Talking on the phone

I tried that, and he does enjoy playing with them. But when I'm on the phone he knows the difference, and the fake does not satisfy him.

I let him talk to family and friends, and then once he does he goes about his business and lets me talk. But when it's someone calling me for an interview, I hate to have him screaming in the background. Maybe I'll try going outside. Thanks.

I've tried it. Does not work so well. But maybe if I continue it'll eventually sink in.

No, but even if it did he can get pretty loud and I can't hear the person on the phone. Going outside seems to work.

Thanks. He has a couple of play phones- our old ones. He loves to pretend with them, but when I am on the real phone he knows the difference and is not satisfied. I tried going outside yesterday when the phone rang. It worked because I was able to have a conversation without him screaming in the background. He cried at the door for a minute and then gave up and was playing happily when I came back in- just a couple minutes later. I guess until he gets it that he can't talk all the time, I'll have to go outside. Thank goodness it's spring.

It is so frustrating the trouble is they are so clever and cute.Bless him,beleave it or not you will look back and wish these days never ended.My boys finishing with secondary education in a months time no more school uniform.I feel so sad but he is doing year 12 smart office clothes,never mind you cannot stop them growing up.Sounds like you won the battle of the phones ha ha make the most of it,he will get you with something else soon.!!!

I have explained it to him, as clearly and simply as possible. But he just does not understand the difference when he can talk and when he can't. It's kind of hard to ask a potential employer to hold while I explain to him that it's not Daddy on the phone and he can't talk now. I wait until nap time to make calls because not everyone is understanding of parenting issues when someone calls for a job. It is a competitive job market, and if they had to choose between someone with a child screaming child in the background and someone who called with no noise, I'm guessing I would be on the losing end of that 9 times out of 10. I'm not into bribery unless it is a serious situation. Again, hard to ask the employer to hold while I get my son a cookie. Punishment seems reasonable, but again, if he starts screaming while I'm on the phone it's already too late. I may try that though, and practice with calls that aren't so important to get him used to it.

One of the first things he learned as a baby was if I cry I get (fill in the blank) that I want. I understand this is made more difficult by the fact that you are looking for a job. But you just have to be persistent. Does your phone have a mute on it? If so can you still hear the other person when you push the button? If not does it have some other way to pause the call? If at all possible say to the person, "I'm sorry could I ask you to hold for just a moment?" and sharply tell him to stop. You can use a classroom management technique that is a favorite of teachers and count down from 5 to 1. It lets kids know you are serious and even the most stubborn ones will get up and move to do what it is you are asking. But the consequence has to be something that he will absolutely hate or the "punishment" won't be that effective. If you know you are expecting a call you can tell him ahead of time mommy is waiting for a very important call today and I need you to be extra good and really quiet. Make a deal with him, it's call the reward system and it's incentive to do what you ask that is better than punishment. It can be a few minutes of play time or a video or whatever it takes for you to be able to talk without him screaming. Practicing is a great idea but I still say you should limit his talk time to evenings and weekends. Does he have a regulated nap time? Maybe his talk time can be after nap and then another call after dinner. You really have to put your foot down and be stern and speak sharply enough that he knows you are serious. How do you discipline him and say no about other things? Two is not called the terrible year for no reason. When he starts school he will have a different maturity and understanding about the world but for now you have to compromise if for no other reason than your own sanity. You have to pick your battles when it comes to children so find some bribe you can live with so you can talk on the phone and get that job!

I almost forgot -- I was going to ask if you were getting the calls on a cell phone or a land phone and if you have an answering machine or voicemail. You could always turn the ringer off and let the calls go to voicemail and call potential employers back after you have your son settled in some activity. The calls shouldn't last very long so he may not realize you are on the phone. If you have a cell you could keep it on vibrate. You just have to be creative; after all you are smarter than he is. Just keep trying things until you find something that works for you. If you can afford it get a sitter or better yet drop him off so you have a few hours free in the mornings.