Parenting While Plugged In

Is this you?

I read an interesting article in the New York Times a few days ago about how more and more parents were distracted with their smart devices while they were supposed to be parenting. The author mentions a study in which children from more educated, affluent families are exposed to more vocabulary than those in struggling families, purely on the basis of how much their parents speak with them. Parents who are focused on their devices rather then being engaged with their children may change this.

This is something that Darren and I have discussed (and struggled with), and we're trying more and more to be mindful of it. Neither of us use blackberries or surf on our phones very often, but we are guilty of using the internet when we could be interacting with Sophie. It's a struggle, but I think we might try instituting an internet ban for the few hours she spends with us every evening. After all, she's growing and changing so quickly these days...