I've seen a lot of posts on Facebook lately about parents looking at their screens and missing their children. I think I've written about this before. The screens are an easy target and they often make for great soundbites. "When you're focussed on your Angry Birds, you're quietly creating angry children." See how easy that is. But here's the thing. Distractions aren't a new thing. If technology were the major culprit, we would expect to find parents who were more engaged in the forties, fifties and sixties. But talk to boomers and Gen-X-ers and a common theme you here is that their parents didn't have time for them. They were distracted. They were always busy. The silent generation had a tendency to be . . . well . . . silent. And distant. And aloof. I'm not sure that things have changed, either. It certainly
seems like I see more engaged dads when I visit the park than when I was a kid at the park. But that's only my perception. My generation is probably just as distracted as the last. My guess? Adults are distracted because being a parent can be boring. It can be hard. It requires a different kind of thinking. It's the same reason teachers sit behind their desks. It's hard to spend hours with someone who has different interests and is less mature socially, emotionally and cognitively. Yes, I get it. Kids are a blast. They have wild imaginations and they embrace the joy of life and . . . They're not adults. And really, that's what makes distractions so appealing. Entering into their world is an act of humility. It always has been. It's why failing to listen to children isn't a generational or technological problem. It happens everywhere. So, while it's possible that the iPhone and Android have created more opportunities for distraction, I'm not blaming technology. I'm sticking with the idea that we get distracted because parenting can be difficult and boring to the adult mind. It's worth it in the long run. But the dirty little secret of parenting is that it will require moments of boredom and difficulty. photo credit:
Steve Rhodes via
photopin cc
