I'm exhausted. To the point of tears, to the pain in my back, to the emptiness in my head.
I don't know why I'm writing this or why I'm even here. Maybe I just want to share with someone, to get some support, or simply to tell my little story.
So… My son is three years old, and he demands attention every single minute. But I'm a person too. I need at least a little time for myself—to take a breath, drink a coffee, just sit in silence.
At first, I would put on cartoons for him. "Just for 10 minutes while I finish my chores." But 10 minutes turned into 20, then into an hour. Then came phone games. It seemed like a lifesaver—he sat quietly, didn’t ask me to play with him, didn’t get fussy.
But soon, I noticed that my boy had changed. He became irritable, nervous. He had trouble falling asleep and would sometimes burst into tears for no reason. And when I took away the phone, full-blown tantrums would start—he would scream, wave his arms, his face turning red with anger.
I felt like a terrible mother. I didn’t know what to do.
It turned out I wasn’t alone in this struggle. One day, I came across an article about studies showing that using gadgets to calm children down can have the opposite effect. For example, a study published in The Times found that children who were frequently given tablets at the age of three had more outbursts of anger by the time they turned four. Scientists suggest that using tablets as a calming tool may interfere with a child’s ability to develop self-regulation skills. These children often miss out on important activities, like interacting with their parents or engaging in free play, which helps manage emotions like anger and frustration. Experts advise parents to avoid using mobile devices to soothe their children and instead encourage activities that promote self-regulation, such as role-playing games, reading books, and physical activities.
After reading all of this and sinking even deeper into my depressive thoughts, I randomly stumbled upon a book on Amazon called 50 games for children at home from improvised means This is not an ad—I just want to share something that once saved me. In this book, I found a simple list of games for kids—no gadgets, no complicated rules. Just games using common household items that can be set up in minutes.
I decided to give it a try.
My son and I laughed until we cried while pushing each other like real sumo wrestlers. The game with pencils and string was great for developing motor skills. There are so many different games in this book—50, to be exact. It’s not like I’d never come across such games online before, but you know how it is. You have to search, browse, and dig through countless options. Here, everything was right at my fingertips.
And after some time, I barely recognized my child. Instead of anger and tears—laughter. Instead of being glued to a screen—bright, sparkling eyes. He looked at me in a way he hadn’t in a long time—with admiration, with the excitement of wanting to play more and more.
I realized that he didn’t just need my time—he needed my attention.
Now, the phone is only for calls. And time with my son? It’s filled with fun games that we can play at any moment.
I feel like a good mom again.
Google this book—you won’t regret it. Or message me directly, and I’ll send you a link to this wonderful book.