Thursday, September 15, 2016

Message to Parents: GET OFF OF YOUR PHONE AND PLAY!

I've raised four great kids and have wonderful memories of playing with them in parks and on playgrounds. My youngest will be an adult in just 15 short months and I can honestly say that I never had a cell phone at the playground when I was with my children. My focus was on them and PLAYING! There is so much to be gained from playing with your child. However, today I'll pass by playgrounds and see countless parents sitting or standing around staring at their phones. They just don't seem to understand how fast the years go by with a child. So many parents are missing out on opportunities to bond with their child in a fun and playful environment. I believe today's young parents will one day have great regrets about their choosing to pay more attention to their phone than their child. But by the time they come to the realization, it will be too late.

Aside from the fact that parents are missing out on quality time with their child due to their staring at cell phones, they are also placing their child at greater risk of injury. More than 200,000 children ages 14 and younger are treated in U.S. emergency rooms each year for playground-related injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Electronic devices are a growing source of distraction and can pull a parent's attention away from their child when they should be watching them for (at minimum) safety reasons.

Sure, there can be other "distractions" for parents at playgrounds, such as reading, talking to someone, eating, looking through a book bag/purse, and more. However, I believe that parents need to take a conscious step toward eliminating a distraction that is definitely creating a "play barrier" between you and your child. That phone needs to remain in your car or pocket unless a very important reason arises to use it. Period!

A 2015 study by the University of Washington found that cell phone use at playgrounds is a significant source of parental guilt, as well as a powerful distraction. The largest group of surveyed parents, nannies and adult babysitters — 44 percent — felt they ought to restrict cell phone use while watching children at playgrounds, but felt guilty for failing to live up to those ideals. The most common cell phone uses on playgrounds were texting with friends and family, taking pictures and emailing.

The researchers found that boredom often trumped guilt or fear of being judged and was the single biggest driver prompting people to dig cell phones out of their pockets or purses at playgrounds.

Having been a parent for over 23 years and having never used a cell phone at a playground while with my children... I can tell you that the memories I have of pushing my kids on swings, playing in playground forts with them, and going down the slide are memories that I cherish. I can't even recall what I saw on my phone yesterday, but I can tell you about countless playground memories from 15 to 20 years ago with my kids. I believe that should be the goal of every parent.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso
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