there are about 1 million open letters, essays, etc. out there on the world wide web talking about how moms need to put down the cell phone and engage with their kids. how it is ever so sad to see a mom on her cell phone when she's at the playground with her babies.
i totally do understand where these writers are coming from, in general. i just think we need to give each other some slack. usually, i'm grabbing my phone to take a picture of one of the girls. but sometimes i'm not- sometimes i'm connecting with someone else through text messages or social media. sometimes i'm mindlessly scrolling through instagram.
i love, love, love my life. but there are days when i don't see another adult for 12ish hours. eliza is very verbal, but she doesn't quite grasp the upcoming election or the most recent episode of SNL. i love talking to her, but i need to feel connected more broadly. and that's fine. maybe someone just lost a loved one, and i'm texting them at the grocery store, while eliza is whining about not being able to eat a bagel out of the bakery case. that's fine. maybe i'm allowing eliza to play on my phone longer than i usually would so i can have a good talk with a friend who came over. fine.
the essay that has resonated with me most in this whole technology/motherhood intersection is this one. i dont feel like washing my dishes in a dishwasher makes me a worse mom, so why would being able to connect better with others on my phone make me a worse mom? in past years, mothers would have been reading a magazine while their children were playing, so why is it so bad that we play a game on our phone or look at beautiful or inspiring images or read interesting articles?
obviously don't ignore your kids, right? but i think we're all on that same page. and you know what? if you've had a really crazy day, you might just be at the park so they can run around safely and you CAN ignore them for a few minutes to regain your sanity.
basically, i'm learning it's fine. no matter what anyone else thinks, it's fine to be on your phone.
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