Why forgetting your phone is not the end of the world: Advocating for a digital diet.

I had the diapers, wipes, bottle, sippy cups, snacks, extra clothes, bandages, bug spray, kitchen sink, pacifiers, blanket, back-up blanket, and the stroller. I counted a couple times and I for sure had all the kids. I even went the extra mile and remembered the husband.

My little family was totally prepared to take on the local county fair. We parked, packed up, and made the trek across multiple fields to the festivities.

Once we had the kiddies on their first ride I went to pull my phone out to capture the classic fair ride photo. I had a moment of panic when I realized that the familiar hard case was not in my pocket. My memory then flashed to me putting my phone on the carseat after I pulled out the baby. So there my phone/precious camera sat.

I contemplated making the journey back to the van. This was a short lived idea because my desire for my phone was much less than my desire to not walk an extra mile in my sandals. The only logical solution was to suck it up and accept that this family outing would not be digitally documented.

I had a brief moment of disappointment. The whole point of the fair was to have fun and create happy childhood memories. Without photographic evidence how would my kids remember how much fun the rides were, the yummy treats we caved for, or the one-on-one time with the overly friendly goat?

As the evening progressed I found myself truly enjoying the experience of the family adventure. I wasn’t hung up on getting a picture and watching my children’s joy through a screen. I had the opportunity to witness their happiness completely unfiltered. We were making vivid memories instead of photos and videos.

Now am I advocating for a total abandonment of our digital companions? Absolutely not. I’m writing this article on my phone for goodness sake. Also if I never had the opportunity to play Candy Crush again I would be incredibly disappointed.

Instead I’m simply saying that there is a benefit of going on a digital diet. Taking a couple pictures and then putting away the phone gives you the best of both worlds. You have your digital memories while being able to partake in the experiences that are worth making memories about in the first place.

For now I’m going to stick to my digital diet plan. A few cherished pictures and childhoods full of memories of Mommy enjoying and truly participating in life.