Laurie4b Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 http://growinginashrinkingculture.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/in-defense-of-the-iphone-mom/ I thought this was a good blog post in response to the on-going mommy wars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Thanks for sharing. Honestly I saw the original quote from her post a few weeks ago and it made me angry. I go to the park to get a break. Yeah, I am on my iPhone or iPad because I just spent all day with my kids. Schooling, reading, watching them do this and that. Occasionally I think I should get a minute for them to "go play." I am still there and will watch the occasional "watch this", but I watch once or twice then ask them to go play. You can think what you want but on days when my dh leaves early and comes home after the kids are in bed, that time on my phone at the park is the only distance I got from my kids that day. I don't think it makes me a bad parent, it makes me a real one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 I read a similar rant/admonishment recently about kids using iPhones and other gadgets at the grocery store while Mom shops. The author assumed that because a child in a shopping cart was focused on some electronic device at the moment in time when she saw him, he must not *ever* be engaged with the world around him. And it made the author so sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 I love when people see you for two minutes and assume that tells the story of your entire life. If you are on the phone ignoring your kids NOW, that must be all you EVER do. :glare: Thanks for posting that. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Thanks for sharing. Honestly I saw the original quote from her post a few weeks ago and it made me angry. I go to the park to get a break. Yeah, I am on my iPhone or iPad because I just spent all day with my kids. Schooling, reading, watching them do this and that. Occasionally I think I should get a minute for them to "go play." I am still there and will watch the occasional "watch this", but I watch once or twice then ask them to go play. You can think what you want but on days when my dh leaves early and comes home after the kids are in bed, that time on my phone at the park is the only distance I got from my kids that day. I don't think it makes me a bad parent, it makes me a real one. I agree. I don't have an iphone, but I do usually take a book with me or my phone. That's the only real break I can get and my only time to call family. Sure, I know people who don't ever engage meaningfully with their kids, but you can't tell that from just looking at someone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Thanks for posting this! I shared it on my Facebook the other day. As if we moms need more guilt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenmama2 Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 I like this response http://friedokra4me.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/dear-mom-on-iphone-i-get-it.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Yeah, I have never understood why the smartphone is such a problem, but nobody's blinking at a couple of moms chatting while their kids are playing on the playground. Our co-op takes place in a facility that is a wonderful play space for the kids; they socialize and run around and play and have fun, and the moms have a nice place to chat. Nobody minds that; everyone is grateful for it. Why do we tout things like that as a good thing, but the flip side is that a mom doing something, anything, on her smartphone gets chastised? Why does it matter if she's paying bills with her phone instead of writing checks and envelopes with a paper and pen? (Seriously, if we were playing happily as kids, how many of our moms thought, "well, I really am just going to stay here and watch every moment" instead of "great, now I can write out the electric bill without distraction?") Why is it okay for a mom to chat face-to-face with her friend but not over the phone? Why is it okay for a mom to knit while her kids play (or in my mom's case, sew) but not okay to talk on the phone or play games on it? What about those precious moments a mom misses because she's, gasp, cooking dinner, or taking out the garbage, or switching the laundry, or even changing the baby's diaper? (Do other moms bring their older kids with them every time they have to do anything in another room, just because they'd hate to miss a precious moment? Seriously. Eyeroll.) Why is it okay for moms to work and leave their children with a sitter but not okay for a mom to talk on her phone for a few minutes at the playground? Why is it okay for a mom to have a sitter so she can go out on a date with her husband, but not okay for her to talk to that same husband on the phone while he's on his way home from work and the children are playing? How come nobody raises an eyebrow when a mom tucks her baby into his crib and misses the preciousness of him babbling to his toys, but she's not allowed to talk on the phone while he's digging in the sand? Really??? The reality is that while we should always remember that people, especially children, are more important than things and wants, we also are not going to see every single adorable thing they do, and no matter how much of it we capture, they're still going to grow up too fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in AZ Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 "Love" both of those responses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinmami01 Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 http://growinginashrinkingculture.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/in-defense-of-the-iphone-mom/ I thought this was a good blog post in response to the on-going mommy wars. Loved that article! I struggle enough with guilt of not doing enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 You know I honestly just don't give one moment's thought or concern as to what other people think of my parenting. I'm so past the whole "mommy wars" things. Whatever. Do what you do with your kids and I'll do what I do with mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 I am up at 6am to get my oldest off to middle school. When she leaves I get my middle up and we start our school day. My youngest is up until 10. So I am with my children for 16 hours a day. The only break I get is 2 hours on Wed's while they are at church. I use that to run errands. Even my homeschool friends say how do you do it? I'd go crazy if I were with kids that long every day. So I refuse to feel guilty that I'm not watching every moment. A friend of mine and I went to the science center yesterday. Our kids are perfectly matched up age wise. We (gasp) sent the oldest off to explore on their own. We let the other 4 group up and explore where we could keep an eye on them. We were chatting and checking email and we don't feel one bit guilty. We may have even misplaced my friends child at lunch. But you know what said child isn't going to be scarred for life. He's going to remember that we went to the science center with friends and go to spend 6 hours there having fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 I'm glad to see people come to iPhone Mom's defense. We've seen threads similar to 'dear iPhone mom' on this board fairly regularly and it always frustrates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 I'm so glad for all these responses. I read that stupid thing on Facebook a few days ago and thought the same things. A snap shot of a moment at the park means NOTHING! I get the "watch this" moments all day, every day. Shoot, I do the day at the park type moments so my kids can get a break FROM ME. LOL! I really dislike the judgmental posts and memes that work to make people feel bad about themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaney Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 How about all the HOURS the author is missing if she doesn't homeschool? Hmmmmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 How about all the HOURS the author is missing if she doesn't homeschool? Hmmmmmm And the Mommy Wars start again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 I agree with both, or all of it. There are plenty of parents who spend every waking moment with their kids and like to have a minute to themselves. Unfortunately, there's the other, crappy side of things. For this side, I think the Dear iPhone Mom writing is too nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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