So I am learning that some things don’t change. Back in the day, it was providing words of wisdom and encouragement to an eight year old. Now, with the child mostly grown and living away from home, we find the same situation but with the added encumbrance of distance between us. Luckily, in our day and age, a mom can use the new technologies in these situations.
Let’s just say, hypothetically speaking, that your daughter didn’t do well on an important test and you want to tell her that it’s not the end of the line. Look at all the ways you can comfort her. Of course, there is the mail, but letters aren’t immediate and you have to actually sit down, think and write them. And if you say the wrong thing, it lives on in perpetuity.
In comes e-mothering. There is the phone and that works well, and add that with an e-mail about two hours after the phone conversation, topped off with a cute little text message to boost morale about 9 p.m. followed by a photo sent via the cell phone of you lighting a candle in church for them. (You have to wait in the back of church by the candles until no one else is there to take this photo as I think others may regard you as strange for holding your cell up above your head with a lit match as you take this little piece of solace.) This photo is meant to both comfort and make your child laugh and/or be embarrassed of you, which, of course, is one of your jobs as a parent.
What did mothers do before these additional tools to reach out and touch someone? Thank God e-moms have these great ways to still mother, with increased accessibility and options. Unless the Internet connection goes down.
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“Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.” ~ Bill Gates
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6 responses so far ↓
1 grannyann // Sep 24, 2009 at 8:15 pm
makes you wonder if the electricity went off, would you sit with a duh look on your face or what????
2 suburbancorrespondent // Sep 24, 2009 at 10:36 pm
How does “grannyann” up there know what I do when the electricity is off? Once we lost our Internet for a couple of days, and we almost couldn’t function.
3 Mary // Sep 25, 2009 at 8:30 am
I know. When ours was out last winter, I rationed my laptop battery time and thanked God I had a Sprint wireless card for backup. We also played a lot of board games and ate snacks. I think I’d gain weight if it was a permanent deal.
4 angelawd // Sep 28, 2009 at 7:11 pm
You’re such a thoughtful mom! Even risking getting tossed out of a church to encourage your child.
5 Slava Lenkov // Oct 4, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Family love, to me, is the most valuable thing you have in your life. If you didn’t have your family, you wouldn’t go anywhere. When you were down, they were there for you. When you needed something they tried to make that happen. When you think you don’t have a family, you do. All you need to do is just give them a little call and they will be there for you. I got kicked out of the house when I was 18 and I had nowhere to go. I was around a wrong crowd and got into drugs. My addiction to meth was so bad, I nearly died. I realized that my life wasn’t going anywhere and I needed help. The first people that I called and the only people that I called was my mom and dad. They were very happy to help me and I went into a drug rehab program. I am currently on the program and I can already tell that things are getting back to normal. I’m getting my life back, and most important I’m getting my family back.
6 Help for Troubled Teens // Oct 7, 2009 at 3:35 am
According to me nothing is an alternate to be physically present to help your teen get out of the depression.But yes if that is not possible then We have alternate like telephone and emails. They do wonders. After a long chat a few words of motivation will definitely motivate the child.
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