Texting Goodnight… Really?

Life is crazy, hectic and incredibly busy and most of us single parents struggle to find any sense of balance on any given day.  In my household we are running in every direction from the time we wake up in the morning until we are all tucked into our beds in hopes of getting some sleep at night.  Unfortunately, this craziness takes its toll and at times I feel as if my kids and I barely see each other yet alone engage in any type of meaningful conversations.

There are days that I have been so thankful for technology as it has served my girls and I well through the hectic days and it is because of texting that we have been able to stay connected when they are busy with friends and school or I am gone to meetings or busy with work.  However, regardless of how convenient texting is I have been a little bummed as of late with the frequency of it and due to the fact that it has literally replaced that personal touch of actually calling each other and talking live.

It seems that lately my girls and I tend to text far more often than talk and I have actually missed hearing their voices or the ability to carry on a conversation.  It is virtually impossible to have much meaning or depth in communicating via a text message versus having a dialogue and hearing their sweet voices on the phone.  This was already bothering me but the final straw came when my daughter was right down the hall in her bedroom and she texted me goodnight.  That is pushing things a bit too far and it hit me that I as their mom need to lead by example and reinstate the importance and value of personal communication.  A text simply cannot replace the warmth and connection of a hug and saying goodnight in person.

This incident stirred up several questions in my head.  Have we become so complacent that it is just “easier” to send a text to each other versus take the time to dial the phone and have a conversation?  Have we become so worn out and potentially lazy that it is “easier” to send a text versus physically get up and walk down the hall to tuck our children in?  Have we become avoiders and texting allows us to avoid some of those tough conversations that we would rather ignore than deal with an issue direct?

I think that the answer could be yes to any one of the above mentioned questions but the good news is that this does not need to be the norm.  We as parents need to take the lead and ensure that we are talking live to our children and keeping that personal element in our relationships with them.  Texting is convenient and it does have a place in today’s busy world but I have made the decision that I need to make the time to sit down and talk face to face with my kids more often and dial the phone to have a live conversation when we are apart.  As for bedtime?  There will be no more texting goodnight in my home.  No matter how late it is, how tired I am or how old my children are I will be giving them a hug, telling them I love them and saying goodnight tucking them into bed.

Life is short and our kids grow up way to fast and before we know it they will be moved out and on their own.  A text simply cannot replace the value of appreciating every moment we have to spend with our kids regardless of how busy life is.

In Peace-

Michele