To wonder why they bother skyping?

[Evabeaversprotege]

My in laws live abroad & skype once/twice per week.

but they never, ever turn their TV off/volume down & we struggle to hear them! Despite us saying we can't hear them, they shout over the volume of their TV & repeat themselves numerous times.

Also, they watch TV programmes whilst skyping. So we are sitting looking at them, looking at their TV!!

It's not like we Skype them at inconvenient times, they Skype us (they text to see if it suits so it's mutually convenient).

They're lovely people, we enjoy hearing from them, but it's so bloody frustrating!!

Not sure if I'm looking advice, we have asked them if they'd rather watch their programme & Skype after but they don't seem to take the hint.

Calls can last up to an hour with them shouting over the TV & our patience running low

I know it's a first world problem but they've just finished a Skype call & I didn't hear half of it due to the volume of their TV.

Tell them you can't hear them and thenwhen they carry on say you are going to go now as you can see they are busy...

Sympathies. My folks won't use headphones so I hear my voice echoing back thru the entire call. Drives me very batty, they can't understand what I mean.

Tell them you can't hear a word they're saying. Don't struggle to make the best of it, force them to turn the box off.

Have you actually asked/told them to turn the TV off instead of hinting?

I do wonder if some people become immune to the TV being on and genuinely don't really notice it. It's literally just a piece of furniture.

I have a friend who has the TV permanently on in their sitting room, usually for the kids entertainment. What I find odd though is even when the kids are outside playing, she doesn't bother switching it off and to me, it's like an unwanted noisy visitor sharing the room whilst we have a chat.

Kinky, ds (9) has told them a few times he can't hear them & to turn TV off. FIL says they can hear US ok!

I have lived abroad long enough to remember not even having Internet. ..now have the fastest Internet ever and can download a movie in about 3 minutes. BUT when it comes to relatives and Skype it's amazing how unreliable the Internet can be after 10 minutes or so

YANBU

Personally I'd tell them that you can't hear them, and ask them to turn off the TV. If they say no then tell them to call you back when they're less busy and hang up. Hopefully it won't take them long to get the message!

Even when they're at home they have every TV in the house at top volume even in rooms they're not in!

So I don't know why I'm surprised they have it on over there!

Good idea gun, will try that the next time!

Skype seems to pick up tv noise and amplify it massively.

Just sit there, not answering them until they get the message.

I can't understand why you wouldn't just ask, then insist on them turning the tv off Bizarre.

Or just keep saying 'pardon' over and over and over until they get the message.

Have you tried switching your TV on and leaving it at high volume whilst you skype? When they struggle to hear you, turn it off.

Your PIL might then make the connection and finally appreciate why you want them to turn their TV off when you call.

My inlaws live in Oz. We skype twice a week and just leave one another hanging around! SOmetimes one DD will come in and say "Nanny wants you." and I realise she's sitting in the corner of the living room on her own! But that's because she's buggered off halfway through talking to DH and so he's waited and then also buggered off.

Sometimes we prop MIL or FIL on the table whilst we eat. They comment on the food! "Ooh that trifle looks nice!" and dd shoves a spoon at the screen.

I joke that MIL could babysit. I'd just prop the screen up by the DDs beds! I think you should chill a bit. Skype is better when you treat the screen like a real person rather than having formal conversations.

Just tell them you can't hear them over the tv, can they turn it off?

I'd just say that I can't hear what they're saying so I'm going to ring off. Ask them to ring back later when they've finished watching TV.

Flannel, that's just like what we do - except their TV is usually blaring in the background.

SIL (their dd) has mentioned it to us too, just along the lines of "do you have the pleasure of 'homes under the hammer' too?" Which indicates they're probably unaware they even do it.

Anyway, will try & chill & try out some ideas on Tuesday night when they next Skype!