We had just sat down to have dinner as a family, just like most nights around our house. Caleb had refused to eat his lunch and, therefore, was very hungry for dinner. He is a very picky eater, but we anticipated him eating at least a little of his food because he was so hungry. He didn’t disappoint as he started shoveling in his stuffed peppers.

He turned to us and stated, “I’m pretending to be an adult tonight.” Tom and I decided to play off this statement and asked him what else adults do besides eat all of their dinner. And then it hit us. Like a wave. Right in the face.

“Look at their phones,” he said.

Wow. There is nothing like a 4 year old to convict you. There are many areas of motherhood that I need to improve upon, but I think being 100% present when I’m around my children is at the top of that list.

I fought the smartphone movement for a long time. I didn’t get an iPhone until January 2014. I knew what would happen. I knew I would be hooked. And I knew that once I got one, I would never go back.

Don’t get me wrong. I think smartphones are good for many things. They save me money at the store when I can pull up a coupon. I can quickly reply to an email without having to get on the computer. I can check the weather, make a note on our weekly grocery list, or send a quick text all in the matter of seconds.

And then there is social media.

I look back and wonder how many minutes, hours, days, and possibly weeks I’ve spent getting lost in Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. I wonder how much of that time could have been spent engaged with my children, my husband, my home, or my life.

When I look back at my life 25 years from now, what am I going to remember about the time I spent. Will I remember the time I spent on my phone engaged in everybody else’s lives? Or will I remember a life well lived? A life filled with love, joy, and happiness spent with the ones that truly matter?

I created this blog to share my journey towards becoming a more intentional wife and mother, a mom on purpose. This is the first change I plan to make for myself and my family. I’m challenging myself to put down the phone!

My plan

With my children I will…

• Read more books.
• Play more.
• Go outside more.
• Bake or cook more.
• Wrestle more.
• Paint more.
• Do more experiments.
• Sing more.
• Color more.
• Build more tents.
• Go on more walks.

I will not…

• Spend countless hours looking at Facebook.
• Browse Pinterest or Instagram aimlessly.
• Check my email more than once a day.
• Watch a Periscope video if my children are present.

I plan to check in at the end of each week on how I’m doing with this challenge. I’m hoping to make positive changes. I know I will not be perfect, but I hope I am better. A better mom. A better wife. A better homemaker. A better person. A Mom on Purpose.

Do you struggle with being present when around your children? Do you feel like you spend too much time looking at your devices? Will you join me in this challenge?