they are not alone, and non-Caribbean moms to see that we aren’t so different.

You also run a Caribbean Book Club, how did that come about?

When I started the blog, I reached out to an editor of Caribbean Children’s literature to share her book list, and parents were really interested in learning more.  Once I wrote my first book, I met so many great Caribbean authors. I wanted to have a place that they could share their books with an audience that was uniquely interested in their writing, who would also see them as an inspiration to start or continue writing. So far we have an amazing group, have talked with some wonderful writers, and read some really great books together.

How do you balance your blog and life outside of blogging?

I can’t write nearly as much as I used to because I am in my second year of law school, and homeschooling all three kids, so I have to choose opportunities that fit into what I am already doing.  For example, I took care of filming in South Carolina for my black history month post while on a trip to a friend’s birthday party in Georgia. I often have to kill five birds with one stone, but if I can get them to line up, I can knock ‘em right out.

What are your favorite Social Media outlets?

Right now I enjoy Facebook.  I don’t have time to call friends and check on them all the time, so I like that I can see how they are just by scrolling, and let them know I am thinking about them with a “like” or a comment.  I love Twitter for the drama. I don’t have a lot of time to watch TV, so I get all the drama, comedy, and foolishness that I need on my time, in short 140 character updates.

What are some of your favorite Caribbean inspired things to do?

Eat. I can’t even lie. I love Caribbean food BAD! I also like to dance to soca music… I am a walking Trini cliché, I know.

How would you describe your style?

Is “Motherhood Survival Chic” a thing? Most days, to be honest, if it is clean and it fits, I’ll wear it. I am mostly trying to survive being a mom, law student, and blogger, so if I have clothes on at all, and I smell good, I think that is a win. That means sweats, jeans, and sneakers.  Don’t get me wrong, I have lots of really fun pieces, but I don’t usually pull them out until there’s a special occasion.  If I weren’t a blogger, I may never be in anything cute. I save the great stuff for events, and these days I have gone full princess.  I am really into skirts by Nicole and Madeline. I love them because they are full, dramatic, and whatever she does to the waistband makes my waist looked snatched… but I am breathing easy.

What are you Vibin’ to right now?

I am getting caught up on all the new music for Trinidad Carnival 2016, and there is so much to love. I have “Temperature” by Machel Montano, “Oh Yay” from Olatunji, and “People” by Kes the Band getting me going in the morning, but by the end of the day, I am usually vibin’ to familiar old school Soca and Dancehall while I sit in traffic on the way home. It always puts me in a great mood at the end of a very long day.

Keep up with Eva on social to keep up with this SocaMom!
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