In thinking its a bit sad when a young child is out with a parent/carer who

[Jahan]

is having a really long chat on their phone. I've seen this quite a few times when in the park or out on the street. I'm not talking about a serious conversation but just light hearted chatter.
Yesterday I saw someone in the park who spent almost half an hour chatting on their phone. Its almost like they feel its too boring just to spend time with the child.
I always feel sorry for the child. Maybe I'm too sensitive.

When I am in the park with the DCs is the only time I ever get to (or remember to)reply to texts - so if the children are playing happily I will follow them around and watch them play whilst checking my phone. I suppose to an observer it may look like I am so uninterested in my children that I have to fiddle on my phone!

I hate talking on the phone though (am chatty in RL but hate holding a phone to my ear) so rarely do that for that reason.

Having my phone out does remind me to take photos/do those mini 15 sec recordings of the DCs though, so all of my phone photos tend to be taken in the park.

I have a very busy life outside of my children, which is precisely why I don't want to spend half an hour on the bloody mobile talking to someone else - I want to spend time with them. Lord knows, we spend little enough time doing the fun things in life together. Ditch the mobiles, that what I say

dinny i really doubt Anna is joking!!

Intensive motherhood is now the norm it appears.

I actually feel jealous of that woman for even being able to have a 30 minute convo. Mine would inevitably be interrupted after 45 seconds by ds2 climbing up my body to eat the phone and ds1 screaming in my other ear for attention.

Does no one see the irony in this thread?

altho, having said that, if I am out with mine and the phone rings, I am very unreasonable as it often eats into my precious reading time!!!

Argh! You've all misunderstood!
I've not been very clear at all. So much for my attempts at communicating through the written word.

well said frannyandzooey

The woman was totally ignoring her child.

good job you were staring then, eh

good for her and the child will be discovering its independence and sense of imagination. learning and playing and making friends

here's to freeing our children from teh sshackles of over-conspicuous monitoring

Was she? How do you know that SM?

people's obsession with being on the phone all the time is quite annoying though (and my los hate mine with a passion). I try to put it away, but prob wouldn't worry about it if was SAHM.

Or the child will grow up not expecting anything much from her mum, and will remember nothing from her childhood other than the fact that her mother took her to the park and found it more interesting to talk to a mobile.

Hells bells, you're only being asked to play with your kid at the park for a bit, not eat it's toe nail clippings.

Jahan observing someone for 30mins constitutes staring or at least in my book

Of course I wasn't staring. The kiddies play area is only small.

Observing = staring? We must read different books. Perhaps she sort of just noticed it in a kind of "oh, that woman's still talking on her phone" way?

Jahan - just exactly how did you observe/stare at/notice this woman? We demand answers NOW

My DS is 15 months and he completely ignored me while he was at the playground today for nearly an hour. I'm a bit sad about that, especially as I didn't have anyone to talk to or a book

just an observation are you demanding or requesting answers PG?

Oh I'm DEMANDING, SM

fanks

see i take my kids to the pAark precisely SO I can do things like read and ignore them

that said I am a sahm. I can't imagine dp (who does a 50+ hr week but is very hands on with kids) would take a book to the park-that is his time with the kids

spice-ALWAYS TAKE A BOOK! ALWAYS

first rule of motherhood, that

Fillyjonk - I know, such a beginner's mistake. I'm new to this SAHM business so have not quite got the tools together. Was very annoying as am reading v exciting book at the moment and was not expecting him to bugger off and leave me staring into space. Only other mother there was wearing sunnies too so was probably dozing - I couldn't even do that

am laughing a lot at the horrific abuse of daring to have an adult conversation while you PFB is anywhere near. I spend far too much time with my kids as it is. The park is a form of slow torture, and frankly, my friends are important to me. If I had to wait until they were in bed and I'd had supper before I was allowed to speak to my friends then I wouldn't have any.

Yes you are more than unreasonable you are barking.

You observe a 30 minute vignette of someone else's life and feel sad about their child on that basis?

On the basis of one post, my conclusion is that you're barking.