By Gina McClain, fpKids Director

The other day I took my daughter to the store with me.  No boys.  Just the girls. 

She’d had a rough day with her brothers that day and it seemed a good time for some alone time with the two of us.  We got a mile away and I realized I’d left my phone at home.  I debated mentally whether I should turn around but decided that it was possible to survive an hour without it.  (For those that know me well… that’s a feat!) 

As we walked through the store we talked about random things.  At times I would reach for my phone to make sure I didn’t receive a text from the hubs reminding me of a needed item.  The empty pocket of my purse reminded me that my phone was several miles away.  “You’ll be fine, Gina”, I mentally coached myself. 

At one point Josie turned to me and said, “I love having this time with you, mom”.  Suddenly the lack of wireless connection was less important.  I was less distracted.  And she noticed.

When we were done shopping we stopped at Starbucks.  Drinking her hot cocoa, she recounted the stories from her American Girl books and we talked about how different it would be to live during World War 2.  Josie is incredibly animated.  When she tells a story, she tells it with her whole body.  I wasn’t the only one entertained in Starbucks that day. 

I’m reminded of a statement I heard from a prominent Student Ministry leader. 

“Hold your kids more than you hold your phone.”

This is a convicting statement that I need to be reminded of often.  That was a rich afternoon for me and I look forward to more this year.  From one parent to the next, I encourage you to find ways to connect with your kids individually.  “Fight for the Heart” by setting aside time to focus on them without the distraction of cell phones, tv’s & computers.  It goes further than you can imagine.