A New Way to See Things {What Happened When I Gave My Son My iPhone}

A few weeks ago, I took my son to the park. As he was playing, I spotted a cool piece of local art painted on a park bench. So, I did what most people these days do — I whipped out my phone and snapped a photo. I figured I would post it to my Instagram later. (Always doing it for the ‘gram!)

My son, who obviously noticed what I just did, skipped next to me and asked if he could play with my phone. At first, I said, “Uh, no. We are at the PARK. Run! Play! Climb on something!” We did not drive to the park just for him to play that game on my phone. As I started to shove my phone back in my purse, he made the remark,

“But I want to take pictures, too.”

I decided to humor him and handed over my phone. Ground rule: No taking photos of people. I didn’t want random pictures of strangers, or even worse, someone thinking I put my kid up to snapping their photo.

For the next twenty minutes, I followed him around the park as he snapped nearly fifty pictures. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. We walked around, and he’d pause, point the camera, then continued on his way. I saw a few parents give me the side eye as I trailed my five-year-old holding a phone. Yes, I realize how ridiculous it looked. Later, when I scrolled through the pictures, I was surprised by what I saw.

Picture after picture showed my son’s perspective of the park and the different things he decided to capture. Different pieces of playground equipment, his feet, his shadow, a picnic table up close, a few shots of me standing near him. It was so sweet and cute. I really felt like I got a glimpse of what he sees. I’ve handed my phone over a few other times since then for him to capture his own moments. I have not been disappointed.

If you want to see things through your child’s eyes, try this fun little experiment.

You won’t be disappointed. Be warned, though — you’ll find yourself more willing to hand over your phone.

Jaime Mackey
Originally from Florida, Jaime has lived in Southern Louisiana for most of her life (so, that makes her a local, right?). She currently resides on the Northshore with her husband and son and teaches high school English. An enneagram 5, you'll most likely find her doing hot yoga solo, on her phone researching a random topic or sitting in the comfort of her home with coffee and a book within an arm's reach.

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