technotango

story by | sheri kleinsasser stockmoe

Imagine, if you will, the “olden days.” A time when telephones hung snugly in place, tethered to that funny looking plug in the wall, with the only function being to speak to another person. A time when every home didn’t contain a device that could easily regurgitate a multitude of data ranging from a recipe for chicken cacciatore, to diaper rash remedies, to a disease diagnosis based on your irrational interpretation of that day’s events. A time when you had to have actual physical contact with a member of the human race for them to know you cleaned your closets, ate lunch at Subway, hate temperatures below zero degrees and above 90, or that you were simply having a bad day. No technology…shudder! No smartphone, internet, google, social media…blasphemy you say! Technology is here to stay and there is no doubt it’s had an impact on parenting. Good or bad…that is the question. Let’s take a look at the world of technology as we cruise through Mamaville!

[0–18 months]

You want to do this mama thing right. The way “they” say it should be done. You don’t want to have one of those bratty kids you see at the grocery store freaking out while his mama is prying him from the cart/toy car contraption. So you do your research. You follow your blogs. You keep up on the latest trends…and start to feel completely overwhelmed and inadequate! Who are these people anyway? They don’t know you! Oh, dear… you might have a case of internet-overload.

don’t know…google it

We live at a wonderful time where information is just a click away. Information can educate us, comfort us, enlighten us, and yes, overload us. When it comes to internet use related to parenting, here are some things to keep in mind:

• let me tell ya doc When something just isn’t right with our wee one’s health, it’s not surprising that we turn to our friend Google for some advice. Just make sure you are gathering information from reliable resources and then take your concerns, wee one, and new-found knowledge to your trusted physician.

• enough already I don’t care if you’re talking about potato chips, Downton Abbey, shopping, or the internet; moderation is always best practice. Don’t become completely reliant on the internet to shape your parenting. Misinformation or even information you don’t want to know can seep into your mind space and cause unneeded concern. Have your filter on and remember you’ve been given this wonderful internal compass called instincts…trust them before the internet!

in a 2013 Babycenter study, 46% of mamas admitted being addicted to their smartphone

Our smartphones really are amazing. In reality they’re compact computers with the ability make phone calls. We can surf the internet, text, check Facebook, watch a movie, send a tweet, receive emails, and do a bunch of other stuff that I’m sure I don’t even know how to do! With everything our phone can do, it’s no surprise how uncomfortable it feels when you forget it somewhere. But is that a good thing? Could your smartphone be affecting your parenting?

Did You Hear That

For our tots, technology is always there and it’s our duty to model proper techno use. Smartphones offer us the opportunity/burden to be ever-connected and distracted. Our tot wants nothing more than our attention, so don’t let your actions portray your smartphone taking priority over everything else. Keep your smartphone in check with these tips:

• perspective Guess what? You don’t have to react every time your phone rings/beeps/dings/chirps. While the convenience of having your emails, texts, and phone calls easily accessible can make it feel like every connection requires our immediate attention, that isn’t true. The majority of smartphone chirps don’t represent life and death situations. The phone can wait, especially when you’re in the car or spending time with your tot.

• do as I do Like it or not, your tot is always watching. Our actions model his interpretation of what is considered normal/appropriate behavior. So don’t let him think that smartphone is the most important thing in your life. Put it down…often!