I don't let my kids answer the phone-is this just me?

Question

First of all, their ages are 8, 4, 2. Now, most of my friends have kids the same age as mine or close to.
I hate to call my friend's homes & their kids answer then feel it neccesary to tell me about their homework, their toys etc. Part of the time I cannot understand what they are saying & nine time out of ten, my time is limited so I don't want to spend it trying to decode the conversation.
I know it is ugly & mean, I don't complain to them. I am just wondering if I am the only one who feels this way.

Brandy, this is usually after the "can I talk to your mom/dad". I have friends who even after you ask for them, their kids will not tell them about the call. They just chatter away.

Answer 1

I never let my kids answer the phone when they were young (under 12) because it was obvious that the phone calls weren't going to be for them anyway. There was also a safety issue...not knowing who was on the other end, I preferred the caller not to know there were small children in the house...ya never know.

On the other end of it...I HATE having to wade through baby talk, or adolescent fighting over whose answering the phone. The parents should consider that the caller may not have all the time in the world to wait for mom or dad to get to the phone.

Answer 2

Children under the age of ten SHOULD NOT be allowed to answer the phone for those exact reasons you have stated.

Not every parent teaches children phone ettiquite and that is why you get those impossible "conversations" to endure.

My mother taught me how to answer the phone, in fact she taught me to answer the way a receptionist answers. I was quite young and was capable of answering the phone as a grown-up. I guess my mother was the exception to the rule.

Some home phones can be programmed with special rings, so that if a grandparent was calling a special ring would let the kids know it was "grandma" or "Daddy" and okay to answer. Other rings would be left for mom or dad to answer.

THere is no reason for an adult to be subject to kiddie babble on the phone these days!

Answer 3

We have caller ID, so I let my 5 year old answer if we know it is someone like Grandma or Aunt Jessica, who wants to talk to her at some point during the call anyway. She waits for us to check the ID, and then she answers if we say it's OK.
Other than that, no. If her friends call (which hopefully won't happen for awhile), they can ask for her for at least the first few times they call. If my friends are her friends' parents, calling from the same number, I will answer the phone and wait for her friend to ask for her.
You don't have to complain, just nicely interrupt the children and ask them to put their mother or father on the phone right away. The kids will eventually get it (eventually, LOL), and put their parent on the phone.

Answer 4

I have four kids and I don't let them answer the phone either. Mine are 12, 9, 3 1/2 and 22 months. I jsut think it is rude. I only let them answer when I know it is grandpa or grandma cause I know that they are calling to talk to them too. They live about two hours away and call to talk to the kids often.

Answer 5

Completely agree,my 14yr old is now good one the phone-he is polite but also a teenage boy with no interest inmaking small talk.
I have only just started allowing my 12yr old to answer it, but she has driven me mad a few times with getting names and numbers wrong,which has led to arguments. I try my best to get there first.
BUT the babies 5,3&1 not a chance, I want my friend to call back not be put off by the unnecessary hold ups.

Answer 6

Nope. I agree completely. I hate it when young kids answer the phone and I didn't let my son do it until he was 12 years old.

I can't tell you how many times I have worked really hard to leave messages with kids (get a pencil, got one?, and a piece of paper, ready? now here's my number, read that back, blah, blah, blah) and then after all that, days later, the parents tell me, "oh I never get messages from little Suzy". And they think it's cute! Grrrrrr...

Answer 7

I don't allow my kids to answer the phone. However, one time my children were asleep so my husband and I were taking a shower together. The phone woke up my 3 1/2 year old so he answered it. It was my parents and he said. " Mommy and daddy are in the shower....Peace out."

Answer 8

They're kids--you don't have to talk to them. If they answer just say "Can I please speak to your mom". If they ask who it is, tell them and if they try to start a conversation say "Really? That's cool you got a new toy..now let me talk to your mom okay?"

I personally don't see a problem with kids that young (not the 2 yr. old though) answering the phone. If I'm busy and need them to answer the phone and tell the person to "hold on she's busy" then that's what I'll do. Kids should know how to answer the phone..

Answer 9

My 11yo, 8yo and 6yo answer the phone, but only because they know the rules for answering the phone..."This is the X Residence, may I help you?" If they know the person, then on their way to find me they may ask 'how are you doing?'. If they don't know the person, they cover the mouthpiece.

It's quite easy to teach them those manners, children are just mimicking what they hear adults doing. When you get on the phone and gossip, they think that's what you do. Talk to them about how to answer properly, not to talk to the person unless it is for them, and don't expect them to do what you don't do. If they do something you consider unacceptable, simply explain to them why it is not acceptable. If they don't ever answer, they'll never learn to answer properly.

Answer 10

My 9 yr old answers the phone because she knows that when the person on the line asks for me, shes says just a minute and comes to get me immediately. I don;t mind when kids answer the phone, even if they do start telling me about their day and such.