Why do I get judging looks for being on my phone when I’m in the park with my toddler?

Anna Whitehouse, aka Mother Pukka

I once found myself pushing a swing without a child on it for about three seconds. That’s three seconds too long, really, for the pusher to realise there’s no baggage in transit. I was looking at a video on my phone of a golden retriever pretending to be a police siren, which had landed from a Whatsapp group entitled ‘Sllllaaaaaaaags’ – which added to the guilt as I peeled my daughter off the tarmac. It didn’t feel good, particularly when I clocked the mildly judgemental (and possibly justifiable) stares from other parents. So, using your phone at the swings is off the cards, unless there are straps or a crash mat.

But sometimes the playground is my office, because the reality of working as a freelancer with children is that clients and offspring needs ebb and flow through the day. The times I’ve been on a conference call as one child has hollered, ‘WEE WEE’: it’s like they save it all up for the moment when you really need them to heed the ‘sssshhhh’.

The park is a sanctuary of distraction, fresh air, contained activity, park bench and other parents trying to make ends meet/save their minds while keeping an eye on the brood. That’s the great thing with eyes, there’s two. Until I’ve walked in the shoes of another mother, I shall not judge – unless, of course, she’s pushing an empty swing.

Anna runs the Flex Appeal campaign for flexible working