Where are all the parents?

Hey, parents (and caregivers), you absolutely hate it when you take your kid to the playground, because instead of watching them you’re on your phone. That’s what research from the UW suggests, at least.

The Seattle Times reports:

Researchers spent days watching hundreds of parents and caretakers interact with children &#8212 and their cellphones &#8212 at North Seattle playgrounds last spring and summer.

About half the parents, nannies and other babysitters surveyed by UW researchers said they should restrict cellphone use at playgrounds, but felt guilty about not being able to do so themselves.

Why can’t they? It turns out watching the kid play in jungle gym can be boring.

Concerns on this topic are very prevalent, and a lot of people report feeling guilty about their own behaviors, lead author Alexis Hiniker said in a press release about the study, according to the Times. But there’s also a group who resents the idea that they should have to put their phones away when their child is safe and happily engaged in something else.

Are we falling too far from times when you were more engaged as parents with your kids? When I was a kid, my parents were pretty engaged; smart phones weren’t a thing. I do wonder if this disconnect with kids is responsible for a lot of the news we’re seeing, particularly this week.

In Marysville, police suspect a 9 year old boy of breaking into Pilchuck High School. He was with two 18 year olds and a 15 year old. The break-in allegedly happened at 2 a.m.

According to the Everett Herald:

The suspects are accused of breaking into the student store to steal candy, chips, drinks, Marysville Pilchuck clothing and school supplies. One of the suspects reportedly had a digital camera belonging to school in his pocket. The food and goods were worth nearly $400.

Where are their parents?

Early Wednesday morning, a little after midnight, a bunch of teens allegedly assaulted a man and woman at Cal Anderson park in Seattle, with one apparently pointing a gun at the couple. These kids approached the couple to sell them drugs, but after they refused to buy, the teens punched and kicked them, stole the victim’s cellphone, and ran…

Their ages: 13, 14, 16, and 17.

Where are their parents?

In Tacoma, a third person was arrested in the drive-by shooting of 19-year-old Brandon Morris, who was mistaken for a gang member. The third person’s age: 15.

Where were his parents?

I’m willing to bet that almost all these kids involved in these incidents either come from broken homes or from parents who just don’t give a damn. Sure, kids make mistakes and no parent should be defined by those few mistakes, but these aren’t harmless mistakes.

I know I would never do anything like that because my parents taught me to respect rules, respect authority, and respect the fact that they won’t stand for any behavior like that. It’s true that a parent can only do so much, and yes you can have great parents and still have screwed up kids, but we’re seeing way too many parents choosing to be distant (whether physically or mentally) to excuse away some of this kind of behavior as aberrations. What do you think? What are some of the issues facing parents today that might lead to this kind of behavior? What issues might need to be addressed beyond parental involvement?