31/07/2025
Look at Me, Not Your Screen
A story every parent needs to hear, straight from a child’s quiet heart.
There once was a little boy named Eli who loved to build towers.
Every day after school, he’d run to the living room, stack his blocks high, and say,
“Mom! Dad! Look what I made!”
But his mom was always scrolling.
And his dad was always typing.
“Mmhmm, that’s nice,” they’d say—without even glancing up.
So Eli would quietly knock down his tower and start again.
At dinner, Eli would talk about his day.
“I saw a butterfly today!”
“I helped my classmate!”
“I got a gold star!”
But his mom was busy replying to messages.
And his dad had his phone propped beside his plate.
Their eyes were on the screens… not on Eli.
One night, while tucking him into bed, his mom kissed his forehead and whispered,
“I love you so much.”
Eli looked up and asked softly,
“More than your phone?”
His mom froze.
For the first time in a long time… she really looked at him.
His big eyes. His little fingers. The way he held his stuffed bunny so close.
All the things she had missed while distracted.
She hugged him tighter and whispered,
“Yes, baby. So much more than my phone.”
From that night on, phones stayed on the shelf during dinner.
Eli’s towers were admired with real claps and wide smiles.
His words weren’t just heard—they were listened to.
And Eli?
He smiled more.
He talked more.
He felt seen.
⸻
Moral of the story:
Children don’t remember what was on our screens.
They remember if we looked up…
If we listened…
If we made them feel like they mattered more than a device.
Put the phone down.
Your child is only this little once.
