Tot Topic: Stop Phone Call Interruptions

How to Stop Phone Call Interruptions

Everyone who has/had kids knows this problem:  Your kids are playing nicely by themselves and your phone rings.  This is an important call!  Suddenly, your cute little ankle biter is at your side and has an even MORE important, urgent need that must take all of your attention RIGHT. NOW!  That is, until you hang up the phone and suddenly they forget what they need.

First, let's acknowledge one all-important fact:  EVERYbody has interrupted.  Yes, everybody.  At some time or another, warranted or not, we were the jerks interrupting that phone call.  Once I recognized and accepted that I, too, am guilty of this, I found it was easier to not get angry (or at least as frustrated) when my little guys do it.  That said, I have some tried-and-true ways to curtail the madness and some reasons why you shouldn't try to end it completely!

Curtailing the Madness Suggestions

1 - If it is an unexpected phone call (or even when talking to an adult in person), we prefer getting the hand.  This was great at first!  Little Man would come up and 'interrupt' me by putting his hand on my leg and saying, 'Mommy?'  I would then acknowledge him by putting my hand on his.  He would then know I would address him as soon as I could.  It was GREAT!  Its the #1 suggestion if you google 'stop my child from interrupting'!  It worked!  ... Until he stopped doing it because there were huge issues that must be helped right now!  And he changed the rules.  NOTE:  We do encourage and enforce this rule, but let's be honest:  It does not always work!  That's okay!  Just continue to encourage the positive behavior.  If you want to try something else:

2 - The TV babysitter.  If your house is like ours, the TV is not on constantly.  When I know I have to make an important call, I turn on a cartoon they love, give them a snack and a drink, and then LEAVE THE ROOM!  I find it they hear me talking, they'll ignore the beloved treats and their crazy comes out in full spades!  So go far and DON'T go into the bathroom.  That is one of those things we do that sets off the 'I'm doing something you want to interrupt' alarm in our kids and they'll come running.  Instead, try to go somewhere you won't be heard and you won't have to open/close a door.  (Another 'interrupt me' alarm trigger!)

Try to remember:  one of the main reasons they are interrupting is because they see someone else has your attention and they want to be part of it.  To have some of your attention, too.  That's sweet in theory.  In reality ...

3 - PAYBACK!  Yes, it is a B and you can be called one for doing this, but it makes the point and if your littles are any like mine, they'll get a kick out of it while learning their lesson.  It is really important to try and remember EXACTLY what they said to you when they were interrupting!  Wait until they have gone back to playing with their toys and then give it back.  Exactly. As. They. Did. To. You.  Bonus points if it was one of the times when they couldn't remember what they wanted when they interrupted and you just get up and walk away!  Warning:  This can quickly backfire if you get a phone call shortly afterwards.  They'll probably remember and go even more craycray on you ... which can be amusing depending on who's on the other line OR give you some great 'pity points' with friends and family!  Many people will cringe and say 'don't do this'!  That's okay.  They don't have to.  I find sometimes making a fool of myself by demonstrating their behavior back to them is enough to stop it and it is a great release of my frustrations without screaming/yelling.  We end up giggling at the end, so it works for us!

4 - Video proof.  This is AWESOME because not only do they actually see themselves acting like fools, you can point out where they made the bad choices, AND you get some great blackmail material for the future!  I made a video of the craziness my oldest son displayed during bath time.  It was a real challenge.  When he watched the video, he complained more, but laughed at it, too.  I was worried the video would encourage the behavior.  Instead, when I shared it with others in front of him, they laughed with him and lightly teased him.   They told him their kids were goofballs when they were young and it was bath time, too.  Little Man was encouraged that he wasn't the only one that hated baths, the other adults reaffirmed it was inappropriate behavior, Little Man is no longer fights baths, and we all had a great giggle.

5 - As your children get older, they are able to reason more and you can have easier conversations with them about it.  Ask them what they need and tell them you'll be unavailable for x-amount-of-time before you are busy.  Then hold them to it.  I look forward to those days.  This will work.  At first.  Until there is a huge issue that must be helped right now!  and the little stink pots change the rules on you again ...

Don't Completely Stop the Behavior!  Stop the Call!

Now let's be COMPLETELY honest here ... we do not want to stop the behavior completely.  We want to control it.  To have them not interrupt when we are on that important call, but when we are on that call we don't want to be on?  Here are some tricks to cue them when you WANT to be interrupted and they won't get in trouble!

1 - A:  Knock knock!
     B:  Who's There?
     A:  Interrupting Child.
     B:  Interrupting Chil- 
     A:  MOM!!!!!

No child can resist a joke.  All I have to do is whisper 'knock knock' to Little Man and all of his most creative jokes and giggles start flowing.  Loudly.  It makes it much easier to cut that call short and your precious child comes off adorable instead of ill-behaved.

2 - Pause their TV show.  Or just turn off the TV.  Shrieks of panic will bring every call to an abrupt end as Super Parent will have to save the day by pushing the button to turn the show back on again.  Of course, after the phone call has ended ...

Final Thoughts

Curbing the behavior with a touch of the hand or pre-planning are clearly the best choices.  When they don't work, don't be afraid to go out of the box to get their attention in a goofy way to make the situation more bearable for everyone involved.

Overall, although tempting, don't lock the little boogers in a closet and give cause for CPS to be called.  Instead, lock yourself in the closet!  It's where we hide the chocolate anyways, right?

Do you have any other tried-and-true tips for Ceasing Calls Interuptus?  If so, I'm all ears!  Let me know in the comments below or send me an email!

Best Wishes,
Wendy

Later this week:
Working for the Weekend Wednesday - An update (first-date) of what I'm currently working on and my picks for local events this weekend!
Throwback Thursday - An embarrassing picture of a younger me
#FriendFriday - Started by my friend, Joe DeRouen, a day when we roast/celebrate a friend.  Check in to see who!
Schedule Saturday - See next week's blog topics and local events.
Spiritual Sunday - On the 7th day, I'll rest and sometimes share my heart/thoughts

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