to think you shouldn't phone a family with three small children between six and say 7.30 pm?

[emkana]

I have a few friends who always ring around this time, when I'm in the middle of eating dinner/bath time/reading stories etc

Two of these friends have children themselves so should know better surely?
One friend is childless but I tell her EVERY TIME "oh can I call you back I'm in the middle of xyz" and she still doesn't get it after SEVEN YEARS

In-laws always do this. I ignore it!

flibberty- turning up on the doorstep is the absolute limit. DW's parents used to do this - despite being an hour away. They didn't even ring first. Drove me up the wall. They only stopped (eventually) because I made it quite clear how disconcerting I found it.

I would always welcome either set of parents with open arms tbh, but then we had an open-door policy in this respect.

We'd generally go to them, rather than them come to us usually, but it never bothered me in the slightest if either mum (usually) just turned up.

Message withdrawn

YABU - just leave the answerphone on

I can't bear it however when people have the audacity to ring after say 9.30 pm - not because I am in bed, but because i want a bit of blardy peace

YANBU- I have to ask several people not to ring/call round at this time.

When people knock on the door at bedtime it drives me insane, especially as the dog feels it's his duty to inform the whole street someone is at the door!!

PMSL - why is it that the same people always call between those times!

My very own darling DP does it.

Time - 6.30pm
Phone rings
I am instantly irritated, stupidly run downstairs and pick up -
Me - "YEEEEES"
Him - "Hi it's me, I'm leaving now"
Me "Ahhhhhhhgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh"

repeat that virtually every night!
I tell him I love him dearly and love that he phones to tell me that he's on his way but could he either just STOP or leave a message (he calls back if I don't pick up!)

And my 2 mates who don't have kids often ring at around this time, on their way home for a chat. If they get me at 6.30 they say 'thought I'd give you a quick call before the girls go to bed'. what?????? What do you think happens in my house with 3 kids under 6 all of whom need nappies changing, milk given out in one form or another, all of whom need to be undressed and dressed again, 2 need me to brush their teeth, stories read ETC!!!!!!!
They sort of seem to have got the message these days, but not altogether!

my mother has taken to calling at 7pm to list all my faults, and say how rude I am. I've taken to keeping a glass of wine by the phone so I an just listen without exploding.

My mother does it too. And now they are older she says stuff like 'oh are they STILL up.' Well yes, mother, it is kind of hard to get a 10 year old to go to bed at 7pm you know.

oranges, really? Deffo dont' bother answering!

Out of all my friends and relatives with small children there isn't one family that does these things at exactly the same time, so it would be kind of tricky to remember them all. Many people have the children's tea at 5 and then their own supper at 8, we all eat together between 6 and 7. And bedtimes have changed almost every year in our family. I wouldn't expect anyone to remember all our changes in routine- and all the other families' routines.

Plus childfree people may be working late/going out in the evening. My bil and sil do oodles of overtime, and have long travelling distances, and if they ring too late we'll be in bed.

The only thing I wish people with children would remember is the school run- because that is the same every day and the same for all families in the neighbourhood.

MIL does this and it drives me nuts. She always says sonething like, 'I knew you'd be there because you'd be cooking/bathing/feeding the dcs now'.

I only pick up if I think it is dh. If I know he is out of the country or would be in a meeting I ignore the phone.

I usually ignore knocks at the door at this time of day too. I can tell from the tone of the dog's bark if it is friend or foe.

There is another thread somewhere about why are people too busy to be proper friends and call etc etc. Some people are just so stuck in their own little life.

How nice that people ring you. If busy, ask if you can ring them back later. Of all things to get angry about I think this is really a waste of rant energy. YABU.

My Mum has a habit of phoning at 8.15am when we're in the middle of the mad panic to get to school on time! I'm sure she does it on purpose, because she hasn't done it at all since school broke up!

I don't go to the phone if I don't feel like it - even if I'm not busy . We have an answering machine and sometimes I will then go and take the call if I want or have to speak to that person. My boss rang recently (I am on ML), started leaving a message, I picked up and he said 'oh yes, got to screen calls haven't you' He understood

Until recently dh would leap for the phone every time, no matter what we were doing. He's now stopped if it's inconvenient, but if it's his parents he often lies and says we were out when he rings back .

YABU in my opinion. I have three small children and between 6.30 and 7.30 is the best time to ring me! Not every family lives the same way or has the same routine. YANBU to expect people you've asked specifically not to call at certain times though!

I think YABU, you don't have to answer it and if the ringing disturbs them all you have to do is turn the ringer off on your phone.

If I can't answer it then I ignore it, it is not difficult!

My MIL is terrible with this, and if we ignore the phone she calls back straight away, sometimes five or six times until we have to pick up, then she demands to know why we were ignoring her.

Drives me mad. The two people who do it regularly at ours is my MIL and SIL. SIL has no children of her own, but knows full well that I am quite strict about 'getting rid' of the DCs by 7pm, so that me and DH can enjoy the rest of our evening.

I am sure they do it because they know this, and perhaps think I am rather anal to have such a strict bedtime routine? No idea. I just find it odd. I say everytime, that I am just in the middle of putting X, or Y to bed.... maybe I sound too friendly?

I should just ignore the phone.
Although then DH picks up, and then spends half an hour talking to his mother while I bath and dress two children under three, get milk sorted, read stories etc.....

ARGH!!!! YANBU!!!! If people know what goes on in your house, they are just being thoughtless.

I don't expect all my friends to remember though! Why should they? If anyone calls, I just tell them I'm going to ring them back. Simple as. It's not hard.

There's no such thing as a convenient time. Either; cooking food; eating food; dh home time and chat; bath; bedtime story reading; and never mind shatteringly important things like watching Coronation Street in peace.

Can't expect everyone to know that. We either let answerphone do the job or tell them to call back at specific time. No sweat.

Don't answer the phone if it doesn't suit you. It doesn't matter what you are doing. If you don't want to chat, don't. 1571 and caller ID are very handy. Likewise I put my mobile on silent when I don't want to speak, and have bee successful in training people to text me!

To be honest sometimes I will ring friends with kids around those times. i figure if they are unable to talk they will ask me to call back or ignore the phone like I would if I was busy with the kids.

I just leave the answerphone on and call back when its ok. And I can then say - 'sorry I didn't answer but i am always running around at that time and didn't hear the phone'
Personally i don't answer the phone unless I want to talk and it works fine. But then most people that know me call when DS2 is at school anyway because i often have to ring off to deal with him.