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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think I need childcare to do a telephone interview?

37 replies

Manyproblemsinthishouse · 05/02/2015 15:20

I have been applying for jobs and am on ML. My 5mo DD is very loud and demanding, she does not nap during the day. I recieved an email for a recruitment consultant telling me I had a telephone interview and when could I do this, I said Couls we do it Monday as I need someone to watch DD while I do it.
She responded 'no it's on the phone you don't need childcare, I'll put you down for tomorrow'
I found this very rude and am not sure if Iabu, obviously I want the job but have no one to watch dd tomorrow so will have to chance it and do it then, risking her screaming down the phone. But am IBU in thinking I do need childcare to do it?
I'm just pissed of at her attitude more than anything

OP posts:
seastargirl · 05/02/2015 15:23

No you're not being unreasonable. I got my mum over and she took my son out while I had a phone interview as knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate if he was around.

Good luck with the interview.

Primaryteach87 · 05/02/2015 15:24

I think you were right.

Jackiebrambles · 05/02/2015 15:25

She's an idiot. My DS is almost 2 and would barely let me have a conversation with my mum on the phone without shouting 'hello'! and grabbing the handset/pressing the buttons.

Admittedly your 5 month old isn't going to do that, but if they start to cry what are you supposed to do??

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 05/02/2015 15:25

Maybe she doesnt have kids and doesnt realise. Maybe she is evisaging a ten min call. Maybe she has only ever had placid kids.

Im a bit Shock at a 5mo not napping and will even go so far as to suggest that is why she screams so much

minipie · 05/02/2015 15:26

YANBU. I presume she doesn't have children or had easy ones! I couldn't do any important calls unless DD was sleeping.

But... your 5mo doesn't sleep at all in the day? Are you/is she ok with that? DD was a massive sleep resister and I had to force naps on her with pram walks for a long time, but it did make her so much happier and less overtired in the evenings.

BathtimeFunkster · 05/02/2015 15:28

YANBU

Original poster
Manyproblemsinthishouse · 05/02/2015 15:29

Thanks, glad allot of you don't think iabu
She does sleep sometimes for 10 mins or so at a time. But she then sleeps 6-9 at night. She doesn't scream allot in a crying way just shouts allot, is always shouting and babbling

OP posts:
manchestermummy · 05/02/2015 15:31

YANBU, but I wouldn't have given childcare as the reason, sorry. Sadly, the minute you mention any sort of childcare issue to a potential employer, you plant a seed of doubt.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 05/02/2015 15:35

YANBU. DD is 3 & it's still difficult to hold an important phone conversation with her about!

Original poster
Manyproblemsinthishouse · 05/02/2015 15:35

I did suddenly think that! But it was to the recruitment consultant rather than the new employer

OP posts:
weeblueberry · 05/02/2015 15:35

Absolutely you need childcare. Babies and toddlers are totally unprofessional Wink.

DD(21mo) was shouting and screeching this morning when our IT support guy (who forgot I only work afternoons) was trying to explain to me an issue we were having. Luckily he has kids and I shouldn't have had to deal with work stuff in the morning so he understood but there's absolutely no way you can do an interview with that level of unpredictability. DD was fairly placid at that point but you have no way of knowing when they'll let out a wail. And the second you do that you can bet your ass that the company will strike you right off.

pippop1 · 05/02/2015 15:42

Do you know anyone that could pop over such as a neighbour or a friend, even if they have their own child, to be with DD at the right time?

You could be in a different part of the house/flat with the door shut and your friend stay with DD, then at least you know that she is safe even if she's screaming!

It really won't sound good if the interviewer can hear a baby or if you sound distracted during the interview.

manchestermummy · 05/02/2015 15:42

Even so, and not knowing anything about how these things work, the recruitment consultant could pass on doubts about your commitment, and raise the question of will you have available childcare. Not saying that you are anything other than committed, btw, but in my experience, it's best to demonstrate that that's all in place. I'm sure they're not supposed to ask.

Someone who might actually know what they are talking about might come along soon...

cavkc · 05/02/2015 15:49

I would have thought she would have been impressed at your professionalism

Nolim · 05/02/2015 15:51

Yanbu

ChunkyPickle · 05/02/2015 15:57

YANBU.

And at 5 months there's little you can do to distract either (I've had work calls that went over time, and my 1 year-old was pacified with icecream and haribo)

I did, once, and felt awful, let DS stay crying in the car when I had an important call and he woke up - could you go on a drive to put her to sleep and take the call?

I've been job hunting recently, and I've not been shy about my need for flexible working, or that I have kids. I refuse to apologise for it, and it's very important to my work/life balance. I wouldn't want a job that didn't understand that I have other responsibilities. I'm relatively senior though, and prepared to lose a job over it if need be.

Flomple · 05/02/2015 15:59

Well, yes you pretty much do need childcare, but the interviewers might not be in a mood to hang about.

Does she sleep in the car or buggy at all? My sleep resistant one would sleep in the buggy if facing away from me. Could you take her for a walk or drive until the minute the interview is due to start, have the interview on a park bench if necessary and start walking if she stirs?

NickyEds · 05/02/2015 15:59

YANBU. Even if your baby was asleep or being quiet you wouldn't be at your best sitting there dreading her waking up or having a cry. My ds is 13 months and I can barely ring the bloody dentist for 2 minutes if he's awake!

Disastronaut · 05/02/2015 16:00

YANBU at all. I've been in this situation and you definitely shouldn't try without childcare. Your DC will pick the moment the phone rings to kick off and you won't be able to concentrate. It was bad enough that I could hear mine bawling upstairs. If I'd had to actually look after her while making myself sound competent to an employer it would have been a total car crash!

SurlyCue · 05/02/2015 16:03

My ds2 didnt sleep at all during the day til he was 9 months old (i think a combination of being on solid meals properly and being at the CMers with lots of stimulation and long walks worked) so i get how difficult ut would be to have an interview with her there. Could someone come and sit in another room with her?

MaryWestmacott · 05/02/2015 16:04

call in every possible favour, get someone round, if no obvious family to do it, ask neighbours or maybe your antenatal class group and see if any will sit with DD for the 10 minutes downstairs so you can pop upstairs to do the call, offer cake! I'd do that for you if you were someone I knew.

Hygellig · 05/02/2015 16:23

She sounds like she hasn't spent much time with babies or young children! There's no way I could do a phone interview with my two, as they would be grabbing the phone off me or making a racket. When they were babies they obviously slept quite a lot, but not at predictable times.

museumum · 05/02/2015 16:34

recruitment consultant hasn't got a clue, they obviously think you can just tell a 5mo old to keep quiet for a bit Grin

you need to find some childcare or re-schedule, unfortunately through no fault of your own rescheduling will look a bit unreliable on your part Sad

PlumpingUpPartridge · 05/02/2015 16:35

I once did a telephone interview with a potential new employer with my 3-month old in my lap, as I had no other option. He slept for around 60% of the call, then woke up and started chittering at me - I had warned the employer that this might happen! I finished the call walking around the room bouncing DS2 and trying my best to sound professional.

They called me in for a face-to-face interview after that so it couldn't have been that bad! Grin

Your consultant sounds shit, but calls with small babies around can potentially be ok.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 05/02/2015 16:36

How long will the interview be? Could you pop her in her cot with some toys, and nip out to the landing to do the interview with the bedroom door nearly shut?