The home phone (landline), my cell phone, and my husband’s cell phone are each ringing at this very moment.
When you have kids, especially teens and ‘tweens, it may seem like the phone never stops ringing. Even if you don’t have kids, it may ring quite a bit.
You might just begin hearing ring tones in your sleep! On that note, it’s a good idea to pick a ring tone that you really, really like.
My cell phone rings all day while I’m at work, so I have a ton of voicemail by the end of the day. The home phone rings all day too, friends, family, telemarketers, election surveys, and more.
I must confess, sometimes I ignore the incessant ringing (if it’s important, whoever it is can leave a message, as instructed… wait for the beep!). Thank Heaven for Caller ID. But, more often than not, I do answer the phone(s). I answer if it’s someone I know, but I will happily ignore blocked or odd numbers.
Sometimes, the phone rings at night, long after “calling hours” are over. It’s usually kids, who quickly get a lesson in appropriate calling times. We have to be firm about the rules in order to keep things more manageable, so if someone insists on calling “after hours,” he or she may no longer be welcome to call.
We also need to watch those cell phone minutes. While we have a good calling plan, those anytime minutes can sure add up quickly. We used to have roll-over minutes at the end of each month but with the kids home from school all summer, we’re not going to be worrying about “wasting” any roll-over minutes.
We also have rules about how long each person can stay on the home phone, since we have a big family, and everyone wants a turn. Anyone who uses the phone must also check the call waiting if someone tries to ring in, just in case it’s important. Everyone must be polite when answering and be responsible about taking messages.
What kinds of phone rules do you have in your home?