Present

Today was a PA Day for B, who is now 7 and in grade 2. Since I had two kids in tow, we decided to go to a indoor play place to kill some energy. When we first arrived, there were two little girls with their Mom and then us. So naturally it would have been difficult to not notice the other family since we were the only ones there.

It is not my intention to be judgemental of others. I don't feel I have any place in making judgements of others and the way they live their lives. I do, however, observe people closely. Likely more closely than most as it is a necessary skill to be successful at my job. In many cases, I observe others and attempt to learn how I can better myself. Today was one of those cases.

As I played with B and H, pushing H in the toy car, going down the slides with B, and having pretend meal after meal in the toy house, envisioning what it will be like to visit my kids as adults in the way too close future; I couldn't help but observe the other mother with her daughters. Her adorable little girls were likely 2 and less than 6 months. And for the entire 2 1/2 hours we were at the play place, this mother was on her phone. I don't know what was so rivting that she was unable to pull the phone away from her focus, but it made me feel sad. As her 2 year old ran around and her baby sat in the swing, this mother only looked at them when they begged for her attention. When the baby became fussy, the mother held her giving her a bottle and once again stared at her phone. The only interaction I saw between the mother and the baby was when the mother tried to get her baby to look at her phone so she could take a picture.

I started to wonder if I am more like this mother than I would like to admit. Are there times when I too am so focused and in my own world that I only pay attention when my kids beg me to? Am I going to miss out on my daughter laughing as she is going down the slide? Or missing my son as he helps a smaller child climb? I do know that I am going to make a bigger effort to be a present and involved parent for my kids, before it's too late and all I have of them is a photo I took on my phone to remember the day we went to the indoor play place.

Today B, H and I made many new memories that we can share for a long time. And when we were leaving B said to me "my favourite part of the play place was when we were in the pretend house". This warmed my heart and I knew for that brief moment in time I was a good Mom to my kids.