Waze Creating Problems! ⚠️
Mar 11, 2025
I was driving the other day, Waze guiding me along, when a little pop-up appeared:
“In 0.2 miles, there is hazard on the road. Is it still there?”
Only two choices: “Still there” or “Not there.”
The maybe hazard was 0.2 miles away. I had no idea if it was still there. But Waze was blocking my map until I answered. So, I tapped “Still there.”
From the passenger seat, my Little Daughter’s voice piped up instantly.
“Mommy… how do you know it’s still there? We didn’t even pass it yet.”
I knew that was coming!!! I just knew it. I totally felt it. She had asked a different waze related question earlier, but I was hoping to get away with this. 🙃
And suddenly, I found myself fumfering.
“Well… you know… I mean, it’s probably still there, and, um, someone else must have seen it, and it was blocking my view….”
But there was no getting out of it. She was right. I had just confidently, unnecessarily lied to Waze.
And Little Daughter caught me.
Here’s the thing: Was that a real lie? I’m not sure! It wasn’t malicious or destructive or even slightly meaningful. It was just a mindless tap. No?
But to my daughter? It was a lie.
Because kids? They see things simply. And sometimes, their simplest truths hold up a mirror to our biggest hypocrisies.
How often do we teach our kids one thing and then, in tiny, everyday ways, model something completely different?
• “We don’t take what isn’t ours.” But I grabbed an extra grocery bag.
• “If you make a commitment, you follow through.” But I just cancelled plans with a vague “Something came up.”
• “Integrity matters.” But I just told Waze something I had zero way of knowing.
I could have doubled down: “Oh, it’s fine, it’s just Waze, it doesn’t matter.”
I could have gotten defensive: “You’ll understand when you’re older.”
I could have gone philosophical: “Life is full of gray areas.”
But in that moment, I had nothing. Just the stark truth of a small, silly inconsistency by a kid who sees things exactly as they are.
And maybe that’s a good thing.
Because it forces us to stop. To check ourselves. To recognize the gaps between what we teach and what we actually do.
… a great reminder that Our kids are always watching.
Let’s vote for a third “I don’t know” option on waze! 🤔
What do you do when Waze asks you?
🩷, Shifi
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