Texan Mosaic

by DEBRA MONTANDON

Each generation has their own idea of what is good parenting and what is not.

Our grandparents had an even more different idea than did our parents. If you talk to your grandparents about how they feel about cell phones, they possibly might say,  “Don’t have one, don’t want one.” But teenagers these days do everything on their cell phones, such as their homework, their communicating and their banking. 

What about the children growing up with their parents on their phones for everything?  Have you ever been in a restaurant and saw small children just starring at the adults? All the adults are looking at playing on their phones. These poor children are left to create their reality with space, or nothing at all.

Children are our future.  If we do not nurture them, what will lie ahead?  What will be the outcome of these children being neglected?  I have seen kids throwing fits and their parents act like it isn’t happening. The people in the restaurant are left to wonder, “Why did they have kids anyway, if they do not want to participate in raising them?”

  You might think this is a little much. I do not. I raised my children, who came first to me. I even was an active part in the lives of other kids whose parents left them alone way too much.

A close friend of mine said, “Electronics, which in my opinion includes cell phones, have good and bad points. It is a blessing during a crisis, but it is a disaster  when phones are more important than humans.” Another friend said, “Cell phones have value, but parents should monitor them.  They should set ground rules for both themselves and their kids.”

I am glad I chose my friends wisely. It is sad when you see parents more interested in their cell phones than their children. You see the look of sadness in the children’s faces.  They crave their parents’ attention. I wish the parents could see what I see and feel and what their child feels.

I also saw a daughter and her mother at a restaurant one day. The daughter was on her phone, with her mom quietly at the table. Even though the restaurant was crowded, the mom looked lonely.

I am just glad there are some parents who still see the need to be a part of their kids’ lives. They leave their cell phones alone when they are having a meal together. History shows that families who have meals together and have conversations together are families who are closer.  Therefore, the world would be better.

I know that kids are resilient and overcome a lot worse. For example, out of necessity some kids grow up as ‘latch key kids,”  and they can still grow up to be an asset to society.

However, wouldn’t it be better if more parents acted like their kids were important to them more than once in a while?  Couldn’t we change the world to be a better place with a little more tender loving care from more than a few people?