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Owning a smart phone impact parenting
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Does a smartphone impact your parenting
Yes - to be a better parent  
 7%  [ 11 ]
No impact  
 11%  [ 17 ]
Yes - to be not as good parent  
 64%  [ 97 ]
Not sure  
 4%  [ 7 ]
No kids  
 3%  [ 5 ]
No smartphone  
 6%  [ 9 ]
Other  
 2%  [ 4 ]
Total Votes : 150



amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:03 am
The other thread got me thinking how do ppl feel that a smartphone impacts their parenting.

My impression - taken from my home and what I see

In the park parents are on the phone
In the car parents are on the phone
In restaurants parents are on the phone
At playgroup pickup parents are on the phone
When visiting family ppl are on their phone

I think I’d be a better more attentive and available parent without.
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amother
Poppy


 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:11 am
No question it impacts my parenting. It's awful.
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happy chick




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:14 am
If anyone says a smartphone doesn't impact their parenting, they're not being honest w themselves. It impacts not only parenting, but every single part of our lives.
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amother
Bergamot


 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:14 am
Smartphone usage does 100% negatively
impact our parenting & lives. Whoever thinks otherwise is in denial.
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NotInNJMommy




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:17 am
I think one needs to either own a smartphone or have owned a smartphone to answer this survey and it have any kind of significance in results.
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amother
Aster


 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:18 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
The other thread got me thinking how do ppl feel that a smartphone impacts their parenting.

My impression - taken from my home and what I see

In the park parents are on the phone
In the car parents are on the phone
In restaurants parents are on the phone
At playgroup pickup parents are on the phone
When visiting family ppl are on their phone

I think I’d be a better more attentive and available parent without.

While I do think it negatively impacts my parenting, many of your examples are not exclusive to smartphones. Parents being on their phones at playgroup pickup or in the playground can be with a non-smartphone too.
Back in the day parents were busy texting and playing games on their phones. Not to the extent of smartphones but still a nuisance.
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amother
Babypink


 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:18 am
It impacts my parenting for the positive.

I was a mom before I was a smartphone-owner, and hanging out at home with little ones all day was awful for my mental health. I am pre-disposed to anxiety/depression, but the lack of adult stimulation made things worse. The smartphone is helpful to me.
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tichellady




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:20 am
It can be distracting but also wonderful. We get to FaceTime with grandparents and aunts and uncles all the time which is beautiful. I survived my first trimester by letting my daughter look at photos and videos on my phone. I can easily drive to new parks and other fun places because my phone can give me directions. I can text my husband to warm dinner so we can stay at the park a little later. It’s a tool, use it as you wish.
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amother
Iris


 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:22 am
amother [ Babypink ] wrote:
It impacts my parenting for the positive.

I was a mom before I was a smartphone-owner, and hanging out at home with little ones all day was awful for my mental health. I am pre-disposed to anxiety/depression, but the lack of adult stimulation made things worse. The smartphone is helpful to me.

I agree with this. I went crazy being home all day with little kids, I wish I had had a smartphone.

I get Whatsapps and Whatsapp video calls from my married son and that's really lovely.
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smss




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:26 am
Both.

It provides me with an outlet and a way to relax, and like I've spoken about before I do think social media can be a great way to educate yourself in many areas, including parenting.

But I'm working on keeping it away when my kids are awake. I used to be better about that, I need to start being careful about it again. It's too distracting.
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Zehava




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:28 am
On a day to day basis I’m probably on the phone too much.
But.
If not for my phone I’d be parenting the way I was parented.
And I would not be living life as it’s meant to be lived.
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amother
Beige


 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:29 am
I was around long before cellphones, and raised my older kids without cellphones. I can't say they had my full attention though even at the time- I still napped when they were around, read a ton of books, etc. I'm not sure it's even healthy for kids to have their parents full attention all day long.

It certainly isn't healthy for parents to expect their kids' friends' parents to watch them with full attention all the time, if they are no longer little kids (say, five years old). It's fine for a pair of seven year olds to play in the playroom on their own, with a parent peeking in every hour.

I do think many parents today tend to be on their phone during errands such as carpooling or walking with a stroller, and that's a pity. Much of the best quality time with kids is in the car, or cooing over the baby as you push his stroller.

So while I think people tend to romanticize the past, as though all parents did was parent in their spare time, I still agree that cellphone use has gotten out of hand. For many, it does impact parenting negatively. (OTOH, it has so many other advantages that balance it out).
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amother
Ebony


 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:30 am
A smartphone is a love hate relationship. So convenient but takes away so much of your time. Definitely impacts parenting.
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amother
Bergamot


 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:32 am
I also think it depends if the device is filtered or not and how you use it. I think social media, Instagram, imamother.... really changes a person and their attitude & not for the better. Instant access to news happening all over the world has caused more anxiety and stress. Imamother and Instagram exposure is toxic and not good for our well-being in general.
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Chayalle




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:33 am
happy chick wrote:
If anyone says a smartphone doesn't impact their parenting, they're not being honest w themselves. It impacts not only parenting, but every single part of our lives.


I'm being honest with myself. I have a smartphone that I hardly use. I don't see how it impacts my parenting. (perhaps the fact that most of my parenting years have been smartphoneless has impacted my parenting habits to this extent. It's not a major focus in my life.)

There are other things that have that impact me and my parenting, but really, not my smartphone.
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smss




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:35 am
amother [ Bergamot ] wrote:
I also think it depends if the device is filtered or not and how you use it. I think social media, Instagram, imamother.... really changes a person and their attitude & not for the better. Instant access to news happening all over the world has caused more anxiety and stress. Imamother and Instagram exposure is toxic and not good for our well-being in general.


Um. You had to come on imamother to post this, right? 🤔
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smss




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:36 am
amother [ Beige ] wrote:
I was around long before cellphones, and raised my older kids without cellphones. I can't say they had my full attention though even at the time- I still napped when they were around, read a ton of books, etc. I'm not sure it's even healthy for kids to have their parents full attention all day long.


This is an interesting perspective. I'm not a big napper but I definitely could see myself reading a lot more, including when my kids were up, if I didn't have a smartphone. (And I do on Shabbos.)
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amother
Bergamot


 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:36 am
smss wrote:
Um. You had to come on imamother to post this, right? 🤔


Yes. I admit that it's toxic and not good for me. I had given it up for afew years but got back on when I was bored on bedrest and I'm not ready give it up again at this point....... but I think we can all agree that it's not so pretty what goes on on many threads.....
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zaq




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:44 am
Like any technology, smartphones are a double-edged sword. As Socrates is credited with saying, "Know thyself." If the phone is going to take over your life, do what you need to do to make sure it doesn't. If you can take it or leave it and it's not a problem for you, carry on as normal.

Smartphones in and of themselves aren't inherently evil any more than landline phones in and of themselves, are inherently evil. I have no doubt that when the telephone was first introduced, various authorities opposed them because they would be a new vehicle for gossip and slander. For all we know, when the postal service was first introduced, various authorities opposed that, too, for the same reason.
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amother
Oldlace


 

Post Mon, Jun 21 2021, 10:45 am
If not for my smart phone I would not be able to get through my trauma work:
1- it helped me find many valuable resources such as online support and meditations and podcasts with valuable information.
2- it’s a necessary reprieve for me right now- when the content is tough and grueling it helps me relax and forget and refocus with renewed energy- so it’s helpful for my parenting as well. Yes- it takes me away from my kids for a bit, but that very fact enables me to be there for them
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