What a 7-year-old taught me about being present
© The Bees Knees Photo
Not too long ago, my soon-to-be stepdaughter and I were playing Monopoly. She’s 7.
I was multitasking. I’d roll the dice, play a little bit, and then glance at my phone every five minutes or so. I thought I was being slick. I was in the middle of helping a few people with some things, so I was answering their followup texts in between turns.
The kiddo and I were having a blast—or so I thought. I looked up from my phone after one of my not-so-slick phone checks and realized she was gone. I figured she went to the bathroom or to the kitchen to get a snack. I waited for a few minutes, but she didn’t come back. I called her name. No answer. So I went to look for her.
I eventually found her in her room, playing with her dolls. I asked her, “What happened to our game of Monopoly?”
“I don’t want to play anymore because you’re on your phone,” she said.
Talk about a dagger straight to my heart.
Let this be a reminder that all people feel this way when the person across from them isn’t paying attention. Kids just have the courage to run away. Adults probably would if they could.
Multitasking isn’t cool. Pretending to be slick isn’t cool either. It’s hurtful to everyone—especially to our children.
I’m happy to report that I’ve been doing much better. We played Monopoly last weekend and I left my phone in the other room. I made sure she saw me do that, and I also asked her to help me. I told her that if she notices me distracted on my phone or computer when I’m with her, I want her to say something (and I have no doubt that she will—that’s the magic of kids!).
Who have you unintentionally ignored this week? Who has been affected by your distracted behavior? Who has walked away without you even realizing it?
People matter. Our kids matter. Put the devices away. Be present. Especially now. With so much fear and unknown, let’s choose to be there for those we love.
Big hugs,
