Daycare Calls Out Moms for Phone Use During Pick-Up
Parents lead incredibly busy lives, and the chaotic time of day when you’re picking up your little ones can feel especially overwhelming. As you juggle thoughts about dinner plans, whether a quick grocery stop is necessary, and the work tasks you still need to wrap up, it’s no wonder that cell phones become a lifeline. They allow you to send a quick email to your boss about tomorrow’s meeting before it slips your mind. However, one daycare in Texas has taken a strong stance against this, disregarding the pressures of modern parenting with a sign that shames mothers for using their phones.
A mother shared a photo of this controversial sign on her Facebook page (which she likely snapped using her phone, breaking the very rule being enforced). The message is blunt: “You are picking up your child! PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE!!!!” it commands. “Your child is excited to see you! Are you equally excited to see your child??” The sign continues, “We’ve heard a child say ‘Mommy, mommy, mommy…’ while the parent is more focused on their phone than on their own child. It’s shocking. Put down your phone!!”
The message is loud and clear from the person who penned this note: they believe that any mom who dares to glance at her phone during pick-up is failing as a parent. The post has resonated widely, racking up over 82,000 likes, more than 8,000 comments, and going viral with over a million shares.
Some commenters quickly joined the mommy-shaming chorus. “I absolutely love this! It drives me crazy to see neglect like this,” said one. Another added, “It’s crucial to give them our attention when we pick them up. Lazy parents just don’t get it.” Here we are, working moms, trying hard to balance jobs that provide for our families, yet we’re seen as neglectful and lazy. Great conversation.
On the flip side, many people recognize the daycare’s sign for what it is—an attempt to guilt mothers for multitasking. If a daycare wants parents off their phones that badly, perhaps they should also offer free child care. My phone keeps me in touch with work, and without my job, the daycare bill won’t get paid.
It’s also worth noting that this sign seems to target moms specifically. Surely dads are also picking up their kids from daycare and occasionally glancing at their phones. Yet, the sign is directed solely at mothers, as if we should devote every moment to our little ones without any distractions.
We get it; it’s frustrating when someone is on their phone while you’re trying to engage with them. But let’s be real—moms aren’t choosing their phones over their kids. They’re just trying to ensure everything is managed. Working moms face enough scrutiny as it is without added pressure from daycare providers.
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In summary, parenting is a tough gig filled with challenges, and we shouldn’t add to the guilt mothers already feel. It’s all about balance, and sometimes, that balance means a quick phone check while picking up the kids.