Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

babies on phone-- doing my head in

50 replies

vanfurgston · 07/10/2011 11:16

its so exasperating. everytime i call a friend or family member after 2 seconds they say oh hey vanfurg baby x has been missing his/her aunty talk to them
and before i have a chance to reply

bABY X: BABABABbbbbbbb
me: hey baby how are you
baby x: babab tala a atatatat kak AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
me: i love u too sweety where is mommy?
baby x: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA kKKHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAA

me holding phone away from ear as my eardrums are about to burst and as predicted mommy never comes back to the phone

oh yeah so the qstn WIBU to ask my mom friends to plz not hand over the phone to their babies without giving me the chance to speak to them

OP posts:
minipie · 07/10/2011 11:19

No of course you WNBU.

If you hang up after 30 seconds of baby babble they might get the message Wink but talking to them is probably more tactful

CauldronsTrulyReign · 07/10/2011 11:21

Did you see the Friends episode with Monica putting the phone to the twins so Ross could hear the cute noises?

Original poster
vanfurgston · 07/10/2011 11:27

minipie i have hung up previously but the message isnt getting thru i am afraid.
i think wat makes it worse is that almost all of them have the pfb syndrome so are rather thick skinned

OP posts:
Original poster
vanfurgston · 07/10/2011 11:30

is that in the last episode cauldrons? i am vaguely reminded now

OP posts:
Marymaryalittlecontrary · 07/10/2011 11:35

Ooh, my husband would definitely agree with you! It used to really annoy him when his sister rang him or he rang her and just as he was saying something she would say, "your nephew wants to speak to you" and give the phone to her toddler who then wouldn't speak, and he would have to chatter on to him for a few minutes before his sister took the phone back. Once he did say to nephew "I'm putting the phone down now, bye" and hung up and when his sister rang back asking why he said it was because he'd wanted to speak to her and she'd given the phone to her son, who couldn't hold a conversation anyway. But then my husband can be a grumpy so and so sometimes!

FeelMyWraith · 07/10/2011 11:37

Ross spits the words "that's precious" down the phone at Monica. V funny.

My brother puts his 18 month old on the phone so I can hear her sing Upsy Daisy. Sounds a lot like a cat trying to get out of a submerged bag to me but I am very good at Not Saying A Word.

Oggy · 07/10/2011 11:50

I get frustrated and impatient about it but I grin and bear it because I although I don't do that, I'm sure there are other child-related stuff I do that others find annoying and I don't realise.

LittleMissFlustered · 07/10/2011 11:52

My kids have 'spoken' on the phone to their dad as little toddlers, but we are not together, and he would phone every night to specifically tell them he loved them and have them babble at him. It has a place in life, but for the most part I agree that it's chuffing annoying.

TheVermiciousKnid · 07/10/2011 11:56

Maybe, depending on the age of the child, this could be seen as an educational opportunity - like teaching the little darling some new swear words?

PattySimcox · 07/10/2011 11:56

Oh God I used to subject my lovely parents to a chat with PFB Blush

It was only when a friend did it to me and I thought "WTF?" that I realised how horribly, erm well PFBish it was Grin

valiumredhead · 07/10/2011 11:58

It drives me batshit YANBU.

Kveta · 07/10/2011 12:02

god, my grandmother asks to speak to DS on the phone. he's 2, she's nearly 990. the conversations are fabulous.
'hello there my precious ickle wickly boy'
'gwandma oh no'
'aww, you are the cleverest ickle bubba in the whole world, aren't you!'
'...'
DS hands phone back to me.

he is allowed to speak on the phone to my mum occasionally, and to his dad occasionally when DH is working late, but otherwise, phone calls are not for toddlers.

Especially not work calls which are deliberately held when I've finished for the day, which DS tries to join in with, grr.

Original poster
vanfurgston · 07/10/2011 12:07

'gwandma oh no' :o

OP posts:
Bugsy2 · 07/10/2011 12:14

I'm probably crossing a line here, but it annoys me in the same way as those people who get their 3 year olds to record their answer machine message!

OutrageousFlavourLikeFreesias · 07/10/2011 12:20

When I call my mother she puts the cat on the phone.

LittleMissFlustered · 07/10/2011 12:20

Bugsy tell me you jest? Please!

LittleMissFlustered · 07/10/2011 12:21

Meaning surely nobody with an ounce and a quarter of brain matter would let a child record a voicemail message?!

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 07/10/2011 12:22

YY to all of it.... babies on the phone. Also when you're busy and trying to dash out the door and you can't get your nieces and nephews off the phone...

tigermoll · 07/10/2011 12:25

OMFG - I can't bear that.

I work in a call centre and the number of people who've recorded some breathy toddler huffing and dribbling into the phone "mummy and daddy and emma can't come to the - the - (offstage: 'phone') - right now so please leaveaumessidge'.

It's NOT cute. It's gross.

Ditto peole who allow their children to answer the phone. Do you let them answer the door as well?? There might be anyone on the other end. Whenever the phone is answered by a child who is clearly under ten, I am always tempted to say something llike 'I'm going to gut you while you're sleeping' in a low, rasping voice.

So far, I havent.

BertieBotts · 07/10/2011 12:29

Haha I do this. Mainly because DS is clamouring at me if I don't let him have a turn. He can actually talk though. I don't let him have a go for ages, and he always gives it back to me. And only to certain people as well. Especially telemarketers

Maybe the ones who put their baby on and then disappear don't actually want to talk to you? That seems really odd Confused

BertieBotts · 07/10/2011 12:30

Oops xposted with tigermoll Blush To be fair we usually just unplug the phone to avoid sales calls.

Bugsy2 · 07/10/2011 12:32

LittleMiss - if only I were joking!!!!! I have friends who've done this & it makes me want to punch them. I'm not entirely sure why it annoys me so much, but it really does.

marge2 · 07/10/2011 12:32

Yes it's annoying - almost as annoying as when my Brother or SIL call ME to ask/tell me something and it goes like this.

'Hi Marge how are you? oh just a minute. ......yes DS? Yes that's nice...excuse me a minute Marge, DS wants something...............DS stop that....... It's in the cupboard..........OK what would you like Juice or water?........Sorry Marge..........OK I'll get it for you ( puts phone down) clomp clomp clomp.... ..... clomp clomp clomp....... Here you go is that OK? ..... Yes I know Darling........ then perhaps one sentence to me.. then repeat constantly during the whole conversation.'

Their DS is 8 by the way. Would have thought he should have been taught about being quiet while Mum or Dad are on the phone by now.

SnapesMistress · 07/10/2011 12:33

I have put the cat on the phone in the past. Blush

Bugsy2 · 07/10/2011 12:35

PMSL SnapesMistress - what did your cat say?