Moms and Phones
I’ve been struggling lately. I struggle with my phone.
On one hand, my phone is great because everything is so easily accessible and in one place. I’m directionally challenged, so I love that I can get directions to a place without having to get on the computer and print it off. I also enjoy having a really good camera at my fingertips to capture precious moments. It’s nice to have access to recipes without having to search through scraps of paper or recipe books. And when I am too busy to make it to a computer, it’s nice to be able to respond to an email that needs my attention. I also enjoy being able to easily share the activities we are loving on social media with you guys!
But my struggle comes with letting my phone consume me. No matter how hard I try, my phone has a way of reeling me back in—one more email check, one more tap to see if I have any notifications, did I just hear my phone go off? Phones are addicting. It’s scary because you think you can just check that one notification, but then that one notification reminds you to check something else or something catches your attention so you look at that for a little bit and before you know it 10 or 15 minutes have passed.
When my phone starts to take priority in my life, I notice a difference in my behavior and my children’s behavior too. I get sidetracked because my thoughts are focused on what I could be missing on my phone instead of being fully present. My children are fighting for my attention…over my phone (that should not happen). My children feel unheard and frustrated because I’m not all ears. My children begin to ask to see things on my phone because, obviously, they see me on the phone (want to be like mom).
This is not the kind of mom I want to be for my children—it’s not my best mom and it’s not the best mom that they deserve.
In all honesty, it’s hard to be vulnerable and let you see my weaknesses. But Best Mom Ideas is about sharing real-life (good and bad), so we can learn and grow together. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m alone in this shortcoming with phones. Do you struggle with your phone too? Not sure? Take a quiz next week to see how your phone relationship fares. And stick around for ways to help balance your relationship with your phone.
