A Proverbs 31 Wife

Becoming the Wife God Created Me To Be

  • About
    • Popular Posts
    • Shop
      • Food Preservation Made Simple
      • Becoming a Virtuous Woman in a Modern World: Set Apart
      • Beautiful Hair ~ Lilla Rose
    • Advertise
    • Contact
  • Faith & Family
  • Recipes
  • Home and Garden
  • Healthy Living
  • Frugal Living
  • DIY -Crafts & Decor
   

The Internet Ruined Parenting

Disclaimer: A Proverbs 31 Wife uses Affiliate links and ads to support this site. Read full disclosure here.

December 11, 2016 by Kendra 5 Comments

The internet ruined parenting and is stealing our joy...

The internet ruined parenting. With all the crowd-sourcing, googling, blogs and information the internet gives, being a parent should be the easiest thing in the world. But in many ways it’s made parenting much harder.

The Internet Ruined Parenting by Convincing us the Kids are Dying

When pregnant with my first, blood work showed me immune to measles. I asked my mom when I had them and she didn’t know. “You guys had so many little fevers and rashes,” she said, “I just kept you hydrated and comfortable as possible”.

Rashes are pretty normal for little ones, and fevers are how their bodies heal (only high fevers are truly dangerous). But when our little ones get a rash now, we run to google, or post a photo on Facebook and ask what people think it is. There are big scary stories all over the web about this and that disease and we begin to freak out and worry more about our little one.

Generally our babies are totally fine, and we’ve added to our own load of anxiety for no reason. Not to mention the fact that all this outside info keeps us from relying on our own God-given instincts about whether or not our babies are okay.

Relying on our instincts is important and can save lives (like this time), but since we have all this info at our fingertips we often forget how to use the parental intuition God has given us.

The Internet Ruined Parenting by Distracting Us

Rather than spending downtime with the kids, we are surfing Facebook, looking up all kinds of recipes and ideas on Pinterest and watching videos on youtube.

Of course, the internet doesn’t get all the blame here. Television is a huge distraction as well.

Then in order to “surf the web in peace” we hand electronics over to the kids as well. Creating a new generation of distraction and checked out living.

The Internet Ruined Parenting by Causing Discontent

A friend shares a photo of herself out with friends and a little seed of discontent sprouts and wonders when the last time is you had a night off. A friend shares how proud she is of her potty trained 2yr old and you sign in frustration at the 4 year old who just wet his pants for the 3rd time today.

You watch a photo of a homeschooled 5 yr old who’s just learned to read, reading to her younger siblings and it’s such a sweet sibling time. Meanwhile your monsters are in the background screaming at each other and haven’t played nicely together for months.

Pretty soon you are convinced that you must be a terrible mom because you cannot wait to kick the kids out to school. That you’ve done something wrong because your little angels, aren’t angels at all.

The Internet Ruined Parenting by Encouraging Superiority

It’s easy to have all the answers when we don’t have the whole story. It’s easy to tell everyone else what to do, and when they get mad or don’t listen, well, clearly it’s their fault.

My way is the best and if you don’t do it this way, your children are going to be epic failures.

We all grab our soap boxes and start yelling about how our way is best and we point fingers, drop links and “facts”. We see an article titled something we want to believe and we share it without ever even reading it.

Instead of taking the time to listen and try to understand, we simply talk down to everyone else. Parenting is now a competition sport where the kids are always the losers.

Parenting is now a competition sport where the kids are always the losers.Click To Tweet

The Internet Ruined Parenting by… Wait Minute!

Why are we blaming the internet? Do our phones jump into our hands and open to the web on their own accord? Does our Facebook profile type for us?

No.

The internet isn’t to blame. It’s not the one at fault.

We are.

The enemy isn’t others on Facebook.

It’s us.

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:5

Our enemy rages within us, and often our greatest enemy is ourselves. If we fail to bring Every Thought captive, those thoughts will turn and imprison us.

