Sir, – Rossa Bunworth (May 30th) observed that while at a playground, "Five of the six young men spent all or nearly all of their time on a phone, distractedly moving a swing, half attending to a climber".
I used to be critical of distracted playground parents, and then I became a parent.
As a parent, I know that a day with small children can start at 6am and from the moment you are woken it is all go, go, go. Notice that you are woken, you do not wake up. Feeding them breakfast, dressing them, finding their shoes (never found in pairs in my experience), bringing them to the toilet, brushing their hair, playing with them, singing with them, watching them, focussing all of your attention on them, answering and replying to every little question and cry for attention. It can be exhausting!
Perhaps there was a small baby at home and Mommy pleaded with these men to take the little darlings out while baby was asleep. Maybe these were the only few minutes in the day where these men got some time to themselves to get things done.
I’ve been that man; replying to emails, catching up with friends and family, paying bills, checking my bank balance.
I don’t doubt that there are parents who bring their phones to playgrounds along with their “small inconveniences”. Sometimes however, even good, attentive parents need some distraction and playground time too. – Yours, etc,
Dr OLIVER JOYCE,
Sligo.