Mums on their phones

Agree with all the above, and this Pokemon phenomenon has just made things worse. We had a walk around our lovely local country park at the weekend - lots of stuff to see, jet skiing, water skiing demonstrations, and stuff to have a go at, and all I seemed to see were groups of adults and children glued to their phones with an occasional "ooh I've got a ....." whatever it happened to be that had such a hold over them. I despair.

12 years ago DGD was born in New York and I was appalled that DD had to go back to work after six weeks. She found a nursery and while I was encouraging her to have a daily nanny I then found that the paid childcare was obliged to spend forty minutes outside with the child and so the nannies did . They were in groups on street corners with the children in buggies facing the traffic fumes or faces in the biting wind( November ) and the nannies not even talking to each other just texting phoning away . In that time they could have walked to Central Park or the river as this was just off fifth avenue.

Agree with all of the above.

However, some people even before mobile phones, for example dads who watch a lot of sport on tv all evening, tell their wife and children off for interrupting the tv. You can only get to speak to them if you go out in the car and they are driving!

As with many other life skills, it is teachers who will have go pick up the tab and do what parents should have done - and those children who have been brought up properly will languish in boredom while the others catch up on their speaking and comprehension skills.

Even before the mobile phone, I found it annoying that mothers would stand with pushchairs facing a wall while they stopped and chatted to other mothers. Altogether I found it very child-unfriendly to have the child facing away from you. We were once walking through a park when my youngest - still in the buggy at that time - was nearly stung by a wasp which was flying round his mouth. Fortunately we were in a group and someone walking further ahead noticed.

But even then, it was not possible to have a real conversation with your child, who may have fallen asleep as far as you knew.

Children in pushchairs are also the right height to be slobbered on by strange dogs, and to inhale the exhaust from passing cars.

And back in those days it was certainly not unusual for young mothers to push prams and pushchairs out into the road before looking out for oncoming traffic.

Yesterday I was in a coffee shop and there was a man there with his son (aged about 8) and the whole time this man was on his phone and not once did he speak to his son. I felt so sorry for him.

Hear hear to all the above. I am sure parents will regret it one day, they will be saying ".....never talks to me". Why have children if you are not prepared to spend time and interact with them. I am so glad we didn't have mobile phones when ours were small. As adults with children of their own, mine will still say "mum remember we used to do that with you when we were little" and now I can do it with my grandchildren. It is lovely to think your children have memories of a happy and fulfilling childhood.

It's not just family interaction that is suffering. I read somewhere that more children are visiting A&E because of injuries sustained whilst parents are on phones and social media.

So glad you posted this as I was on the verge of starting a thread of my own on the very subject.I was at the Game Fair at Ragley Hall over the weekend.There was so much going on , so much to see and do.The weather was really good too.Perfect for picnics , lots of space overlooking the lake( a safe distance away but still with good views) especially for anyone with small children ....and there they were.....a young couple with a toddler strapped in a pushchair with an ice cream and child a little older tormenting the child and looking generally fed up.The parents were seated on the grass either side of the pushchair , they had their backs to each other and their phones in their hands texting.I walked past them on my way to the Anglers Trust Section ( lots going on there for children) and 30 minutes later when I walked past them again they were still there, the one in the pushchair was asleep and the toddler trying his best to get his parents attention , pulling at his dad's sleeve , just to be pushed away and told to ' stop it' , whilst he carried on with whatever was ' so' important on his phone and his mum totally oblivious to anything except the phone in her handJust across the lake ( 5 minutes walk) there were allsorts of things happening that small children would have loved, Gun Dog demos in one ring , puppies being trained to walk to heel and fetch ( often very amusing ) puppies everywhere so see and pet.Just behind them there was a lovely open area with seats and a folk group were singing and other small children were dancing in front of them and generally having a good time.I so wanted to grab their phones and throw them in the water.....aaaarrghhh! ( feel a little better for having this little rant )

Having narrowly missed hitting a buggy with a baby when its stupidly dim mother pushed it straight out in the road in front of me whilst on the phone, it's enough to induce road rage in me.

She didn't even glance at me, carried on across with cars having to stop for her.

I'm not on Mumsnet and don't really want to be. Do you think GNHQ might mention it?

I think I posted on another thread about this fully agree with op we sat having a meal recently couple especially female was on phone all through meal fellow off and on around 9-10months sat in buggy throughout looking up at them I felt like saying to them speak to your child

I live near to a school, mothers get out of cars and get their mobiles out, tots are left to trail behind with their bags trailing the ground in some cases. The only time I see interaction with an adult is when Granny walks them to school or collects them and it is a delight to watch, they also stop and have a word if I am in the garden. If you can't interact with your own child then you shouldn't have them.

My great niece had cartoons on her phone to put on while the 18 month old ate. " He loves Micky Mouse,. " Bless!!

We on GN are an enlightened lot, don't you think that MNetters are too?!
Saw a couple with a child at the breakfast table in a hotel last year, M&D on mobiles 5yr old on tablet. If you can't interact with your child when relaxing on hol when can you?

I find it troubling that children are plonked in front of the TV so much, not necessarily because all the programmes are bad (although some are truly dreadful) but because they do not get the chance to contribute to what is going on in the family. My children were not entertained, they were simply a part of all that was going on - shopping, cooking, gardening etc. They had a a bit of a role to play. They did watch TV, but very little during the day, unless there was a special video or film that we had. There is nothing wrong with entertainment itself; it is the all-pervasive nature of it that I find disturbing. Children d like to feel useful.

The other aspect of the gadgetry is the competitive nature of this amongst the children, leading to increasing demands. This is of course essentially little different fromb how our children might have anted the latest bike, but the manufacturers of electronic gadgetry have really cottoned on to exploiting children.

I think something like this was written about some time ago, and all of it is true, conversation seems to be a dying art, and I am not sure that the mobile phone is even a means of communication these days, so many people use them to play games.

Totally agree.
Charleygirl I can go one better. I followed an idiot on a bike the other day who wasn't even holding the handle bars as he was using both hands to text and had his head down looking at the phone

Go Jane10!
"They" come over here from time to time!
Not that I dont like it or approve, because I do.
Though they are normally wrong!

I dare you Jane10 I agree with most of what your all saying. There's nothing wrong with answering a call but to be constantly using the damm thing is isolating yourself from everything around you. I learnt so much about my children's lives as we strolled to school or nursery and chatted. I don't know who I feel more sorry for the children or their parents who don't know what their missing. They'll realise when it's too late. What I'd like to know is what on earth are they talking/ texting/ reading about that's so important? I just don't get it

Jane10 I do not think so, my hard hat is off to be polished.

Go on * Jane* - Dare you!

Ditto to all the above. Do you think we should venture on to Mumsnet and raise this issue?

Yes I agree with posts
A while back I went with my DD for her Scan appointment at our local hospital.
A young couple came in to the waiting room, they had a young child in a buggy, as soon as they sat down they whipped out their phones. The poor child was completely ignored (apart from my DD and myself smiling and so waving to him).
There were some toys + books provided by hospital for the children but those were completely ignored as well.

charlygirl I've had the same experience with a cyclist on mobile, wobbling all over the road which was a bendy country lane. Nightmare to try and overtake!

The thing that makes me cringe is when I see a mother on her mobile with buggy waiting cross the road. Her conversation seems more important than concentrating on getting child safely across the road.

mrsmopp this has inspired me to start a thread on "modern" parenting, I think you have much a very valid and important point, just wish something could be done about it

Strongly agree with all these posts. I so often see young children/babies in pushchairs facing away from their mothers who are on their phones. It makes me feel very sad.