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Letters From Listeners

Pay Attention to Your Kid - Not Your Phone
03/18/2013
One of the most egregious uses of a cell phone I've witnessed, and while it may not be extreme compared to others, was at a grocery store. Ironically, I was in line to get prenatal vitamins and a woman with her child were behind me. He was attempting to get her attention by repeatedly saying, "Mom? Mom? Mom?"  But she was talking on her phone, the conversation apparently so important that her son wasn't worth garnering her attention. Eventually she turned to him and snapped, "What?" The expression on his face made me want to cry.

I make it a point to hardly ever be on the phone in front of my children...in the car, in the grocery store, or even at home. If I have to talk to someone and I know it will be a long conversation I will talk to that person when my children are taking naps. Or if I receive a call that I absolutely have to take at the moment, I will occupy them with games or TV or something.

It's sad to see how often this occurs at the store: usually a mother yacking away while her child(ren) is either getting into things at the check out or sitting in the cart staring at Mom, knowing they are being ignored.

It's little moments like those I want my kids to look back with appreciation: how Mom liked to practice counting and singing the ABCs or songs instead of chatting on her phone. We only have so many moments with our kids...we should regard them with the utmost importance that our kids deserve.

Katherine
Tags: Children, Family/Relationships - Children, Internet-Media, Mothers, Mothers on cell phones, Parenting, Stay-at-Home Mom
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