ReadWriteWeb

As a parent (now there's a phrase you don't see here that often), I'm dazzled by the range of entertainment options my kids and I have. From the educational (I swear!) shows we have loaded up on PVR, to the educational (really!) kids' apps on my iPhone to the not-even-a-little-educational clips we watch on YouTube, we could easily while away every hour in a digital haze.

But there's this whole other world out there of face-to-face interaction, fresh air, exercise and - loath though our children's parents are to admit it - sleep. And when the time comes to power down the Wii and say goodbye to MySims Agents for another day, tantrums sometimes ensue... and the almighty power of parental discipline has to come into play.

Funny how digital technologies that can connect us over huge distances can also distract us from the people closest to us. I'm as guilty of that as anyone... and probably a lot more than most.

Case in point: I lost count of the number of times I rebuffed my daughter while drawing this cartoon.