I think texting is the way kids communicate today....I talk and answer my kids all day on facebook when they are in the same house! LOL I am a good mom but this is how they do it now...they do not walk 2 houses down to see a friend, they text them...My daughter is in Vegas now visiting my mom and my mom asked me why she and I text and message so much...my daughter does not want to miss out on what is going on at home. she wants to have a good time but when she misses us she will text me something like "Can you make fried chicken when I come home"? then I answer her "of course"! It helps her have something to look forward to and enjoy her time away too.... I think it is healthy and okay....provided the mother is not getting involved in what is happening at your house... so if the child gets in trouble with you and texts her mom and her mom calls the dad and a huge uproar comes because you asked the sd to take out the trash.... we had this problem and had to stop it right away....then it is a bad thing... i hope I answered the question LOL!

OHHHHH okay, I get it....So it is more a matter of stop texting and take care of you children sort of thing.... yeah, not many I would think... I really only text the kids and hubby....

Hmmm... well, I dunno. Are we talking about texting in general to anyone? Because I text A LOT. I mean A LOT, and I have 2 biokids and 1 step. But if we are talking about texting the EX, that is a different story. I texted him MAYBE once a week, and only if I have a question, or HAVE to tell him something regarding the kids. And when I say HAVE to, I mean HAVE to like they are sick, or there is a change in the pick up or drop off routine. Which is RARE.

I don't know I hate texting and do it as little as possible - I would say 200 a month is a lot!! Am I close?!?!?!

I text my kids A LOT as they are teens and hardly home. It is a way for me to know where they are and what is going on. Now I normally only text them a lot! But I do text my dh a LOT during the day he has a job that he can text but that is really all he can do. I do text my sister and my mom moderately. But I don't really text friends. But I think I will guess I text about 1000 a month. Mainly b/c I text my dh and kids a lot!

I don't know. I bet a lot of people would look at my phone log and say I'm a crappy mom. But I have learned to let the phone ring, force most people to leave messages, and then respond to what I find the pertinent parts via text.

But I know what you mean about excessive texting. SS13 texts non stop. I have to tell him sometimes to put that phone up and get his work done or I'm taking it!

On the same note, how many hours of Angry Birds does it take to make a bad parent? Because DH is really getting onto my nerves with that crap. Also, it irritates me when people linger in the bathroom because they're on the web with their smartphone. Get outta there for Christ Sake already!

I personally despise texting. I get pissed trying to push the tiny buttons. I prefer to just make a phone call & say what I need to say.

That said, I understand that there are people who prefer texting over talking. I don't think it's fair or accurate to place a "BAD PARENT" label on someone based on the number of texts they send/receive.

I don't know-all I know is that I just really despise todays way of 'life'-people (adults, kids and teens) are becoming completely socially stunted..and it will get worse. It honestly truly disgusts me, I won't lie.

As to OP question-I guess it depends on how much time is spent texting vs parenting.

I do text, to my bf or friends on ocassions-used to use it more until I realized how absolutely wrong it is to approach time TALKING to our loved ones as obtrusive, bothersome, inconvenient-when technology became better then relationships... And YES I worked for YEARS at a call center.

It's this society now-I don't like it, never will, don't have to accept it and be a part of it. I can chose good ole' inconvenient bothersome REAL conversations over todays socially stunted techonology advances. FB and text your kids in the same house? I thought I heard it all lol- Between the new "permissive parenting" as Auteur says....and this "techonology advances" lack of social skills we are modeling for our kids...I am not looking forward to see the 'fruit' of the new generation anymore.

The other odd thing is people say "at least I know where/what they are doing at all times"....since when did the rest of the world care or even OUR parents what/where we are at 24/7 as we were getting older...(aka FB updates-twitter)....do parents really model/foster independence by knowing/following what there kids are doing 24/7.

I remember the days of my childhood (and I"m NOT old)- there were real conversations, dinners together, we didn't have cell phones....if as a teen/tween we were out of site for a couple hrs and parents knew where we were-that was ENOUGH for them and we didn't share w/them our every move, shit and sandwich preference..it's this just strange lack of boundaries...excessive technology, sharing, emeshment with our children, helicopter parenting, overscheduling our kids... and lack of real connecting time, being a kid time....it's just all so strange and unhealthy and sad to watch honestly.

I guarantee that my SD21 has her beat as far texting goes. All she does is sit her ass on the couch and text while her 2 yr old runs around our house tearing up everything.

I'm not sure. But I do know that our BM is on the phone A LOT. SD tells us her Mommy is always on her phone. She never pays attention to her kid. It's her phone, or the computer. She is too preoccupied with her social life to properly attend to her child.