You’re out and about with your children — not at the unruly stage, at least at the moment. You are trying to handle this or that, without interruption.

This can be challenging at times when your children demand your attention most of the time, right? So, sometimes it’s easier to just give in a little. Not a lot — I mean, you don’t want them knocking over tables, screaming a people, etc. — but if one of your children desires to play with your phone, maybe it’s alright for the moment. You usually allow it anyways, why not keep the peace for a few more minutes while you are finishing up your dinner at the restaurant. It will keep the table a lot quieter, too.

This happened to me yesterday. My daughter was done with her food and she asked to play a game on my phone. She’s 6 and knows how to navigate a smartphone and uses only the apps she is allowed to. However, at the moment, I didn’t want her to play with it. We were at the table still. But, as we started to leave, she asked again. So, in order to keep the peace while I paid for our dinner at the counter, I said yes and handed it over.

Apparently, this makes me a bad mom. I give in all the time … just because you saw this one little thing. That doesn’t mean that my children get away with everything. Snide comments are made toward me pertaining to this. Usually, those comments go in one ear and right out the other, because I know that my children may misbehave sometimes, but not all the times. What kid doesn’t. My children are high-spirited, fun and easy-going. I don’t want to hamper that by being the mom everyone else thinks I should be. I am my own person, my children are mine to handle, and if you don’t like it … I DON’T CARE! LOL!

I believe that I am a good mom. My children do listen to me and behave. Sometimes, they may need a little discipline here and there, but just because you witness one little thing — like me allowing my daughter to use my phone after I had already told her no — doesn’t mean they misbehave all the time. Children get bored … EASILY … and if you don’t act fast, that good behavior can make a u-turn.

So, I say this. It’s alright by me to just give in a little. Don’t stress out over the small stuff and let your child play with your phone so all is quiet just a few more minutes.