How on earth do I stop mil ringing at this time of the morning?

[janejon]

My mil keeps rings us at 6 am whenever she wants to talk to my dh (sometimes earlier!). She does this because she thinks my husband gets up early- he used to, but does not have to get up this early anymore (fortunately). I mean bs to my still being asleep and everything but that's another story...

Anyway, I'm absolutely sick of this- dh won't confront her (again another story, she won't 'remember' apparently ) but I have really, really got to stop this cap. I mean who in their right mind rings at this time anyway? (unless really, really important and not just for a 'chat'?) Please, folks, how can I stop this. Sneaky tricks accepted as long as not illegal!!

People are either running around like anything getting ready for work or, if not, asleep. So why do this anyway?! At end of tether regarding this particular issue. Help.

[diddl]

OP-does your MIL live alone, or another memeber of the family who might need you?

Because if not, I can´t think what these "emergencies" might be that mean you can´t turn off the phone.

That aside, if she doesn´t know that it´s not convenient, that´s not her fault?

So someone needs to tell her-please don´t phone until whatever time or after-& then ignore until that time.

[exoticfruits]

I really don't see the problem. Activate your 1571 answer service and let it ring. If she say something, just sound surprised and say '6am?! Sorry-we were asleep and wouldn't have heard it'.

[DuelingFanjo]

Bomb her house.
Change your number and don't tell her.
Unplug her phone.
Get your DH to sleep at her house?

[fedupofnamechanging]

Get BT to block her number on the grounds that you are getting 'nuisance' calls

[Blondeshavemorefun]

tell your dh to stop being such a pussy and tell his mum not to ring

a) every day
b) so early

or

ignore the phone
turn ringer off
pick up and say we are asleep and hang up

[rockinhippy]

MIL used to do this too - its INFURIATING - as already said, unplug phones in ear shot of bedrooms & emergencies can be dealt with by mobile - it worked for us

[mrsbunnthebaker]

how many emergency calls who didnt know your mobile number have you had in the middle of the night in the last 12 months?

[rockinhippy]

PS - if DH won't tell her - then YOU should - that will likely put a rocket up his bum to deal with it - mind you, we BOTH told my MIL in the end - she STILL carried on - after a short break


she doesn't any more though

[mumblechum1]

letting it ring doesn't answer the problem, though, it wakes up the OP.

We can't even hear the phone from our room, only have one in the house on purpose as I can't be doing with being bothered in the evening/night/early morning.

[breatheslowly]

Sorry to be dense - but what kind of emergency phone calls can you have? I would assume that if there is an emergency then people would call the emergency services and if the emergency services needed to get hold of you then they would drop round. Unless you have people who are truely dependent on you (older children out late perhaps) then everyone else is an adult and can deal with their own emergencies through the usual channels.

[PorkChopSter]

How would be having an emergency that wouldn't have your mobile number?
54th the idea to turn the house phone down or off - making sure DH's mobile is within his reach.

[Playdohinthewashingmachine]

Some suggestions :

1. Answer the phone at 6am yourself. Be very rude to her, preferably with swearing, and slam the phone down. Phone her later at a reasonable hour, apologise profusely for being rude and explain that it was because you are not good at being suddenly woken from sleep. Repeat daily till she gets the message.
   
   
2. Tell your dh you are too tired for sex, and that he needs to stop his mother calling at 6am so you can get some sleep and feel like sex again.
   
   
3. Similar tactic with MIL - you are too tired to talk or visit her, because of the early morning calls. Her grandchildren are obv too tired to see her too.
   
   
4. Attach a note to her phone, telling her what times she can call you.
   
   
5. Put a message on your answerphone saying what times the phone is answered, and giving your mobile number for emergencies. Turn the volume on the answerphone down so you can't hear it. If she phones your mobile, see suggestion 1.

[helibee]

As you have said, you may be feeling defeatist. You do need to try talking to her first though before you dismiss the option out of hand. Then if that doesn't work, look at the other good ideas that people have given you.

Our house phones are in the study upstairs and lounge downstairs. The phone can be heard in the day but at night with the doors closed it wouldn't disturb us. In an emergency people know to ring my mobile.

[Shodan]

Hire a bodyguard for her phone. Instruct him thus: if MIL tries to make a phone call to your number (everyone else can sort out their own issues) before nine a.m he is to wrestle her to the ground, bind and gag her and only release her after the approved hour.

[WhoAteMySnickers]

You've dismissed four pages of possible solutions, without even being willing to try any of them.

Therefore how about you just accept it and stop moaning about it.

[SaggyHairyArse]

Unplug it or turn the ringer off and put mobiles on silent. Your DH needs to man up and tell his Mum to stop being so unthoughtful.

[Shodan]

Or, get the answering machine as suggested by many pps and put this as your outgoing message:

Hello, this is janejon. Please note that if you have called before nine a.m this phone is programmed to alert a crack team of assassins who will track you down and exterminate you. If however you have a genuine emergency you can reach me on my mobile. Thank you for your cooperation.

[oldraver]

Put your phone on a timer so it is switched off at night (assuming its one that needs to be plugged into mains). This stops you forgetting to plug back in

[seeker]

"Oh, MIL, Dh has stopped having to get ups so early now, so 6.00 isn;t a good time to ring any more - we're hoping for some lie ins! Please could you ring in the evening instead? We've usually got the kids to bed by 8.30 [insert time of choice] so that would be a good time to catch him"

Have you tried that? If the poor bloody woman doesn;t know he's not getting up at 6 any more, how is she supposed to realize it's not a good time to ring any more? Presumably she's not psychic!

[janejon]

DuelingFanjo, I know you mean well but really your suggestions are far, far too subtle to work on my mil. Shodan, it's not really fair to impose a 20 stone, 6 ft 3 built-like-the-proverbial, bodyguard on my mil. The poor man will be torn to shreds!

WhoAteMySnickers, I appreciate that I've been defeatist about this issue but am NOW prepared to use some of the suggestions put forward here.

[janejon]

seeker, She does know he's not getting up so early anymore. In any case, he is not the only person in this house, others need their rest, so why did she not think to ring at a time when is more reasonable to the rest of humanity? After all, everybody so far thinks that 6am -and sometimes before that- is too early. In other words, even for her to ring when he got up really, really early was unreasonable to the rest of us.

[StayingDavidTennantsGirl]

Janejon - if your dh can't see why this is a problem, or is unwilling to deal with his mother, then you need to sort him out. Wake him up at 5.45 every morning and make him ring his mother, so that at least the children aren't getting woken up. He will not enjoy this, and hopefully it will make him bite the bullet and sort his mum out.

I also think that you have to phone your MIL and lay down the law to her. Tell her to stop ringing, or you will switch your phone off between 9pm and 9am.

[piprabbit]

janejon - whatever you decide to do, I think that you are going to have to keep us updated with progress because this a a very funny thread and I am very nosy.

[janejon]

Piprabbit, Tell you what, tell me your phone number and I'll pass it on to my mil. Oh yes, you too can have the pleasure of hearing her wonderful and witty 'insights' and comments at some ungodly hour. . Hours of fun. Honest. You can become one of her 'chums' and have her ring YOU at 6am. Takes the pressure off me so I'm all for it