Dear Greta,
Ask Greta
I am a work from home mom with three children, ages 5, 7, and 8. They are normally very good kids, except when I get on the phone. I do sales and need to spend quite a bit of time on the telephone, making appointments, my pitch, chasing leads, etc. Every time I begin, though, they start screaming and demanding things, like " Mommy, get me a drink," or " Mommy, color with me!" I tell them to wait and instruct them to leave me alone when I ' m working, but they just don ' t stop. I have tried everything I can think of to get them to respect my phone time and nothing as worked. Any suggestions?
- Hassled Mom
Dear Hassled Mom,
It doesn ' t sound like your kids are all that diferent than most kids. You have to remember what all kids want- all of mom ' s attention! Your children are old enough to know how to behave, so tell them how you expect them to act. Explain that you need to talk on the phone to do your job so you can buy them the things they want and need, like toys, clothes, and food. Unless it ' s very important, they are to be quiet and polite. It might be helpful to also schedule specific times for your phone work and alternate that with specific times for activities with them. Then, if they still disregard your rules, take away one of their privileges, like TV for a day, time on the computer, or something else they enjoy. Be firm and good luck!
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