"Talking" on the Telephone

Dear old Dad has been away from home for an entire week, and my kids are really missing him.  Or so they say.  Like when it is time to go to bed, or I need them to get moving just a little more quickly, or when I ask them to take out the trash.  "I really miss Daddy," they'll say, with just a small twinge of pitiful thrown in for good measure.  Thankfully, he's only going to be gone a few weeks, he's safely on land, and we get to talk on the phone regularly.  At least, I thought we were talking.

This evening, we had the opportunity to catch up right before bedtime. We've had a busy weekend with two swim meets and some dreadfully hot weather, and my mother slept over at our house last night.  There was much to say, and three of the four kids were clamoring to talk to Dad.  I handed the phone over to one child, who passed it to another, then I transported it to a third.  After I retrieved the receiver, my husband mentioned that he didn't want to sound ungrateful, but there really was no reason for them to be on the phone if the child didn't plan on saying anything.  Apparently, at least one conversation was a little one-sided.  I guess I should have noticed that the child was reading a book while she talked to dad.  Maybe next time the kids are missing their dad, I'll just hand them the empty phone line and say, "Talk to Dad."

Comments

[ArmyReserveWife]

Or they stare, like a zombie, into the tv. We had that this week when talking to Dad while hie is TDY. LOL

Then the ones who do talk, the 1 1/2 yr old we don't undertstand, but boy can she talk. LOL

[She of the Sea]

ARW, that is so true! The little ones always have a lot to say :)

[dizzylizzie]

my hubs is always complaining about this. it hurts when our 9 y.o just watches tv or says simply "hi gotta go play bye dad"
our 2 y.o on the other hand will just start naming off random things in the room with her like: "hi daddy, look phone! look toys! look barrett (our dog), look tootsie (our bird), look dad matty!" LOL

[tad's tibbit]

When Tad is going to call for the boys I always "prep" them. "When dad calls you should tell him about...." It helps to start their conversation cause then they are excited to tell him about they're day. Though it tends to end up with them having TOO much to say! lol

[Maint Toad1]

Ummm, and it isn't always the kids ...
How often do we use the time on the phone, to talk and to walk around and play catch-up on chores? ... or to eat? The clinking of silverware going into the dishwasher, the tossing of pillows onto the floor as we turn the beds back, and one of the scandalous of all phone call crimes, the clicking of fingernails against a keyboard ... grrr ...

Having been on the other side of exactly what we're talking about, it honestly did tweak my beak a bit after finding an open line at 3 in the morning, just to listen to one of the kids or ?, eating supper 10 times zones away.

SOTS -- kinda, sorta agree with He of the Sea. Every phone call should be focused as though they're sitting in front of us. Now I need to go talk to myself in front of the mirror... gotta go ... O&O, Toad