“Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!”, “Hold on son please give me two minutes!”, “Mommy, Mommy,Mommy!” Have you ever beeninterrupted on the phone right in the middle of an important conversation with your boss? Or even just a short conversation with your partner once he or she just came home? Have you ever been interrupted in the middle of your conversation with your friend? If you are a parent, you have been in this situation quite often.
Children get so excited they can’t wait, they must be answered now, but why children have this urge to share something with you EXACTLY when you are on the phone. Mary K. shared with me: “Since I became a mom, my friends and family know 2pm to 8pm is not my siesta time, but rather do not disturb time. I simply rarely answer the phone.” As a parent, you can identify. Should I answer the phone? Maybe I’ll hide in the bathroom? How about the car? Just for a few minutes!
Solutions that DO NOT Work
Talking on the phone while your children are around is challenging. I‘ve heard many solutions hiding, bribing, TV time, tablet time, one-minute-I-will-be-with-you time, waving while talking and even false threats (I will take your fire track if you keep interrupting me!),to mention a few.
Well, I can assure you that there IS a solution that does not require hiding, or maneuvering. Baby Signing and Sign Language for your little ones is the perfect tool for this problem!
What your child REALLY wants is acknowledgment. That’s it! S/he wants to make sure that you see her. If you understand that ALL children want is YOUR deviated attention. It is simple as is.
The ONLY solution
Here are the five steps to make your life (and your conversations) smooth and non-interrupted:
1. Signing WAIT, while you are on the phone, or talking to someone else in the room.
2. Make eye contact to ensure your child see you acknowledge them
3. Do not say a word. Just sign
4. When you are done, listen to what your child had to say (often times they will simply forget what they even wanted).
5. Repeat! This is the most important step to ensure success!
[picture by: http://s3.pirillo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/BusyMom.jpg]
