Digital Mom Meme

Some of y’all may know that for the past few months, I’ve been participating in BlogHer’s Family Connections citizen journalism project as a Momspotter. Basically that means I tweet a few times a day with the #momspotting hashtag about how I use technology in my day-to-day parenting life (actually, I talk more about just life, because I’m past the point of “parenting”).

I’ve never considered myself a “mommy blogger,” and I don’t talk about my kids much or show pictures of them often. Our four boys (two his, two mine) are grown and gone. I figure if they want embarrassing pictures of themselves on the internet, they will probably post ‘em on their own blogs … and they do!

But, I am a “digital parent.” Even when the kids are grown, we are still their parents. The only time I get to have contact with the kids is through the use of technology when we can connect by talking on the phone, on Facebook, by texting, or by e-mail. We don’t always get to see them at holidays, either! In fact, the last time we had them all together under one roof was at our wedding in 2003.

The Kneupper-Tucker Clan

I’m showing you pictures, aren’t I. That’s because BlogHer has asked me to participate in a meme. Now, I don’t do this kind of meme often, and I never tag people. But, if you like the meme, feel free to do one yourself and leave a link in the comments or tweet it with the #momspotting hashtag. Here we go:

1. Which expensive electronic device do you most often let your older children abuse or your baby drool on?

   That’s a moot point. With the kids grown, they have to drool on their own electronic devices! I got my boys their own computer (to share — sort of) when they were little. But, in truth, my boys never drooled.
   

   

   This is why we called him Belushi. Food Fight!

2. How many take-out restaurant numbers do you have programmed into your phone?
   Dairy Queen does not accept phone orders. I live in a small town (and we really do have more restaurants than a Dairy Queen). But, we don’t have a single restaurant telephone number programmed into our phones. Even when my kids were small I didn’t. In fact, I didn’t have a cell phone until my kids were almost big enough to drive to the McDonald’s on their own!
   

   What can I say ... he was a prodigy.

3. How many hours of television do you so totally not let your kids watch a week?

   Of course, we have no control over them now. I’m not sure we ever did!
   

   

   If I say pretty please with sugar on it, can I watch Sesame Street?

   
   Actually, when my kids were small, they didn’t watch much television, but by the time they were in Middle School, they had televisions in their own rooms. In retrospect, that wasn’t a good idea.
   Reading with them is a much better idea.
   
   

   So, turn the page already.

4. Do you think people who say “we don’t watch television” at playdates but really mean “we just watch DVDs” are lying liars from Liarville?

   “Liarville?” I don’t know anyone who lives in Washington D.C. As for playdates, of course we didn’t have DVDs … but we had videotapes (and yes, the kids watched them).

5. How many miles have you driven with your child and not one device of electronic entertainment in a single car trip?

   Every mile we drove until they were in about the 5th grade. By then I think we had those hand-held video games. In fact, I know we did, because I wouldn’t let them play Tetris, because I was playing it. They whine about that to this very day.

6. What’s your record for calls to the pediatrician or Ask-a-Nurse in a single day?

   I called Mom. Really, it was a long time ago, and I’ve slept since then, so I don’t have a good answer.

7. What’s the sexiest thing your husband/partner could text you after a hard day?

   “Honey, I’m bringing home the bacon — and it’s applewood smoked!”

8. What’s your favorite iPad joke?

   Awww, maaaan! I don’t know any iPad jokes. But, my husband would never go to the store to get me those other kinds of “pads,” so I don’t expect he will go to the store and buy me one of these.

9. What’s the dumbest parenting tool, gear, gadget or device you ever bought?
   Oh, for goodness sakes. Nothing I ever bought was dumb! We couldn’t afford to buy much.
10. How many years will it take for your child to become more tech-savvy than you?
    They were more tech-savvy than I am at birth. I’ve got a cat that is more tech savvy than I am. Seriously, my children picked up programming on the computer before they were out of elementary school. Their daddy was a computer programmer, and was dumbfounded by their abilities. I guess it’s all part of growing up “digital.”

Now that’s the best I can do with it. I think I did pretty well at equality in embarrassing each child. Let me know if you decide to post the meme. Maybe some of you with kids still at home have some answers that are better than mine. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how this digital world affects your parenting.

Other posts you might enjoy:

1. Intermission
2. Are Encyclopedias Extinct In The Digital Age?
3. In The Meme Time
4. A Cook Can’t Have Too Many Potholders
5. One Last “MeMeMe” Meme

Tagged as: family, memes, Memories