Yes, yes, yes! Thank you for such a powerful reminder. After hearing your own hope for your children to remember you reading, I switched from being a primarily Kindle reader to paper books during the hours the kids are up for the same reason. I didn’t want them to see me staring into an unknown screen and instead hoped they might identify and connect to my habit.
I’m also trying to do this with books! And I’m trying to emulate your narration tactic, too, Em — I actually told Foster I was texting Miss Bethany when I pulled out my phone today at the grocery store ❤️
Oh, you know I love this one! As it’s my biggest issue with the smartphones as well. I, too, try to use my phone less when the kids are around (lots of times I don’t even notice it‘s been in my purse all afternoon until I want to set a timer for the pasta when cooking dinner!). But of course, when they do see me with my phone, I also try to tell them what I‘m doing.
I thought the narrating piece was super helpful - most of the time my kids stare and want to see what I’m doing, or they just see you in your phone. That to me is the greatest challenge of the phone: it’s a a do-it-all type tool, that can unfortunately lead you to use it all the time. Great thought by the author to help shape how they see us using it and also figure out why I’m justifying its use jn so many ways!
Thank you for sharing this! Tonight I started narrating more about why I was on my phone and will try to save non phone tasks for my girls to see. Cheering you on!
I love this. As a stay at home mom it is easier for me to stay off my phone during the morning/afterschool times since I now have that time during the day that he's at school. This was a much harder battle when I had him home full time. There are some things I have to / want to do on my phone. I tried telling him what I was doing, but he was so young I am not sure he had any clue. But I am all about analog options. I have encyclopedias, books, calendars and a record player, and other things that bring us back to the real world. I loved your prior post about ways to invite other activities into your day by keeping them easily accessible and I am trying to incorporate some of those ideas as well into my living spaces.
What a good idea! We've been trying to read more books around our son, and are looking at ways to print out a weekly schedule do the family is on the same wavelength as we get more into community - but I think telling our toddler why we're on our phones will also keep me in check haha.
Thanks for your in-depth and eloquent thoughts on this!
How smart to explicitly state why you’re using your phone around kids. The secrecy of phones has always bothered me too. Brilliantly written. Well done! 🤍
Yes, yes, yes! Thank you for such a powerful reminder. After hearing your own hope for your children to remember you reading, I switched from being a primarily Kindle reader to paper books during the hours the kids are up for the same reason. I didn’t want them to see me staring into an unknown screen and instead hoped they might identify and connect to my habit.
I’m also trying to do this with books! And I’m trying to emulate your narration tactic, too, Em — I actually told Foster I was texting Miss Bethany when I pulled out my phone today at the grocery store ❤️
I hope Foster grows up wanting to text me too 😘
Oh, you know I love this one! As it’s my biggest issue with the smartphones as well. I, too, try to use my phone less when the kids are around (lots of times I don’t even notice it‘s been in my purse all afternoon until I want to set a timer for the pasta when cooking dinner!). But of course, when they do see me with my phone, I also try to tell them what I‘m doing.
I thought the narrating piece was super helpful - most of the time my kids stare and want to see what I’m doing, or they just see you in your phone. That to me is the greatest challenge of the phone: it’s a a do-it-all type tool, that can unfortunately lead you to use it all the time. Great thought by the author to help shape how they see us using it and also figure out why I’m justifying its use jn so many ways!
Glad it was helpful, Andrew!
Yes! Love all of this. I also narrate when I am using my phone. I greatly appreciate when others do this for me as well.
Yes, it's not just for kids! Can be common courtesy when we're interacting with anyone!
Whewsh. Rejected twice over is a very powerful visual. Gut punchy.
I really like this idea of explaining what we are doing and why.
Thank you for sharing this! Tonight I started narrating more about why I was on my phone and will try to save non phone tasks for my girls to see. Cheering you on!
I love this. As a stay at home mom it is easier for me to stay off my phone during the morning/afterschool times since I now have that time during the day that he's at school. This was a much harder battle when I had him home full time. There are some things I have to / want to do on my phone. I tried telling him what I was doing, but he was so young I am not sure he had any clue. But I am all about analog options. I have encyclopedias, books, calendars and a record player, and other things that bring us back to the real world. I loved your prior post about ways to invite other activities into your day by keeping them easily accessible and I am trying to incorporate some of those ideas as well into my living spaces.
Yes! It's so true, Victoria, that it's easier to arrange your day when you have larger chunks when you're not with your kids!
What a good idea! We've been trying to read more books around our son, and are looking at ways to print out a weekly schedule do the family is on the same wavelength as we get more into community - but I think telling our toddler why we're on our phones will also keep me in check haha.
Thanks for your in-depth and eloquent thoughts on this!
How smart to explicitly state why you’re using your phone around kids. The secrecy of phones has always bothered me too. Brilliantly written. Well done! 🤍