O How the Park Has Changed

Dear Social Media Mom, Yesterday was as beautiful day and we obviously had the same idea: take the kids to the park. I was intrigued watching you sit on the curb with iPhone in hand, periodically glancing up to watch your son or daughter go down the slide or swing on the swings. Normally, I wouldn’t have even noticed because I too would have my head down, buried in some device. I watched as you tapped away, glanced up, tapped away and glanced up again. O how the park has changed. Gone are the days when parents go to the park to play with their kids. It seems as though we go to give our kids something different to do so it entertains them just long enough for us to play with our own toys. We are more engrossed in what is going on with others than what is going on right in front of us; with our own kids. As I ponder the thought and pulled my own phone out of my pocket to see if anything interesting was happening, my 2 year old had managed to almost climb all the way to the top of the rope pyramid. I looked into her face, one of sheer determination and simply encouraged her to keep going. She reached the top. I almost missed it. What else has passed me by? – Dave