The other day someone kept on swerving closely into my lane when I was driving, when I got a close look, her eyes were not on the road at all, they were on her phone.  I know how hard it is, and although there are laws, people I know have been caught and got tickets, but everybody still does it.  One last email, text, or check through social media, it really is so intense of a pull.  I just came across this article of how it affects children, when parents are constantly on their devices, and this quote was the most powerful one of all.

“Young kids’ brains are really wired to seek out interaction with their parents,” Radesky says. “For example, when faced with a new situation, they will look at their parents to see their reactions, which helps them gauge how they should react and also helps them make sense of the experience.”

Here is the full article, https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/2015/03/29/parents-absorption-mobile-devices-can-take-toll-kids/aNZpWKGlbVNBgRd96GmngO/story.html.   When my oldest was around three, we learned something very powerful, especially since we have our own businesses, and any phone call, text, or email can be a new client.  One of us had to be off the phone and give undivided attention to the kids.  When they are newborns, it is more physical needs, you do what you have to do, and especially when they are sleeping a lot, there is a lot of time to multitask.  After I learned to put my phone away, took him to the park, and he said to me, “wow, you are smiling,” and I was shocked.  I am the fun mom, I take my kids everywhere, always on adventures, events, shows, but all they really want is their parents 100% present with them.

I work with pregnant women in Prenatal Yoga and as a Doula, and I always tell them, why do we need to know anything about pregnancy, birth, and parenting until we have to know it.  All we have to do is go with the flow, keep learning, be open, and trust our gut.

Parenting the hardest job in the world, you have to be an example, deal with things head on, not walk away, there is no way out.  It is rewarding when you see the kids learning and growing, but man its tough.  Today on Shabbat, our day of rest, there are no devices, no distractions, they have all of me for 24 hours, they deserve it, its wonderful, but I am so happy when its their bedtime and its me time again.

That’s why kids are so cute,

Coach Yulia