I took my kids to Chick Fil A last week for a late lunch.  Everything about us is “late” during the summer.  It’s 12:32 p.m. right now and I’m just finishing my “morning” cup of coffee.  Don’t judge me.  That’s the schedule my kids are on and who am I to tell them their internal summer clocks are wrong?  Not me, brothers and sisters.  Not me.

Anyway, I’ve been attempting to enforce a “no cell phones while we’re eating” policy.  All three of us are guilty of it, as E continually points out.  He never does it, though.  Never.  Especially not during football season.  Cough cough.

On a side note (all caps alert because that is how excited I am over this little factoid):  COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON STARTS IN NINE GLORIOUS WEEKS!  NINE WEEKS, PEOPLE!

Now that I chased that squirrel, back to the story.

So, I’ve noticed that when we put our cell phones down, something miraculous happens.  We make eye contact.  We converse.  With real words, not text.  It’s crazy, I tell you.  Something else happens also.  Completely random, what the hell just happened kind of conversations.  And those are my favorite.

It was raining outside, not sprinkling and not raining hard, just a steady stream.  If you were made of sugar, you would’ve definitely wanted an umbrella when going outside (I had one in my purse, so relax, everyone).  In the silence of enjoying our lunch together sans modern technology, I heard a Mom tell her kid as they were leaving that it wasn’t raining outside.  Gracie heard it also and this  transpired:

 

Gracie:  Why did that Mom just tell her son it wasn’t raining outside when it IS?

Me:  Maybe the kid is blind and she’s playing a trick on him.

Gracie:  Mom!  That’s awful!

Me:  Hey, I’m not the one.  Okay?  It’s her.  Take it out on her.

Gracie:  (No words, just looks shocked and dismayed and very confused about how I could possibly be her Mother)

Me:  That’s a really awful joke to play on a blind kid, though.

Gracie:  (Can’t overcome speechlessness, just shakes her head in disgust, sighs and looks out the window at the rain)

 

I think this “no technology at the dining table” policy rocks.

What about you?  Do you have any rules about phones, tablets, etc. at the dining table?  Tell me in the comments below and have a great week, y’all.  Be safe this holiday weekend!