To not answer the phone when eating

12 replies

SharonCarter · 09/12/2018 14:14

My MIL will often phone when we sit down for lunch and dinner. My DH will just ignore the phone ringing but call her back when he’s finished his meal. I think this is fair, but when he tells her he didn’t pick up because he was eating she seems to have a problem with it and says he’s rude? Is she BU or are we?

OP posts:

BadlyAgedMemes · 09/12/2018 14:17

YANBU. He calls back. My DM calls me a lot, and for various reasons I get massive anxiety about not answering, but I've made it a rule for myself to never leave my food and jump at the phone. Even if it's an emergency, it can wait ten minutes (I'm too far away to rush to her aid, anyway).

WhyAmISoCold · 09/12/2018 14:17

It would be rude for him to get up, answer and have a conversation with her (if she's anything like my MIL who wouldn't take a hint and call later). YANBU.

anniehm · 09/12/2018 14:29

He's right, wait until after you have finished but it's better to say to her, sorry we couldn't get to the phone but not specify why, none of her business why. If she doesn't like it she could avoid mealtimes of course

theworldistoosmall · 09/12/2018 14:31

No, it isn't rude. Are you one of those that eat at the same time every day?

Sexnotgender · 09/12/2018 14:35

YANBU, I’d be hacked off if someone went away to answer their phone halfway through dinner.
Unless someone is dying I’m sure whatever she wants can wait half an hour.

brizzledrizzle · 09/12/2018 14:39

We don't answer the phone when we're eating a meal or if we are watching a film together and chatting.

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 09/12/2018 14:43

No it's not rude, who wants cold food? Tell MIL to ring at a different time maybe?

BumbleBeee69 · 09/12/2018 14:44

I have the ringer turned off on my landline, it rings to answering machine, I call back when I can. What your DH does is fine, the issue is your MIL's.

pigsDOfly · 09/12/2018 14:48

Of course he's not being rude to her. He's eating a meal with his family it would be rude for him to carry on a conversation with his mother when eating with other people.

He should tell her to stop ringing him when she knows you're probably eating as she's being rude to interrupt his family mealtimes.

My DD, for some reason, always seems to ring me when I'm in the middle of weeing. Am I being rude, according to your MIL rules, not to leap off the loo and grab the phone mid wee?

starfishmummy · 09/12/2018 14:50

YANBU. She's doing it on purpose

Sparklingbrook · 09/12/2018 14:51

I agree on the whole. But once I rang DB because Dad had had an accident and was at A&E. DBlives in the middle of nowhere with crap signal so tried the landline. Success! Ex sil answered, I couldn't get a word in and she informed me they were eating and said goodbye.

BoringSoup · 09/12/2018 15:02

YANBU. MIL can wait.
It’s rude to answer the phone when eating.
Your dh is showing her he has boundaries, which is good, and showing basic manners to his family by not answering the phone. Good man.

My MIL rings the house phone, and when she gets no answer, she rings dh’s phone, then says ‘I know you’re busy, but.....’.

.....yes, MIL, you KNOW we are busy, but you still ring both phones, one after the other 🙄🙄🙄. Grrr.

Dh also doesn’t pick up the phone when eating.

Flip