Two Fridays ago I decided to delete my Facebook and Instagram apps from my phone. I found that too often I was turning to my phone for "entertainment" instead of having a conversation with my husband or playing with Beckett. I'm embarrassed to say how many arguments these apps have started between me and Joey because one of us is always on our phone when the other is trying to talk. It's just easy to pick up the phone when you're "bored" and open those social media apps. I've been wanting to have a social media free weekend for years but never actually followed through. I've tried to set "rules" for myself once I get home to stay off my phone until the baby is asleep yet I always find myself on my phone while sitting on the couch with him as he watches his evening cartoons or while he plays in his playroom.
Sometimes he will tap my arm and give me the sweetest smile with his head cocked sideways as to say, "Hey Momma, put your phone down and watch this show with me." Occasionally he'll jump on my lap or smack the phone out of my hand too. When those things happen, I know it's time to put it away and his little reminder is enough. I've realized that too often I just sit with him while he plays and I don't actually engage with him. He plays so well by himself that most of the time I don't even realize he's not sitting down watching cartoons anymore.
These days with him being little and wanting to talk to us, play with us, hold our hands, snuggle on the bed, and play catch running circles around our living room/kitchen/hallway aren't going to last long. I want to enjoy the moments that I have with just him, especially while he's so young and impressionable. I want him to know he's the most special person in the world to me and I don't want anything to come between that. I want to be involved and I want him to want me to play with him.
This morning I downloaded Instagram back on my phone so I could upload a sweet picture of B laying in his bed. I realize that though there are other methods to creating photo memories, the Chatbooks that I've created from Instagram are my favorite and by far the easiest way to create a photo album. It takes no effort beyond posting a picture with the hashtag I created when he was born for it to appear in my next book. I'm going to continue to take advantage of that.
Deleting the apps doesn't mean that I never get on Facebook and Instagram, because I do. It just means that I don't have the little icons on my phone screen that are oh so easy to tap from my home screen any time I unlock my phone. I spend way less time on social media when I'm home and way more time focusing on Beckett and enjoying my life. I feel dumb for even saying this but I feel sort of free!
If you feel like you need a break in your life, I challenge you to delete social media from your phone. I promise the world will go on and you will survive without knowing what everyone is doing 24/7. Go color with your kiddo, go enjoy a soothing bubble bath, go bake a cake for a friend. Life is short and babies don't keep so get off your phone and do something meaningful!
Sometimes he will tap my arm and give me the sweetest smile with his head cocked sideways as to say, "Hey Momma, put your phone down and watch this show with me." Occasionally he'll jump on my lap or smack the phone out of my hand too. When those things happen, I know it's time to put it away and his little reminder is enough. I've realized that too often I just sit with him while he plays and I don't actually engage with him. He plays so well by himself that most of the time I don't even realize he's not sitting down watching cartoons anymore.
These days with him being little and wanting to talk to us, play with us, hold our hands, snuggle on the bed, and play catch running circles around our living room/kitchen/hallway aren't going to last long. I want to enjoy the moments that I have with just him, especially while he's so young and impressionable. I want him to know he's the most special person in the world to me and I don't want anything to come between that. I want to be involved and I want him to want me to play with him.
This morning I downloaded Instagram back on my phone so I could upload a sweet picture of B laying in his bed. I realize that though there are other methods to creating photo memories, the Chatbooks that I've created from Instagram are my favorite and by far the easiest way to create a photo album. It takes no effort beyond posting a picture with the hashtag I created when he was born for it to appear in my next book. I'm going to continue to take advantage of that.
Deleting the apps doesn't mean that I never get on Facebook and Instagram, because I do. It just means that I don't have the little icons on my phone screen that are oh so easy to tap from my home screen any time I unlock my phone. I spend way less time on social media when I'm home and way more time focusing on Beckett and enjoying my life. I feel dumb for even saying this but I feel sort of free!
If you feel like you need a break in your life, I challenge you to delete social media from your phone. I promise the world will go on and you will survive without knowing what everyone is doing 24/7. Go color with your kiddo, go enjoy a soothing bubble bath, go bake a cake for a friend. Life is short and babies don't keep so get off your phone and do something meaningful!
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