Parenting Tips: How to Avoid Phone Call Interruptions

Photo Courtesy of Sanja Gjenero

This afternoon, I met one of my online friends over the phone. Knowing this would be an important call and wanting no interruptions, I decided to take the call out to my Yukon.

For the first couple of minutes, none of my four children ran out of the house to complain, ask a question, or report the misbehavior of a fellow sibling. I smiled and relaxed as I enjoyed the conversation.

The peace and quiet couldn't last forever, so when I noticed my twelve year old heading for the door I relaxed behind, I hit the automatic lock button. This conversation would not be interrupted for momentary insanity. I knew his questions and complaints could wait; blood didn't trickle from any of his limbs or his head.

Little did I know that when one uses the automatic lock button without the keys, one is permanently locked into the vehicle. After enjoying half an hour of adult conversation, I pressed the end call button on my cell phone and smiled. I sighed with relief, knowing I'd gotten thirty minutes of mommy quiet time, and I reached for the unlock button on the door to my vehicle. Needless to say, I wasn't going anywhere at that particular moment in time. I was permanently locked into the Yukon.

Don't snort your coffee out of your nose or pee your pants with laughter just yet. (I would have done either of those if I had coffee or needed to use the restroom...) Fortunately, my daughter was playing outside and heard me wildly knocking on the windshield. She obeyed (for once) when I beckoned her over to me. She smiled big when I told her I was locked in and asked her to retrieve the keys from my purse inside the house. I am pleased to say she didn't take vengeance and leave me locked in the truck all night. She bounded back thirty seconds later to release me from my mommy-thought-she-was-sneaky spot.

Note to self: Always take the keys with you when you want to lock yourself away from the world. Because you're at someone else's mercy to set you free, if you don't.