Technology, as it is commonly said, is a great thing. It has made life better in so many ways and for that we shall be forever grateful but on the other hand, it also continues to be a threat; destroy the one thing that is more important than anything; human relationships.

Like most children, Kwezi really enjoys her gadgets. She stares intently when I am doing something and will repeat it after a few tries. I am fascinated that for a girl who is not yet three, she can switch on the laptop, find the folder that contains her cartoons and even right click to choose which programme she would like to watch. When I am using my computer, she is on my phone which she uses to promptly go to YouTube to watch cartoons. I should be proud but actually, I am worried. First, for her eyesight and second, for the addiction that is likely to crop up from this. I am doing my best to minimise it before it’s too late, which reminds me of a story that I thought I would share.

So, the other night, Kwezi and I entered bed, switched off the light and I grabbed my phone and started browsing. Kwezi, just like an adorable puppy, came close and rested her head on my chest. We were both comfortable or so I thought but before long, she was tossing and turning. She was restless. She needed mummy’s attention I guess. She kissed my cheek, I said thank you and carried on. She caressed my cheek and I absentmindedly ‘awwwwed’ but I carried on with whatever I was doing on the Internet. Then she suddenly sat up and firmly said, "Mummy, enough!”

I was startled. I still can’t tell if it’s because of how matter-of-fact her tone was or if it’s because I was hearing her use the word enough for the very first time. That said, I hurriedly put my phone under the pillow and I apologised. I wrapped her in my arms and started singing for her until she slept. Long after she had slept, I started wondering if I spend too much time on the phone. I can’t really tell because it’s faulty so half the time it’s dead. I wondered if I am the reason she is drawn to gadgets because I always try to watch my movies and cartoons with her. I thought about how it is easy to entertain her because she likes playing with me but I am sometimes just too tired and can’t play for long. I spend so much time with my baby but I probably need to go back to the drawing board and do exactly what I used to do before. It’s a mummy thing to always question whether you are doing something right but I always use my experiences to learn. I guess it’s time to put away the phone and pay attention more before enough becomes enough.