I found this book extremely inspirational. I have a serious love/hate relationship with technology. I love my cell phone just as much as the next person, but it is also a serious problem in today's society. Needless to say, this book is all about putting down the phone and enjoying what really matters in life!
There is nothing I hate more than going to the park and seeing a parent sitting on the bench with their eyes attached to their phone while their child plays. This is even more evident at the play area at the mall. I swear some parents take their kids to the park or play area just to get some one-on-one time with their cell phones. Instead of enjoying the smiles and laughter coming from their children, they are too busy checking social media. Those are also usually the kids that run around acting out and I can't even blame the kids....they have to act out to get any bit of attention from their parents. I get so frustrated, but they are only hurting themselves in the long run. They are missing out on quality time that they could be enjoying with their children. They could be laughing and learning about their child and one day they will wish they had that time back. I love watching my daughter play. I love getting down on my hands and knees and pretending with her. I get to see how her little mind works and I honestly love just watching her because I know she will never be this little again.
I remember coming home from the hospital with her and leaving my phone on silent for weeks....I just sat on the couch and stared at her. I didn't care what was on Facebook or Instagram because the little girl in my arms was way more important. I'm not saying that I'm perfect at this because I have my flaws too, but I do try to keep the phone to a minimum. The one reason I do keep it with me most of the time is because I love taking pictures of little things that Riley does. Pictures are the one thing that I insist on taking because I want to remember every little moment with my children. I document everything and I love that!
As Riley gets older, Matt and I try to carry on conversations with her. Her vocabulary isn't huge and she often times talks and we have no idea what she is saying, but it is the cutest! Just the other day, Matt called during his lunch hour and asked to talk to Riley. I heard him asking her how her day was, what she has been up to, what she had for lunch etc. She talks back, but most of the words don't make any sense just yet which is really cute because you can tell that in her head she is making sense. When Matt got home from work he told me how his one coworker was asking how old his daughter was and was surprised when he said that she was two. She mentioned that she overheard him talking on the phone and assumed that she was a teenager because he was talking to her as if he knew what she was saying. He proceeded to explain that he just likes to talk to Riley and let her know that her day is important to him and that he wants to build a strong relationship with her. I was touched when he told me that. We are building a foundation for our kids and I never, ever, ever want them to think that there is anything more important to us. One day Riley will be in grade school and her teacher will ask her to describe her parents and things that we enjoy. I never want her to say that one of the things I love most is my cell phone. I want her to be able to talk about how we play together and have dance parties in our pajamas. That is what I want her to remember.
If you are one of those parents who struggle with keeping your phone down, you need to read this book! It will change the way you see things and hopefully give some light as to why you need to let go of the phone and pay attention to what really matters. It is truly a great read :)
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