Unplugging Mommy

Barbi

I have recently been contemplating my digital life. I have felt too overburdened by all of the “connections”as of late. It started with my iPhone and the trouble the old thing (it’s a second generation) has been giving me lately. I got excited thinking that AT&T would give me a free iPhone4 and man I could see all the great things it would do at lightening speed.

I got even more excited when I thought about handing down my old phone to my 3-year-old to play games, videos and music on.

Then reality set in. No, no free iPhone4, but I could get it at a reduced rate. Well, my phone isn’t in that bad of shape so I let it go.

But it did start me thinking: Why do I need all these features on my phone? Which led to me question all of my dialed in devices and time I spent plugged in.

Then as luck, or the stars, or Universe or whatever you want to think, would have it, I came across Janet Lansbury’s post “Do Wired Parents Need Time Out…Or Less Guilt?”

This resonated with me. I had been struggling to do all the wired in, dialed in, plugged in things and finding time to spend playing with my son.

Too many times I would get frustrated with him because he was interrupting me while I texted, phoned or surfed the Internet. Then I realized maybe I don’t need to be that plugged in so often. I am not a CEO with a Fortune 500 company, I’m not an emergency room physician, I’m not even employed by any major media company that demands I watch my smartphone or email 24/7.

I decided I needed less guilt and less “stuff” to be plugged into.

Then, of course, I was checking Twitter and found another great link to another article from Lansbury again (she’s good!) on NPR. The article is a review of William Powers’ new book Hamlet’s BlackBerry’: To Surf Or Not To Surf? The book is about finding peace and balance in life in the digital age.

I realize the irony between my state of getting unplugged and finding these great ideas on being unplugged from the Internet. But I also realize there is a lot of information out there that I don’t need.

What I plan to do is to be less connected and when I am set time limits. This way I will be a better “surfer” and get the important information that I need quickly so I can do the thing I love more: spend time with my family – guilt free.

How do you feel about being plugged in and parenting?

I would love to hear how you balance home life with working from home.

Love the Life you Live,

~ BjW

4 thoughts on “Unplugging Mommy

  1. I would absolutely agree that it is a difficult balance to maintain. I end up staying up late doing my “plugged in” work or during nap time. So what suffers for me are the projects or organizing and cleaning that I should be doing in my free time…..I am not sure we can have it all. But for now, blogging is therapeutic…

    1. Thanks Katie for your comment and input. I’ve always heard that “something’s gotta give” axiom and I agree we can’t do it or have it all. I’m glad you have a creative and helpful outlet. I love your posts and humor, so it is therapeutic for me too! I guess I’ll just have to go back to “cramming” again like I did in college… ouch, just the thought of staying up late hurts…lol.

  2. Barbara, I’m right there with you! I’m still working on the balance. Thank GOD I have no Blackberry or SmartPhone, and I don’t even know how to text. I can’t even imagine how much crazier I’d be. Good to be familiar with ones obsessive tendencies and limits. Thanks for this great article and for the extremely flattering mentions. 🙂

    1. Janet, nice to hear from you and thanks for your comment. I’m glad you found the article helpful and interesting. I do, however, envy you that you’ve managed to avoid the SmartPhone marketing!

      I do REALLY love technology so I find myself in a black hole sometimes with gadgets and apps for my dear and lovely iPhone. But, like you said it’s good to be aware of our obsessions, so I’ll be buying William Powers’ book this week – thanks for the lead 🙂

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