Do you screen your phone calls

[niccig]

I've been screening my phone calls of late to avoid the "can you do this for me" request from a friend or someone that I know will want to talk for too long. I listen to the message if there is one, and I call them back when it suits me better. I think I might be too contactable and this give me uninterrupted time to get some things done - my phone seems to ring all the time, mostly telemarketers, but it's just annoying to be interrupted constantly

What I do hate is when it says "incomplete data" and I pick it up as it might be my DS's soccer camp (it's his first day today) and it's the friend wanting to know if she can drop her son off this afternoon....I said No, as we already have plans...so now I won't pick up if it's "incomplete data" or "private number".

Just wondering if I'm the only one to do this.

[egoldber]

Uh, no. Caller ID is the best thing ever!

But when DH is traveling I do feel the need to answer odd numbers. When he calls from out of town he sometimes uses a client's phone and the number often is one I do not recognize. Or it will come up as "Unknown".

[momm]

I absolutely screen. Am a little embarassed to admit it.. sometimes I even screen when I just don't feel like stopping what I am doing to chat on the phone! Of course if it's a possible urgent thing I pick up and definitely call back immediately. But you know those callers. sheesh, who expect you to stop your life and chat with them!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i do this sometimes..i usually check the caller ID before answering. mostly it's to screen out telemarketers.

that really sucks that you have to constantly deal with getting calls from friends asking for favors. unless it was some sort of life/death emergency, i wouldn't dream of just calling a friend up and asking if i can drop off my DS that same day! talk about putting someone on the spot.

ETA: you can still screen when it says "unavailable" or when it does not give the caller info..just let the answering machine get it. if it's someone you really want/need to talk to, they'll leave a message. DH does this all the time. he almost never answers calls unless he knows who it is. i have a lot of friends who do this too..they always let the answering machine get it, and as soon as i say "hi, this is xxx " they pick up the phone. doesn't bother me in the least. i totally understand the need to screen calls, especially after having a baby and not having as much time to waste with various telephone nonsense (surveys, etc).

[jerigirl]

Me! Me! Me! :wavey: I didn't realize until I stayed home with DS how many telemarketer and solicitors call! If I don't recognize the number I don't pick up!

[brgnmom]

yes I do screen my calls too for similar reasons. In addition, I don't answer my phone if it's my MIL calling on a Saturday night, while my DH, DS and I are either enjoying dinner or watching a family movie together. I used to pick up the phone for her regardless of the time, but recently, I've decided to stop especially after her requests for me to drive back with my DH for his friend's wedding. this would be when I'm already in the third trimester and the drive would be 6 hours each way, with only a day to rest (or attend the wedding) between the drives.

[maestramommy]

That's why I love caller ID!

If it says, Unknown caller, Private, or toll number, I let the machine get it. 99.9% of the time, they don't leave a message. We have been plagued with a lot of solicitors lately. We're supposed to be on the do not call list, but either it expired, so some places manage to get around it. And of course they call at the worst time of day, so I just ignore it.

[niccig]

Good to know I'm not the only one. I think I was feeling a little guilty, but I've got things to do and not much time to do it in. I've always screened telemarketers, but have started doing it with people I know when I'm in the middle of something or if I'm on the way out the door. I let it go to voicemail and check the message when I can. Everyone has my cell number, so I figure if it's important, they will try that as well. They never do.

[niccig]

that really sucks that you have to constantly deal with getting calls from friends asking for favors. unless it was some sort of life/death emergency, i wouldn't dream of just calling a friend up and asking if i can drop off my DS that same day! talk about putting someone on the spot.



It's really just one friend and she does it all the time to everyone. I've complained about it before. I think not being as contactable will help to point home that I'm busy too.

I remember a work seminar on time management and one suggestion was to not reply to emails as soon as they land in your inbox, unless it was an emergency. Reason being that people come to expect that instantaneous reply but stopping your work to check email and then respond is inefficient use of time. Better to have set times to check emails and then respond.

[hellokitty]

I do, but two things bug me. My parents, use skype or some other annoying service, and the # NEVER comes up the same. So, depending on my mood, I may or may not pick up if it's a weird looking #. I got a call one the LAST day of school to pick up DS1, b/c he wasn't feeling well. I didn't have the school's # on my phone, so didn't pick up. Next thing I know, DH is calling ME to say the school called him to pick up DS1. I felt really bad. So, yeah, if my child is at school/camp, I will probably pick up when it's a # I don't recognize.

I will admit though that sometimes even if it's someone I know, I'll let it go to VM if I am in the middle of something. I don't want to be a slave to my phone and I feel like these days with cell phones and ppl expect you to be a slave to your phone.

[happymom]

I screen calls 100% of the time and I do not feel guilty about it at all. I answer the phone when its convenient for me and I call people back when its convenient for me. I know that may sound obnoxious, but as a PP said, I am not interested in being a slave to my phone. If I'm in middle of a conversation with my DH, or in middle of playing with DD, or I finally had a minute to just relax, why should I interrupt that to take a phone call, kwim?

[luckytwenty]

I always screen. I've come to think of phone calls the way I think of email. If I have the time, I pick up/reply right away. If not, I reply when I can.

[mmommy]

I screen calls 100% of the time and I do not feel guilty about it at all. I answer the phone when its convenient for me and I call people back when its convenient for me. I know that may sound obnoxious, but as a PP said, I am not interested in being a slave to my phone. If I'm in middle of a conversation with my DH, or in middle of playing with DD, or I finally had a minute to just relax, why should I interrupt that to take a phone call, kwim?

I make a choice of when to talk on the phone and when to do other things. If I don't feel like talking, even if there is no particular reason, I don't feel at all guilty about not being at someone's beck and call.

[rlu]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that Miss Manners said you don't have to answer the phone or the doorbell if you don't want to. It is a request for your attention, not a requirement. (Or maybe I dreamed this? Either way, I go with it).

I screen unless DS is at school, but then, the school name comes up.

[arivecchi]

I screen calls 100% of the time and I do not feel guilty about it at all. I answer the phone when its convenient for me and I call people back when its convenient for me. I know that may sound obnoxious, but as a PP said, I am not interested in being a slave to my phone. If I'm in middle of a conversation with my DH, or in middle of playing with DD, or I finally had a minute to just relax, why should I interrupt that to take a phone call, kwim?:yeahthat: Word. Just hearing the phone ring stresses me out. :ROTFLMAO:

[infocrazy]

We used to have voicemail and got an answering machine just so we could screen the calls that come up unknown, etc...

I also screen both of our moms.

[hellokitty]

I also screen both of our moms.

Me too! What is so crazy though is that I get yelled at if I don't pick up the phone when they call, but OMG, it is so hard to get a hold of either one of them when WE need to talk to them. It's like a one way street...

[infocrazy]

Me too! What is so crazy though is that I get yelled at if I don't pick up the phone when they call, but OMG, it is so hard to get a hold of either one of them when WE need to talk to them. It's like a one way street...

SERIOUSLY...MIL calls the house, my cell, DH cell, my office to find us...then if no one answers, she starts over and leaves a 5 minute message...on each number...to tell us that she got a cute book for DS...sigh. And they wonder why we don't pick up the phone????

[Carrots]

I love caller ID. I don't answer the phone until after the ID comes up. :)

[Laurel]

I always screen. I've come to think of phone calls the way I think of email. If I have the time, I pick up/reply right away. If not, I reply when I can.

This is me as well.

[almostamom]

I always screen. Caller ID is worth every penny!

Linda