Stopping the guilt about phone time
What are y'all's thoughts on balancing *your* personal screentime with being fully present with baby? I'm trying to find a sustainable plan that acknowledges that I need my phone for a variety of things during the day, being present with my little one, and stopping the guilt!
I'm a stay at home mom (and still on lock down!). My phone is how I connect with friends and family during the day (basically how I get any other adult contact). It's how I read blogs, watch youtube videos, etc, which answer my questions about how to raise a toddler as well as legitimately help my mental health by normalizing the experience. I don't have any other experience with children and none of my close friends have kids. It's how I check the weather to plan our outdoor activities. It's how I listen to audiobooks when that baby is entertaining herself. It's how I check and maintain the online calendar I share with my husband. It's how I check my email (some of it is fun and some of it is home/family administration). It's how I manage all my to do lists. It's how I take photos and videos of my baby. All of these sound really legitimate, but at the same time, I constantly have guilt that I spend too much time on the phone instead of being fully present with my baby.
On the other hand, devices are going to be part of her K-12 school life and social life, as well as her adult life. It wouldn't be helpful for me to never be on the phone, modeling this behavior for her. Also, giving her my 100% attention all the time would impede her independent play skills.
So my question is: between never being on the phone in front of her and feeling like I'm on the phone around her too much, where is the sweet spot? What are rules or guidelines I can have for myself so I can do what I need/want to do, yet not feel guilty that I'm doing it too much? I really want to stop the guilt and I know that just never being on the phone in front of her is not a realistic answer.
If you've read this far, thanks for sticking around!
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