On a recent episode of the Buttercup podcast, my guest Mr. Art Sims said that “parenting is a participation sport.” He was talking about balancing work and life while raising 5 awesome children. Mr. Sims shared how being present in children’s lives matters. Laughter and being present are important in leaving a legacy for children, described Mr. Sims.

I have been thinking about his words, and wondering how to become more present. Being distracted is the enemy of presence. As adults it is easy for us to get distracted with work and other responsibilities.

“Phubbing” is nothing new. Growing up, it was common for me to hear phrases like, “shh, I’m on the phone,” “be quiet kids this is a long distance call from (fill in the blank),” and “I’m trying to talk on the phone here.” We had a phone that was attached to the wall and had a curly cord that made it impossible for my parents to talk on the phone more than 2 feet from the wall. Calls were usually brief because of the discomfort of holding the phone in the crook of one’s neck. “Phubbing” is where someone is snubbed by another with their phone.

Ph (phone) + snub = phub. Phubbing can occur when we focus on phones and ignore the humans in our presence. Today us parents have so many more things we can do with our phones that make it more challenging if we use the smart phone with our children present. I remembered something Mother Teresa of Calcutta said that to change the world, go home and love your family. Parenting is a participation sport where our children thrive on engagement.