By Emily Washut 
As an elder millennial, the last real generation growing up without the internet, and limited proof of college shenanigans to be found online, parenting a new generation with zero autonomy from the perils of the online world, I got to thinking… is there a way to bridge the gap between the good of the past and the realities of the current landscape?
I must be honest. Technology helps me make a living and balance being a mom to a preschooler and an elementary child. I’m able to work virtually as a pediatric occupational therapist, and the dichotomy of that in and of itself has been eye-opening, frightening, convenient, and at times…difficult to come to terms with. Address child development virtually? A crazy concept. It works for my family, it helps get me in front of kids regardless of location, but it’s yet another screen to interact with throughout the day.
As my kids grow up, I (like maybe every single one of my friends) worry about the amount of technology our kids are exposed to and how we’re going to help them strike a healthy balance as they grow and become more independent.
As they age, I have a few plans I’m hoping to implement as the needs arise.
- Bringing back the house phone. I’ve already talked to my husband about this, as well as some of my mom friends whose kids also happen to be friends with mine, because this is going to take a village to get going again. Need a cell phone? Take the family flip phone out for the night and text me if you need anything. Need to talk to a friend? See that thing with the cord over there?
- Old TV shows. Nostalgia for me, less stimulation for them.
- Bringing back the old gadgets. I recently purchased two vintage typewriters (one from the ’30s and one from the ’50s) under odd and silly circumstances (I love antiques), and my 7-year-old was FASCINATED. She latched onto the idea of them, going so far as to ask for one for her birthday. She loves to write (related to her mama, that one), and there is something that feeds our immediate satisfaction quotient when using one. Instant results and the “click click click” send me into a trance every time.
- So much outside time. I realize my privilege when I say I’m raising my family in rural Wyoming, with a year-round creek literally flowing in our backyard, with space, two gardens, endless flowers, a majestic guest cabin, two dogs, a cat, five fish, and a duck all joining the party. We have the setup to never really leave if we don’t feel like it (very convenient during the pandemic years), and quite frankly, our home is our haven. Shoes are optional 90 percent of the time, dams are being built, trampolines are being jumped on, and I’m hosing kids off from a muddy afternoon.
We’ve left too much of the past behind. We’ve taken the lessons, moved ahead, and left the rest. Even the good. I don’t think one needs to go full-blown trad wife to implement traditions of the past into the homes and motherhood of today. Sewing, sourdough making, Sunday supper with family and friends, card games and cocktail nights, church on Sunday morning. The rhythm, nostalgia, and familiarity are like a comforting hum in the background of what modern life has become. Decades prior, families were rooted and anchored in predictability and routine. Due to necessity (have you seen the price of groceries?) and habit, we’re losing the magic of the past.
Finding a way back to the good is something we owe our families and the children whose childhoods we’re lucky enough to be responsible for.
We owe them as much.
by Carolyn Moore 
