I was at a local restaurant recently when I noticed what appeared to be a mother and her middle school son sit down together at a table facing each other. I thought to myself, how nice that they get to enjoy some time together.
After a short while, I glanced over at them and saw that they were both heads down working on their cell phones. Their food came, but they appeared to eat in silence, still looking at their cell phones. The picture saddened me. From time to time I looked over at them, and I did not see them exchange any words.
Now, I know none of this was any of my business, and I could have just left after my meal, but on the way out, I passed their table. I introduced myself and said I had noticed them and wondered if they were mother and son. We chatted for a while. Then I asked the mother if there was anything that she really does well that she would like to teach her son. She replied “yes, I’d like to teach him how to dive”. I asked the son the same question, and he said, “I could teach her how to play basketball”.
That’s all it took, and the conversation began… without any cell phones.
DEVICE FREE TIME is the winning word that DFCC is giving out to elementary school’s parent pick up as encouragement for the month of March. On the back of the magnet card is “designate regular evening time for no screens…instead, read out loud together, play a game, or go for a walk”.
Nothing can replace the impact of face to face conversation between parents and children, sharing their thoughts and feelings. It’s a discovery worth pursuing. Who knows, we may all be taught something.
Rachel Struebing RN, Prevention Coordinator, Drug Free Charlotte County