Don’t Miss It

I saw the title of an article a couple weeks ago and clicked on it. The title was “How to Miss a Childhood.” As I read the article I quickly realized that the overwhelming majority of it was dealing with the issue of our “connectedness” and how that is impeding on and interrupting our time with our kids. Here is a list of characteristics mentioned in the article that indicates you might be missing their childhood:

How to Miss a Childhood

1. Keep your phone turned on at all times of the day. Allow the rings, beeps, and buzzes to interrupt your child mid-sentence  always let the caller take priority.
2. Decide the app you’re playing is more important than throwing the ball in the yard with your kids. Even better, yell at them to leave you alone while you play your game.
3. While you wait for the server to bring your food or the movie to start, get out your phone and stare at it despite the fact your child sits inches away longing for you talk to him.
4. Go to your child’s sporting event and look up periodically from your phone thinking she won’t notice that you are not fully focused on her game.
5. Check your phone first thing in the morning … even before you kiss, hug, or greet the people in your family.
6. Neglect daily rituals like tucking your child into bed or nightly dinner conversation because you are too busy with your online activity.
7. Don’t look up from your phone when your child speaks to you or just reply with an uh huh so she thinks you were listening.
8. Lose your temper with your child when he “bothers” you while you are interacting with your hand-held electronic device.
9. Use drive time to call other people regardless of the fact you could be talking to your kids about their day or about their worries, their fears, or their dreams. 
10. Read email and text messages at stoplights. Then tell yourself that when your kids are old enough to drive they won’t remember you did this all the time.

We only have so much time with our kids before they are grown and gone. Don’t miss out on connecting with them now because you are too busy staying connected.