Mum 4 Real Celebrating Parenthood
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The offensive odour of burnt food filled the whole house and was almost choking their five year old son who was playing a game on his dad’s tab and the little three year old princess watching a cartoon on the TV, both in the sitting room close to the kitchen. A few minutes before that, Sandra who was making akara (bean cakes) on that Saturday morning had rushed out of the kitchen to pick up her phone in the corridor where she was charging it. She had done some chatting there earlier on in the day and there was some ‘important gist’ she does not want to miss. When she picked up her phone, she already had 136 whatsapp messages from family and friends all over. As she was replying and smiling to herself, the sound of her coughing children brought her back to the REAL world.
Michael her husband was having a very ‘important’ skype meeting with his business partners from China in the room. This had started since 6am and his children had not even set their eyes on him that morning. Gradually, they are beginning to get used to hearing their dad and mum talk to them only when they need to be corrected or spanked, which makes them prefer being at their granny’s house during weekends and holidays.
Although Sandra and Michael have been married and living together for over six years and are in love with each other, you hardly find them talk at home, let alone have family time with the children. Even on weekends, when they are at home with the children, finding each of them without his or her phone or tablet is impossible, as though they’ve been ‘soul-tied’ to it. Each individual living in that house is a community on its own.
This has somehow influenced times of making serious decisions. By default, communication is done either via phone call or chat. Unknown to them, technology is gradually eroding their rich family soil that may some day lead to a valley.
How can family time still be part this digital age?
Photo Credit: Eniola Fadairo at ABC Space
It is unfortunate that the society we live in now is technologically driven.Phones,ipads,tabs and even televisions are necessary tools but major distractions.It is unfortunate that these gadgets designed to make life and work easier for people is actually eroding on family time.Its not like back in the days we were not also ignored by our parents as kids too.I remember the phrase “go outside and play” but we also knew that after the play would be a session of Q&A from our mothers.Thats when you will hear “so what happened today?
One has to make a conscious effort to create family time,a time to bond with your husband and children.Inspite of the daily wahala mummies and daddies face at work,business even from our neighbours,we have to realise that our family is our number one priority after God.The story above is too real a scenario that is happening everyday but we cannot do away with our phones and ipads so we have to create time to spend together as family.It might not be easy at first but with the grace of God,its achievable.
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Sometimes I think about it too
Though am guilty as well
I pray we all wake up from this phone attachments
it is really causing a lot harm than good in relations
Hmmm. Like they say, smart phones keeps you closer to one who is far away and keeps you distant from one who is near. Technology has contributed a large quota to the increased rate of divorce in recent times. It’s what the Bible calls a “Strange Woman” . Prov 5:18-20. Let’s be wise!
There’s a song by Casting Crowns that captures the questions asked here. The title is “House of Their Dreams”.