Momma dumped the box out onto the kitchen table. “Have at it,” she said.

My eyes widened at the pile of trash, before turning to my sister, Tricia, who shrugged in response. It was a scorcher out, and this was Momma’s solution in keeping us from tearing up the house. A pile of garbage dumped onto the kitchen table, empty laundry bottles, tin cans, remnants of fabric and ribbons, and stray buttons.

“Go ahead.” Momma nodded. “Make something with it.”

And with her suggestion, a trash pile, and a bottle of glue we dove in. We made farm animals and robots out of Momma’s recyclables—before recycling became a thing. Today, I suppose the practice is called upcycling; only back then it was called “crafting with what you got because nobody got money for Michaels.”

From My Mother:

I credit Momma for fostering our love of music. We knew when the classical music poured out of the stereo it meant ‘get the dust cloths, it’s cleaning time.’ To this day, when I smell lemon polish, I hear Bach. If my daughter, Bella, hears the genre, she’ll say, “Sounds like Nana’s house.” But Momma loved all kinds of music: Gospel, Motown, Classic rock, Folk, or Country. It just depended on the time of day. By suppertime, she’d swing her hips, stirring the pots at the stove. I imagined it helped keep her energy up.

Momma also read many novels in her car while waiting on us to finish piano lessons. She’d gather us around the piano after dinner for some good old fashioned family gospel singing. She’d play the piano while randon played his drums, and we’d all sing off key—except Momma. Unfortunately, today that would be considered corny.

From My Father:

My Daddy was the writer, painter, storyteller, historian, and Bible scholar in the family. He was also a high school drop-out who became an autodidactic. Anything we wanted to know; we’d go to him—the walking encyclopedia. He spun history in a way that made me feel as if he were an eyewitness to the event. Daddy became a Confederate soldier, returning skinny and bearded from war, before he grew long black hair and became an angry Nansemond Indian who punished a thieving settler by stuffing corn down his throat until his intestines burst. Yep, his stories were good, but it took great imagination to transform Daddy into a Native American because his English/Irish skin can cast a bluish tint that’ll blind ya.

As a teenager, I treasured the few times we meandered the sacred halls of the Chrysler Museum. Daddy pointed out light and shadows, depth, and composition, including the history behind the image. I could tell which artists he respected, and which he didn’t. He’d walk on by the splashes of paint or the Campbell soup can as if they weren’t worth his time. He’d said, “If the good Lord gives you talent don’t hide it by producing junk.”

My father also challenged me in writing. He’d give me a subject to write about and after making me rewrite it over and over, he’d smile at the page and nod. “Tammy, you are a writer.” His praise felt like winning the lottery or what I imagine winning the lottery would feel like. I worked hard for his praise.

While my friends played Atari after school, or watched television, we played outside building forts in the woods, riding bikes, or climbing trees. My parents thought video games were a waste of brain and money and didn’t allow us to watch tv on school days. Naively, they thought with these rules we’d do well in school. They’d send us to our bedrooms after the supper dishes were cleaned. Unbeknownst to them, I wrote poetry, short stories, and love songs in my bedroom instead of doing homework, and my brother, Brandon, was painting at his easel.

1. Not learning to deal with their emotions

Go to any grocery store and you’ll see a worn-out mother with shove their phone at their screaming toddler. It works, so why not? This seemingly loving act hinders children from learning how to deal with their own emotions. Constant placating with technology can later cause anxiety-ridden teenagers who experience panic attacks, depression, or worse.

2. Addiction

It’s also been found that children who use technology for entertainment can develop an addiction to it. This addiction is almost like a hard-wired behavior in the brain, leading to other types of addictions later in life.

3. Shortened attention spans

Too much technology also shortens attention spans, as the brain becomes accustomed to the swipe of the finger and a new screen, anytime boredom sets in. This attention span breakdown will be evident in their grades and may lead a parent to medicate the child to become a better performer.

4. Obesity

Technology can affect the health of our children by keeping them from fresh air and exercise, leading to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

5. Social Anxiety

It’s been proven that social media has led to social anxiety in children and teens. Furthermore, there is a risk of not developing social skills when their primary source of communication is through a phone or tablet.