How do we let ourselves react to what we see and read? What websites are we allowing to fill our minds and take our time? Are we setting healthy limits for ourselves with the time we spend?

The Internet hasn’t Really Ruined Anything

In fact, it’s a source of info that is often very useful, allowing us to broaden our inner circle and learn more about others with whom we share the earth. It offers many inspirational and encouraging websites, great recipes the family will love, and helps you discover many different fun activities to do with the entire family.

The internet is a tool. Use it to destroy your home and family, or use it to build up your family. The tool is in your hands. How you use it is your choice.

The internet is a tool. Use it to build or destroy. The tool is in your hands. How you use it is your choice.Click To Tweet

An InLinkz Link-up


(Visited 955 times, 1 visits today)
Tweet
Pin105
Share43
148 Shares

Filed Under: Faith & Family Tagged With: family, motherhood, parenting

Respectful opinions are always welcome

  1. Cheryl says

    December 11, 2016 at 10:56 pm

    It looks like the Lord was dealing with us both along the same lines this week! Thank you for your faithfulness in hosting and sharing what God lays upon your heart! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Carol says

    December 12, 2016 at 3:01 pm

    Yes, there are tons of distractions out there. As far as illness is concerned for kids or adults- people need to have a good trustworthy Dr for their families. Besides what one has learned by experience, the doctor should be ones #1 source re:medical problems. Just because people are going to “WebMD” etc for ans, people think they now have all the answers. That kind of thinking could be fatal. Dr’s don’t know everything, but they know much more than the rest of us in this realm. Why does anyone think they call it “the practice of medicine”? God often works through Dr’s, nurses, etc. We should thank the Lord for the expertise+skill the Lord has given to those who take care of others. Blessings, Carol

    Reply
  3. Sarah says

    December 12, 2016 at 4:48 pm

    A thoughtful post.. thank you Kendra! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Melinda Mitchell says

    December 14, 2016 at 11:45 am

    Wow, Kendra- this hits home! When my grandbabies are here, I try to spend time with them, not on the computer! They deserve my attention! Thanks for this too true post. Everything you said is right on the nose!

    Reply
  5. Tehila says

    December 15, 2016 at 4:13 pm

    Kendra, what a great post! I’ll be sharing this with my email subscribers this week! So proud of you for writing with such excellence and truth! xoxo

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


about-small Hello, my name is Kendra. I am married to an amazing young man named Jason, and together we have 3 boys! Here at A Proverbs 31 Wife, you will find posts on homemaking, natural living, marriage, and motherhood. My goal is to uplift and inspire Christian wives and Mothers. {Read More}

 

300x250 Affiliate Planner Ad

 

 

DHgate cheap fashion jewelry

RawGeneration.com!

Reader Favorites

  • How to Get Rid of Washer Stink - Front Loader MoldHow to Get Rid of Washer Stink – Front Loader Mold
  • Best Sloppy Joe Recipe ~Your New Family Favorite!Best Sloppy Joe Recipe ~Your New Family Favorite!
  • Packing an Organized SuitcasePacking an Organized Suitcase
  • Don't Let a Drowned Phone Ruin Your Summer Fun!Don’t Let a Drowned Phone Ruin Your Summer Fun!
  • How to Remove the Stink from Kitchen TowelsHow to Remove the Stink from Kitchen Towels


Terms and Conditions

All content belongs to blog owner and may not reproduced in any form without permission. Please click through to see full terms and earnings disclosure.

A Proverbs 31 Wife is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking A Proverbs 31 Wife to (amazon.com, or endless.com, MYHABIT.com, SmallParts.com, or AmazonWireless.com).

Grab my Button!

AProbervs31Wife.com
<a href="http://www.aproverbs31wife.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://aproverbs31wife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Jason-and-Kendra-1.jpg" alt="AProverbs31Wife.com" width="150" height="150" /></a>
Copyright 2021, A Proverbs 31 Wife. All Rights Reserved.
Custom design by Pixel Me Designs