Mom faces harsh reality check after 6-year-old daughter asks her if she loves her phone more than she loves her: 'When I talk, you don't look at me. But you always look at your phone'

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jul 14, 2025 7:00 PM EDT

Did you know that the average screen time for an adult in America is around 7 hours a day? It means that out of the approximately 18 hours we are awake during the day, we spend almost half of them in front of a screen.

Understandably, people use screens to wind down after a long day, as they are a great source of entertainment and comfort (hey, you are reading this one on a screen right now, right? We wouldn't be here otherwise). But it is also recommended to do so in moderation. If we don't, it becomes harder and harder to disconnect ourselves from our phones in favor of being present out in the real world. And while it might not matter to us that much, it could seriously affect the people we care about the most.

So next time you are going on a date night with your partner, consider leaving your phones in the car. And when you are playing with your kids, try to keep that space screens-free. Otherwise, you might end up having a conversation similar to the one in the story below.

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    Cheezburger Image 10527540480
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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • When your daughter notices that you provide more attention to your phone than to her, it might be a sign that your screen time has gone overboard. What you do next, will be remembered for the rest of her life, so consider your next steps very carefully…

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    My daughter (6) asked me if I loved her more than my phone and I’ve never felt so ashamed

    1 (27F) was scrolling TikTok the other night while my daughter was coloring beside me. I wasn't really watching, just zoning out
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    after a long shift. She suddenly said, "Mommy, do you love your phone more than me?"
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    I laughed at first, thinking she was joking. She wasn't. She said, "Because when I talk, you don't look at me. But you always look at your phone."
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    That shattered me. She wasn't mad. She wasn't whining. Just... stating a fact. I asked her to repeat herself and she shrugged and said,
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    "It's okay. I know you're tired. I just miss you sometimes." I couldn't even say anything. I put my phone away and we
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    played a game, but I still cried in the bathroom after she went to sleep. I don't know who I'm turning into, but I don't like her. I
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    don't want to be the kind of mom who's present but never really there.
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    Cheezburger Image 10527540736
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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    TheFinalPhilter Sometimes we do not realize how much time we spend doing something until someone points it out. I know that is how it has been
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    for me in the past. The important part is for you to realize which it sounds like you already have done and commit to spending more time with her without your phone.
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    nokturnalxitch At least she communicated it and you've noticed it. The world is filled with parents that pay more attention to their phones
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    than their kids. Feeling that ignored by the people who is supposed to love you the most since childhood must be devastating :(
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    RichCaterpillar991 I think little kids get sick of phones and having one in their face all the time. I've heard little kids say "please no more pictures" to their parents
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    mama146 Our grandson was visiting and asked me where my phone was? I told him i dont need a phone because i want to spend time with him. He said he wished more adults thought that way.
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    Repulsive_Skin_6976 When my 8 year old asks me to play, and I'm sitting on my phone, and I don't feel like playing or doing anything; that's when I make myself play with her. My answer is always yes.
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    Even if it's just barbies for 20 minutes. There's absolutely nothing I'm going to achieve on my phone in the next 20 minutes that is more groundbreaking or of better use
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    of my time than playing something with her. It's a good way to challenge yourself. And I've never finished, then regretted the way I just spent that 20 minutes.
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    anusfikus You have very little time to turn this around. Your daughter is already old, in a sense, and most of the truly formative years she will have are already gone. She
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    was honest with you and made it clear what she needs, even if she didn't say it outright. Act on it now. This is your one chance. Best of luck and take care.
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    Piknfuzzoffdoorknob I am so proud of your daughter. And proud of you for realizing and wanting to change to being a present individual in her life.
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family drama baby kids mother phone reddit story screen time parenting love family daughter Reddit mom women parents children Father
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