3 Reasons Moms Are Addicted to the Internet

Seeking information, community, and escape, new moms are spending more and more time on the web. How much is too much?

By Rachel Mosteller, Babytalk
 
 
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Clues that something's going on in your child's online world and how to get involved - Parenting.com
Going off-line

Think you might be hooked? Try keeping a journal of how often you go online for a week. Then assess what you're missing out on when you do it -- sleep, family time, work?

Also note in your journal what was going on each time you decided to sit down at the computer. Was it right after a fight with your husband? Were you bored? By figuring out the triggers that send you seeking refuge online, Moore says, you can come up with alternative activities that help you deal. If you're stressed, for example, you might take your baby out for a walk.

Moore also suggests making small weekly goals that get you involved with the real world: Join a playgroup or grab coffee with a friend. And if you can't control your habit on your own, talk to a therapist who deals with addiction.

As for me? I quit blogging after six years and am working hard to meet new people. Jessica Rigby is doing the same. "Getting off-line has helped stop the flood of mama guilt I had all the time. I still have guilt over different stuff, but at least now I don't have to lie in bed and think about all of the times my kids wanted something and I shooed them away because I was absorbed in my Google Reader."

Rachel Mosteller is a freelance writer in Houston.


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