Final summer, the children were babysat by some dearest family friends while we attended my great-grandmother's funeral.

The 24-hour interval later the funeral, I happened to bump into the family friends/babysitters. They had many funny tales of things the children did and said while under their care. Then one of the ladies became a bit serious, leaning in as if to tell me something scandalous that had happened.

Prepared to hear tales of one child hitting the other (gasp!) or of someone proverb something sassy to an adult (non my children!), I cautiously leaned in to hear what possibly had transpired the previous day betwixt my children and the babysitters.

Does Isaac take an email account?  asked the babysitter/family friend.

Nooooooooooooooo ¦  I said, wondering how someone had thought a three twelvemonth old who (at the fourth dimension) could non read or write had an electronic mail account.

Well, when he woke up from his nap he told me he needed to check his e-mail. 

Out of the mouth of babes, honey reader.

Since that twenty-four hour period last summer, I accept heard my children pretend play such involvement in the on-line globe. Someone has to check their email while another ane pretends the piano bench is a estimator, where they type furiously at imaginary keys. Obviously we are plugged into the Internet here at casa de phillips, with the hubby and I both possessing several email accounts, blogs, twitter accounts and Facebook profiles. But last week we had a serious discussion over whether or not nosotros need to get ahead and purchase our children's domain names.

We might just be a chip involved with the Net.

Last week a story came out about a  South Korean couple who neglected their real life kid because they were wrapped up in caring for a virtual child in an on-line game they played. Tragic.

Every bit our culture is becoming more immersed in the on-line world, some are starting to question if such an presence on the Cyberspace is wrecking existent-life relationships, particularly those of the stay-at-domicile mom.

With a connexion to the outside world establish through on-line communities, many stay-at-home mothers are not experiencing the feelings of isolation like mothers  accept felt in the past.  When a stay-at-home mom (SAHM) has a question well-nigh teething she can chat with other members of her nativity social club virtually possible soothing techniques for irritated gums. When the SAHM feels a bit lone during a long day at home with a sick baby, she can accept a few minutes to instant bulletin a friend who lives hundreds of miles away. When a mom feels terribly overwhelmed by motherhood in general, she can transport out a tweet that lets off some steam and instantly hear  a  scrap of  encouraging feedback from others in the same boat.

The Internet has many positive things to offer the stay-at-habitation mom. Nonetheless some are wondering if  today's mommies are  condign too involved in the on-line world. CNN posted an commodity discussing the notion that many moms could exist suffering for an Internet habit, suggesting that the need to update Facebook and bank check 1's Twitter business relationship several times a day could mayhap be classified as a mental disorder in the future. Although associating "mental disorder" with the desire to exist involved with the on-line globe can seem extreme, information technology is feasible to say that many mothers are letting on-line social media  networking consume too much of their day.

Before running out to observe a therapist dealing with Cyberspace addiction, take a few steps to ensure that time spent on-line is controlled and efficient.

  • Establish boundaries….and stick to them. Carve out time on the figurer into the daily schedule and stick to those slotted times. Being plugged into an on-line community is non an evil effect of  mod engineering science.  However, being so plugged in that i neglects the important tasks of her life  could be detrimental to the person and the members of her family unit. Allot time in the day to hop on the reckoner and then stick to those specific times.
  • Be present when others are around. It may be fun to conversation with an on-line friend after a long day of parenting, simply it is fifty-fifty more fun (and necessary to the maintenance of a wedlock) to conversation with one's spouse at the end of the day. Take steps to foreclose on-line relationships from taking over the take chances to interact with others who are sitting nearby in real life.
  • Go through detox on occasion. Amazingly the world will go along rotating if ane forgets to update their Facebook status for a week and the global economy will not crumble if a blog is neglected for a few days. Routinely have time to detox from social media. Plan a week to only leave the calculator off. Sure, there are some emails that may be missed and one might not know what is going on with all their Facebook friends. Detoxing from social media for a few days allows balance and symmetry.

    • Now if you will excuse me, I have to send out a quick tweet and  blazon out a brief blog post earlier the children and I head out to the park….

    Kids Activities Blog is Holly's blogging dwelling house.

    She is the co-writer of 101 Kids Activities that are the Bestest, Funnest Ever! and The 101 Coolest Uncomplicated Scientific discipline Experiments.

    She is the mom of three boys ages xiii, xv & 17 who partially homeschools. She believes that yous shouldn't take to buy stuff to have fun when at that place is a kitchen junk drawer full of possibilities.