Dear Annie: Parents keep staring at their phones instead of watching their kids

Dear Annie: I want to comment on the letter from the retired youth sports coach who wrote in about parents being glued to their phones during their kids’ events. He couldn’t have been more correct.

My stepdaughter participated in a youth dance clinic with our college’s dance team when she was around 8 years old. They performed during halftime at the college basketball game.

Her grandmother (my mother-in-law) came with us to watch, but she spent most of the performance texting someone, with her attention on her phone. My stepdaughter saw this as she looked up to us and thankfully saw her dad and I clapping and smiling at her, but the first thing she said was, “Gram was looking at her phone and missed my dancing.” She’s 21 now and still remembers it. — A Proud Kentucky Stepmom

Dear Proud Kentucky Stepmom: Thank you for your letter. While putting away your phone during children’s activities can seem like a difficult task, I hope your letter serves as a reminder for all parents to try to be more mindful of when they are looking down at their phones and not engaging with life as it is. Your kids will notice and will remember.

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“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to [email protected].