A year ago I got an iPhone.

I thought I would never be one of those moms that's at the playground, scrolling through her phone and absently replying 'Uh-huh' when her child says 'Mom watch this!'

But unfortunately, I find myself looking at my iPhone way too much. It's almost like an unconscious habit to just pick it up when there's a spare minute and glance at email, texts, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

I don't like how often I look at it. Because my children see me.

I know that they'll get their values from watching me. I don't want them to grow up thinking that this stupid little device is more important than what they have to say, more important than THEM. Ugh! Such a yucky thought.

I recently saw something in a book that I've been reading that reminded me of my iPhone habit:

We give time to those things we love...The impact of not having one’s parents’ time creates the feeling of being worthless. The child is worth less than his parents’ time, attention, or direction. The young child’s egocentricity always interprets events egocentrically. If mom and dad are not present, it’s because of me. There must be something wrong with me or they would want to be with me.

The author, John Bradshaw, is obviously talking about a lifestyle of not giving attention to our children, but the severity of his words make me want to be intentional to value what is truly valuable: my children.

So I'm trying to put my phone down more. To look into their eyes when I talk to them. To get on the floor and play with them a little bit each day. To make sure that what I'm giving my time to is really worthy of my love.