How to get teen DC’s attention when they’re upstairs & have headphones on?

[RedwallMattimeo]

I’m currently getting annoyed with the DC who are increasingly wearing their headphones when they’re in their rooms and so can’t hear me calling them or even hear me knocking on their doors. I sometimes message them on their phones but that doesn’t always work. I can’t be the first person to have this issue so I am hoping there is a simple solution I am missing. We don’t have and don’t want to get an Alexa or similar.

I have a wooden walking stick I prod the ceiling with. Tap tap. His bedroom is above the kitchen, works a treat every time, I no longer get frustrated trekking through the house or shouting.

Turn off the WiFi?

Use smart lightbulbs with an Alexa, and get her to change to the colour to red (or whatever you fancy)! sorry just read that you don't want an Alexa. You can do it through Google Home if you're on Android too, or I expect there's an iPhone equivalent.

OP literally just said "We don’t have and don’t want to get an Alexa or similar." 😂

Suppose it depends what you want to get their attention for, their tea…. I’d shout and then leave it in the side for them. How long it sits there is on them. Want a job doing I’d knock then walk in their rooms

A smart bulb would work, have a normal light then flash it or change colour to green for dinner or blue for let's go. Or which ever colour combinations suit.
Even a light plugged into an Alexa plug works too.
Turning off the WiFi works too if they are streaming music, bit of a pain though.

Sorry, all these might require an Alexa or similar, you don't actually need to use the Alexa or have it listening if you are paranoid.

I just WhatsApp them. Usually instant response. Especially if food is mentioned.

I just phone them!

You can control all smart devices like light bulbs or plug sockets through an app on your phone. OP seems to want a technological solution, without using tech though

A fucking massive gong

We have a family chat on WhatsApp. I post pics of the dinner on their when it’s ready, and whoever sees it first knows they need to knock everyone else up on their way down or I’ll send them back upstairs before letting them eat.

I used to bang a wooden spoon on the kitchen ceiling, which was below DS’s room!

We have an old hand held school bell - I just ring that a few times - seems to be of the right pitch/tone to cut through whatever crap they have going on in their headphones!

I make announcements on the karaoke machine as she;s 2 floors up... but if she has her air pods in i just text her.

One DD is instantly responsive on the family WhatsApp chat for any purpose at any time of day (which is brilliant when we want a response but she has zero patience if we don't also respond IMMEDIATELY 🤣) 👆🏻 this one also spends a lot more time communally with us anyway though so might be watching TV with us of an evening

Other DD total opposite, never reads the WhatsApp, often misses something that's going on and then complains she hasn't been told 🙄 spends most of her evening in an outbuilding in the garden which has gym equipment & her drums in

If I really need her I phone her and she usually answers because the call will have interrupted whatever else she's doing on her phone!

If you have the family link app you can make their phone sound a horrible loud alarm noise. I’ve found that often gets their attention if they are ignoring my texts!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332922189533?_skw=aerosol+klaxon&itmmeta=01K7SPWA9DR46D0PZR2REZN9FQ&hash=item4d83b576dd:g:d5cAAOSwgGJdrrNj&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA0FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1d9gHLihMTnNikjYDe6iq5alHmanFw9HAmxd0EC8BFZBFonvYwWIa9bt%2FDEWvZvOc5j7zHBUGzRC2OkmIrZ0L5flT5cwNZ5wauxv3eUKfj7K6wRlaedl8Vyyttyed6aQBCFV9CUP6bQeJN%2F9%2BqVisirt9XCJuuw85s%2BYGGcykBzsfw5VF4qDOpTOtSS6UAM7cqnzLUtg3aYq2AP82H%2FRrpyCcYv3235QsnCkb8T3bd%2F6uDeJJXTwDh8BDSwfclMcv4%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-ak8ba-Zg

One of these blown repeatedly outside the bedroom door should do it. Make sure you have your own ear protection on.

We all have each other on find my iPhone - so I just press the ‘play sound’ and it sets off an alarm. It works in reverse too if I have my AirPods in!

I messaged him and quite quickly let go of waiting or sitting at the table together. This was of course a bad thing but it also reduced stress considerably.

Unplug the router

I communicate once, by voice (yelling up the stairs). If they miss their dinner/lift/etc that’s their look out, they have chosen to cut themselves off.

I like your low-tech solution @TeapotTallulah , but how low are your ceilings? Or how long was your spoon hsndle! Or how tall are you?

Remove the router. Or turn off the upstairs ringmain?

Find my iPhone and keep pinging it!