To not want a child to answer the phone?

[JewelFairies]

If I phone someone I do not wish to negotiate with a toddler or small child. I don't think it's okay to let a child under the age of ...er, 14? to answer the phone. I'd rather speak to an answer phone than a child. AIBU?

Year 6s are generally expected to do it in school at lunch times- you would hope that it wasn't a 'first' for them.

Despite working in jobs where I have had to answer phones,I am positively phobic about it at home. When the phone rings I freeze . And I hate calling people. Would much rather e-mail,so I can say what I want,how I want without getting all tounge-tied.

Which is why I have always let my kids answer the phone from about age 9,thought my youngest seems to have inherited my fear!

What on earth is wrong with having to talk to a child? I agree that most toddlers are probably too young to answer the phone properly, but surely it makes no difference once they are old enough to communicate clearly. Tbh, my 8yo is much better at taking messages and passing them on than my DH!!

I actually agree with you OP.
I have sometimes needed to make a very quick call, only to be greeted by a child's voice, and when I ask for mum or dad, there's a long silence punctuated by erratic breathing that only someone who's ever tried having a conversation on the phone with a young child will understand. In some cases, the parent has no idea their child is on the phone and I can wait quite a long time for an adult to take over the call. It can be frustrating.
However, DD could give Usain Bolt a run for his money when my phone rings, and often answers first. . . cue a wrestle to retrieve the phone from her.
I repeatedly tell her not to answer the phone to no avail. It's clearly too tempting.
OTOH, DS won't answer the phone even if it's in his lap, and I bloody wish he would, instead of me running downstairs at breakneck speed.

So the complaint is not about children answering the phone- and being abducted down the line- it's about people not teaching their children the basic social skill of answering the phone properly. I agree that's a pain.

Who knew that in mumsnet land all the burglars are so polite they knock on the front door

Then don't phone the number. YABU.

Like exotic says, in our junior school the lunchtime telephone was manned by the children. I always found them impeccably polite and meticulous about taking messages. It's basic training.

By the time they are 14 they are supposed to organise their own work experience (our school insists on this). Lots of 15yos around here have Saturday jobs, in real workplaces, often customer orientated jobs. Some children must do a lot of growing up very quickly.

iWork on the idea that when I dial a number, especially a landline, it could be picked up by anyone - child or adult.
Really, what's the big deal??? If you don't want it to be picked up by a child, er-don't call anyone with kids! Simple.

Why should people with kids rush to the phone just in case the person calling doesn't like talking to a child? Bloody bonkers!!

(And no, I don't have a dc old enough to answer the phone for me)!

mrsdinklage I was thinking that too!

My 3yr old always answers the door. Its in the lounge anyway so he always gets there before I can get my fat ass off the sofa.

He doesn't answer the phone though. Would if I showed him which button to press though, no doubt.

YABU, if my 10 year old wants to answer the phone then she can. If the caller doesn't like it then tough, don't call my number. If you have a problem with children answering the phone then ring someone's mobile so that you can hopefully speak to them directly.

Having said that, if I'm in the shower or busy cooking & my mobile rings I will very often ask my 10 year old to answer it for me. I have no problem with that. If the caller doesn't like it then that's their problem.

Agree with Mt Tumble if you call someone you don't get to dictate who answers, unless its a business.

My DS, 8, answers the phone. If its someone he knows, friends/family, its fine. If its cold caller that's fab because I don't want to talk to them anyway

I think there's a distinct difference between a child who can hold a conversation/pass a message and can reasonably reliably understand a, how a phone works and b, what is being asked of them, as opposed to a child who knows what buttons to press to answer the call but then chews the phone, shrieks down it or puts the phone down and wanders off, all the while the caller is waiting for an adult to pick up and speak.
I have phoned people only to have a pre school child gurgle down the phone.
To suggest people shouldn't phone a number if children live in the house is silly imo.
When I phone someone, I am phoning to speak to someone in the house who I can communicate with. The phone isn't a toy. It's a device to be used to contact people and exchange information.
To suggest I should not phone anyone with children is a very odd thing to say imo.
So to conclude, it would depend entirely on the capability of the child to communicate effectively and pass messages on reliably, not something most young children are capable of imo.
Aged 7 up. . . no problem.
Aged 2.7. . . . frustrating.

Mr Tumble, I mean.

Also get your point littlemiss, as DS is 8 I responded according to that but he wasn't allowed to answer the phone until about 5/6 so agree with not letting toddlers answer.

Next time I use my device to contact my friend to exchange information I shall berate her for not getting to the phone quicker than her child! :-S good god - if your biggest worry is who's going to pick up the phone when you call someone them you're doing well! What the hell does it matter?

I agree with the OP, if a kid can't make converstaion - ask who's calling and who you want to talk and either get that person (or pass on a message)they shouldn't be answering the phone.
Hate calling my sisters to get a 'Hi' or worse 'yes' and thats it - no who's calling, who would you like to talk to - so annoying.

My 3 and 5 year olds have a race to answer when the phone rings.

I couldn't really give a stuff what the person calling thinks.

My 4 and 8 year olds regularly answer the phone and are both utterly capable of making polite conversation if whoever's calling wants to chat and/or of saying "Would you like to speak to Mummy?".

And if you get a child who doesn't say anything and just stands there breathing at you, then hang up. Big bloody deal.

I don't have a flatrate, so the time I have to spend explaining to a young child that yes indeed I want to speak to their mummy (sort of obvious if I phone, no? I wouldn't phone to speak to the toddler) and could they pretty please go and get her, is costing me money. And I don't want to explain to a child why I would like to speak to the adult in the house either.

I agree that this is my problem because I hate phones with a passion and no, I would never rush to answer a call.

The reference to 14 being an appropriate age to answer phones was tongue in cheek by the way . I guess a 7 or 8 year old is probably capable enough to take messages and pass them on but it doesn't mean that I like it.

My sister answers her phone, then I HAVE TO speak to her 2 year old grandchild. I don't WANT to speak to a 2 year old. So I've stopped phoning my sister.

I let mine answer the phone and say 'May I ask who's calling and who do you wish to speak to' I love getting them to befuddle cold callers!

Well, I have to say I don't love talking to toddlers on the phone but really.....14???? At 14 I was holding down a part time job and was more than capable of anwering the phone. My 10 yo DS will answer the phone - ok he just says hello and doesn't have a posh phone voice but to say no one under the age of 14 should answer the phone is just plain ridiculous.

Distraction burglary is what I was talking about. We get a lot of cold callers knocking at the door trying to sell us things, I do not want one of them left in our open front doorway while a DC goes all the way through the house to find me while random stranger has time to grab keys, handbag, phone, all of which may be found close to the front door in our house. I will teach them to deal with this as they get older.

Betty The reference to 14 was a joke!

Mine will answer my mobile if it is another room and they get to it first. Even my 5 year old knows how to answer a phone politely.

Once a child can answer it politely I don't see the issue.