(This is not directed to the woman I just saw talking on her cell phone, while jay-walking across a major street in my neightboorhood at 5PM erev Shabbos, dragging her two daughters along with her, still talking on her cell phone, who didn’t notice her son who was still hadn’t crossed the street, screaming “Ima! Ima!”. Nor is it directed at the same woman who didn’t notice her that her son was not with her, nor hear him screaming for her. As, I pulled the boy out of the middle of the street with on coming traffic, I said, “Tzaddik, come. I’ll walk you across the street”. Nor is this directed towards the woman I approached, with her son in my hand, whom I said several times to, “Excuse me, excuse me”, then when I got her attention and returned her precious child to, offered no thank you to me, due to the fact that she was still on her cell phone.)
I’m sad and I’m mad. We have a problem. It’s not just bans on music, making sure our kids are safe in the Mountains, dealing with drugs, at-risk kids, TV/internet issues. It’s (and I am guilty of this at times) simply not putting our kids first.
I’m sure that people, for example, might have to take an important phone call at times, but I don’t think it’s right to do it at the expense of your children’s safety. What message are we giving our kids? What priority do I give to my own kids?
Kids see everything.
Modern Uberdox
“I write not because I have the strength to write, but because I do not have the strength to remain silent.” -Rav Avraham Yitzchok Kook zt’l
maybe you’re just being facetious, but why isn’t your point directed at that woman?
I’m not sure the issue is “kids first” as much as it should be “not me first”. This woman probably treats everyone around her the same way. How many people answer call waiting whi;e they are on the phone with someone already? I now hang up when I am put on hold for call waiting. What, the next caller may be more important than my time? Unless the person says, I’m expecting an important call, I hang up. I do NOT answer call waiting on my phone unless I give the currenty caller a reason why I am interrupting our conversation for someone else.
People today are “me first”, when they drive, when they shop, when they deal with their kids, etc…
We need to adopt a better awareness of our surroundings, more than just kids first.
B/C it’s Elul. Obviously it’s me venting (which I don’t do to often).
I totally agree, Shaya. But it’s easier to start at home.
Gut Voch!
Great Post! Right on Neil!
Sadly, a frum woman was killed in Monsey several weeks ago doing exactly what you described – stepping out into traffic while talking on a cell phone.
How many more people need to die before we WAKE UP
In this case there was a safety issue. But I constantly saddened to see children just ignored because their parents are too preoccupied with chatting on the cell phone while out. Don’t know if you pick up your kids in the car pool line regularly, but if you get a chanced, count the number of parents who are on the phone while shooing a carload of kids into the car without hanging up or at least pausing the conversation. And then there are the babysitters I see at the park who are on their phones the entire time too.
I hear you. Thanks for the reminder.
Hi
I’m just writing to tell how much i appreciate your wonderful blog, you’ve really utilized the internet in a positive Torah way…makes me think that ”they created it for us!”.
I’m also trying to make a little difference B”H using the net. I just created a website called
http://www.havroota.com It’s a free online service that helps jews around the world find or post a request for a Torah study partner/class. Its not that known yet but i hope that people will use it to meet and learn very soon its a sort of Jdate for learning Torah.
I hope the idea and website appeals to you and you’re great work,
bracha vehatslacha,
Mikael
mikaelohana@yahoo.com
I was actually going to post about the car pool line. I’ve seen it and heard from several teachers that it’s a big issue. I just found out that our kids’ day school actually requests that parents are not one the phone during pick up (yet another reason I love the day school my kids attend).
Children See Children Do video from the Australian National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.