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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think it’s annoying to put your kids on the phone?

30 replies

Wildhorsesdraggedme · 22/06/2025 21:05

I don’t know why people don’t understand that I’m calling to speak to them and not to suddenly have the conversation interrupted to listen to heavy breathing and unintelligible ramblings it’s impossible to respond to.
There are only so many times I can ask how is school/your friends/ your hamsters and grit my teeth through the responses of “don’t know” “poo poo wee wee bum” without wanting to tear my hair clean out.

If you let your kids answer your phone then teach them to ask who is calling and to actually hand the phone over. My friend is a teacher and had to ring a parent with an emergency on Friday, the parents younger child answered the phone and wouldn’t pass the phone over, when she finally got to speak to the children’s mother she had to cut her off gushing about how cute and sociable her youngest is and how she loves chatting to grown ups on the phone.

It’s not cute to let your child phone to book a taxi or a restaurant table or in any professional capacity, don’t act so surprised when they don’t take it seriously or think it’s a prank and hang up!

Putting the phone on speaker during our conversation without telling me is not cool in front of your kids.
I don’t appreciate talking about sensitive subjects then hearing your child asking what a blow job is and if they can have one for Christmas please mummy?
You also can’t reprimand me for swearing in front of your kids when they shouldn’t have been listening to any of the conversation to begin with.

It’s wrong to not only let your kids eavesdrop on private conversations but also for not making sure they don’t repeat the conversation - this isn’t just applicable to phone calls.
When I take the time to come to visit you I don’t want to worry that little Jenny will be regaling the next visitors the details of my personal life in the same way she tells me that “mummy’s friend Betsty can’t go to the Tesco anymore because she had a special cuddle with the man from wines and spirits and doesn’t want to see him or be his friend anymore!”

I understand your kids are important to you but respecting your friends privacy should be as well. You might think your children are wise and insightful but they really aren’t and it’s just lazy not teaching them that they can’t be always be the centre of attention and guests have come to see their parents not them. Teach your kids how to go off and entertain themselves rather than forcing unsuspecting victims to a 40 minute rendition of frozen songs and dire choreography.

Am I overreacting or is this annoying?

OP posts:
Jigaliga · 22/06/2025 21:19

Also: busy supermarkets and train stations? Yeah, this isnt the place to try and cutely teach your kid how to be an adult. Actual adults are in a hurry!

Katemax82 · 22/06/2025 21:17

My husbands friend married a woman with a 5 year old son who was really spoilt. We used to exchange gifts on birthdays and when it was his birthday and we sent a gift i was talking to her on the phone and she put her son on to thank me for the gift, only he didn't. I had to awkwardly talk to him as he clearly didn't want to talk on the phone to his stepdads friends wife. Very annoying

Runningoutofpatiencefucksandmoney · 22/06/2025 21:14

THIS . ALL of it 🙌🙌

Changingplace · 22/06/2025 21:08

Agreed, I’ll add that it’s also very annoying if I’m talking to someone on the phone and they start having an unnecessary conversation watt their small child at the same time, I don’t want to sit here listening to that, you’ve got all day to chat to your child

Tulipssndturkeys · 22/06/2025 21:08

You have some seriously weird friends!!!

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