{Don't Miss a Childhood}

This topic has been weighing heavily on my mind lately, and I have to be completely honest…I think I may have a bit of an addiction to my iPhone!!  Throughout the day, I'm constantly checking my Facebook newsfeed, looking at what's trending on Twitter, clicking over to see the latest pictures posted on Instagram, looking out for any new emails that pop up in my inbox, and all the while, I have a beautiful baby girl toddling around the house who deserves way more attention than my cell phone ever will.

{via Hands Free Mama}

In this day and age, it's so easy to get wrapped up in the technology and social media sources that surround us, and before you know it, life has just passed you by.  I noticed one day that I was holding my sweet daughter and checking my Facebook feed at the same time, and I thought to myself "Why in the world am I letting my cell phone be a daily distraction from my daughter?"

It makes me so teary when I think about this because I know for a fact that I have put my phone before my family on way more than one occasion…How sad is that?!  I'm so upset when I think about it, and I'm putting an end to this.  We only get one life, one childhood, one chance to raise our kids and spend time with our families, and I refuse to miss out on the wonderful times because of my iPhone.

My daughter just turned 1, and this past year flew by in a flash.  In the blink of an eye, my baby is growing up, and I don't want to miss out on one sweet second of it.  As of today, I'm making a promise to be completely present in my own life…Rather than always checking my phone, I'm going to fully engage with my little girl, enjoy the beauty of the world around me, and I'm going to be there for my wonderful husband when he gets home from a long day of work…I'm going to listen to how his day was rather than be distracted by technology.

I recently came across this blog post by the Hands Free Mama entitled "How to Miss a Childhood", and it hit me like a ton of bricks…I was guilty of so many of the things Rachel mentions in the post, and it broke my heart.  Shortly after I read the post on the Hands Free Mama blog, I saw this post by Maggie Whitley, a blogger I've been following for years.  I was immediately drawn to the title "Why I Deleted You from my iPhone," and I was so inspired after I read it.

So, do you know what I just did?  I deleted all of those distracting social media sites off of my phone, and it feels great!!!  Do you know what else I did?  I walked into my daughter's nursery and gave her a little kiss as she slept, and I made a silent vow to her to be completely present in her life.

What will you regret more…Missing out on your children's lives or missing out on Facebook posts?  The answer is so simple, and the solution is even easier.  Be sure to read Maggie's and Rachel's posts, and don't ever miss a childhood!

xoxo,
Katherine