Boundary issues with ex over telephone calls - wwyd?

[veryconfusedatthemoment]

Ex has just dropped DS (age just 8) back home and showed me the new long distance walky talky he has bought DS so they can communicate. No discussion with me first. I am really annoyed as there is no boundary over what happens in my home. At the moment I am going to hide the walky-talky, but feel I am being made to be the baddie. So please come and talk to me - have any of you had similar issues over DC's contacting ex's by phone and what do you do?

On the face of it I think it's quite sweet.
But he definitely should've discussed it with you first.
Could you ask tell him it's only to be used at certain times, agreed with you?

what are you scared of? what do you think will happen?

a walkie talkie is quite archaic in the scheme of things! communication could be more sophisticated if they put their minds to it!!

It does sounds like an intrusion to me, its not about "what will happen" SoulSister, more about having the ex's voice booming through her house whenever he chooses (at least with a phone you don't have to listen to them although DP's ex is so loud its like she's on speaker phone

I would suggest that if they want to keep in touch between visits there are better ways to do it, home phone calls are generally pretty cheap these days and when DS is a little older a mobile will be handy.

I wouldn't hide the WT perhaps just let DS know that there will be times when its ok and other times when it isn't (you/he can turn it off at a certain time.) If he doesn't answer your ex will soon get the message that certain times are not ok.

Blimey, what's the range on the WT/how far away does your ex live?

As I understand it anything with more than a few hundred yards range is VV expensive. DH has a hobby that needs them and I am constantly being told why he needs to upgrade!!

I don't think it's unreasonable for a father & son to be able to speak to each other whenever they feel like it TBH. There may be a better way to achieve that though.

surely it has to be switched on/in range before his voice is 'booming' around the house??

Having just been camping with the kids using them to play hide and seek, the constant beeping is also a PITA!

Theirs have an 8 mile range apparently - as my DCs' dad only lives a mile away I'm glad he hasn't thought about it (if he was on a pay as you go contract I bet he'd think of it as a cheaper option, the cheapskate!)

Didn't know you could get walkie talkies with such a long range!

I reckon the novelty will wear off pretty sharpish for your ds OP. Rather than banning it I'd make some basic rules like not at the dining table, not before reading book, homework, etc. When you add in all the times he won't be able to use it, it won't add up to much and will probably languish in the bottom of a toy box by the end of September.

Is your ex at home all day?

Well, you wouldn't allow your child to have free reign over a tv or computer or computer games, so I think the same restrictions here? Let them both know that they can chat say 6-6.30 in the evening, or distract your son (let's go out but oh you must keep your new walkie talkie safe and not take it to the playground, turn it off and leave it on a shelf in the living room) and the toy will soon be forgotten by both of them.