Raising Children in a “Right This Instant” World

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I was lying in bed this morning when my son somehow managed to escape the watchful eye of my husband, fly up a flight of stairs, and announce his presence at the foot of my bed with a “Hi!” and the remote control. In just an instant, he clicked on the Roku and “patiently” waited for me to turn to the latest episode of Bob The Builder.

When I was little, the stars needed to align for Sesame Street to be on TV at the time that my mom needed to entertain me for a few minutes to get something done. If she was being really proactive, she could set the VCR to record a few episodes and play them for my sister and me.

These days, my son would probably balk at the concept of not fast forwarding through the commercials. I am struggling for him to understand that not everything happens in an instant and that sometimes, you just have to wait. The same holds true when I snap a photo of him – he runs over to the phone and wants to see himself immediately. Gone are the days of sending the film (do kids even know what that word means?) off to the drug store and waiting for the call to go pick it up.

boy on slide Providence Moms BlogEVERYTHING HAPPENS IN AN INSTANT…and sometimes it’s great, but there are other times when I just want to slow it all down. I’m determined to raise my son in an “instant” world where he has patience, gratitude, and compassion. We’re starting slowly with using the term “thank you” for simple items like crackers and milk. We’re reminding him to slow down (both literally and figuratively) and keep him to the less than 30 minutes a day of screen time simply because we want him to play outside and explore the world. Instilling the use of the words “please” and “thank you” at the age of one may seem to be too much, but I’m hopeful that it’s a solid step in the right direction.

It’s also important to volunteer or give back as a family, which we’ve started to incorporate through food, clothing and toy donations. As he gets older, he will be required to donate an item for every birthday, Hanukkah or Christmas gift that he receives. We’ll also set expectations early that experiences as a family far outweigh materials that can be bought.

Right now, we’re loving that a new book is just the right present when mom and dad are off traveling – hoping that it keeps him grounded with all the spoils around him.

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Amelia Sugerman
Amelia Sugerman is born and raised in SE Massachusetts. She lives with her husband and son (2016) in Attleboro and is a full-time working mom (mostly by choice) focused on corporate communications and employee well-being. When not working, she loves ski weekends with her family, reading at the beach, spicy margaritas, and long walks in Narragansett. She is passionate about girls empowerment and has served on the Board for Girls on the Run Rhode Island. You can find her drinking iced coffee year round and in her pajamas by 6pm on most evenings.