The good people at TIME Magazine are at it again: making you question whether you are a good enough mother. (As if we moms need any help when it comes to guilt-tripping!)
If the photo of this woman with a grown child dangling from her breast wasn't enough to make you doubt your worthiness, then this piece by Dominique Browning will. In it Browning claims that smartphones are making today's parents stupid. Basically, although we think we can, we can't successfully multi-task, and only wind up neglecting our kids.
“[Cell phones have] become handy tools for avoidance," writes Browning, "and it’s our kids who are getting the bad end of the deal. I’ve heard them begging their parents to stop, disconnect. I’ve watched children start to whimper the moment the mobile is picked up, off the dinner table.”
Somewhat ironic, isn't it? We strive so hard to regulate and watchdog our kids' social media consumption, yet we often overindulge ourselves. Yes, being a parent has its dull moments, and it's tempting to squeeze in a text or two... But as Browning sagely points out, “those boring moments are what you will miss the most once your children are grown.”
When it comes to screen time, I'm no angel. However, since I deactivated my Facebook account, I hardly miss it. And I don't (gasp) own a smartphone of any kind, just a simple pay-as-you-go.
Do you set limits for yourself and practice what you preach when it comes to phones and screen time?
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