<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4YvHJK_0viJvhgR00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4YvHJK_0viJvhgR00" width="1600" height="1066" ></figure>I just wanted to share something with everyone that made me realize many of us really are failing our kids and hopefully we can fix that before it is too late.I went on an outing with my kids this past Sunday.Now, I have to say, I’m often guilty, spending time on my phone instead of with my kids. But for the most part I kept trying to focus on each kid as they vied for my attention.Which is why what kept glaring me in the face must have hurt me to see.One father there with his kids spent the whole trip walking back and forth with his nose in his phone. I’m sure he was busy with work or something important. But the more I saw him ignoring the outing with his children the more I held myself back from pulling out my own phone each time I had the urge.There was a mother sitting on the side as her kids ran around the place while she too was focused on her phone. As my kids kept calling “Ma look” my heart panged as I saw her ignore her own.But it hurt mostly, because many times that parent is me. And each time I think I just need one more minute to finished the important message, the urgent thing that needs to get done, help the person, respond to the person that needs info, you get the gist.And while I’d like to believe I’m not as extreme as what I encountered at what should have been a beautiful bonding family experience, I have to say, that especially at home, I really must look like that to my children.How horrific.I felt so judgmental while I was fighting my own phone checking urges and sadly I’m quite the guilty one too, along with way too many of us.Will my kids remember me with my nose in a handheld box or will they remember smiling at them and catching their milestones??It’s so hard. But it goes by so fast and you can’t redo it.I’m sure I’ll be guilty again. But taking the time to pen this letter will hopefully help me be more aware because I feel disappointed with what I saw and realized that I too must look like.I think I (we?) need to set times where the phone goes out of sight and out of mind even when we feel like we just gotta see if a whatsapp came in or want to take care of what popped in our mind before we forget it. I can write on a to do list what it is that I thought of and later at night go through it and take care of it.I may not be there yet – but hope I and we can all start a new trend of being present with our kids while they’re still kids!An Embarrassed Judgmental MomTLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to [email protected]</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

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Letter: An Embarrassed Judgmental Mom

I just wanted to share something with everyone that made me realize many of us really are failing our kids and hopefully we can fix that before it is too late. I went on an outing with my kids this past Sunday. Now, I have to say, I’m often guilty,...