I was driving to an appointment with one of my children, when another child called. “Ignore it” says Kid in the Car, while he/she was trying to hit to decline. “Now is me time!” 

But the mother in me couldn’t ignore the call. I pick up the phone, shmooze for a minute and then apologize and say that I need to go because Kid in the Car gets (read: demands) priority now. Kid in the Car unabashedly says to Kid on the Phone:  “Whenever I’m in the car with Mommy, you or another sibling always call. It’s almost like you have a radar when to call: whenever I’m alone with Mommy, boom! One of my siblings call. I wish Mommy wouldn’t answer your calls …” 

So Kid on the Phone says “Listen up. I have an idea for you…” … Kid in Car gives a slight eye roll and mumbles “I know what you’re gonna say - have patience blah blah…” 

But no. That wasn’t the advice: Kid on the Phone says to Kid in the Car:

“Best idea! Next time, as soon as you get in the car with Mommy, call her from the passenger seat! Mommy won’t ignore your call - and this way you know you’ll get your full attention!” 

And we all laughed!  Because, that actually may have been great advice.

Because, it’s hard for us Mothers to ignore our children’s call. 

(To be clear: I’m not referring to the phone calls when we leave our homes for a 5 minute carpool drive, clearly saying to the kids at home that we will be right back, yet 15 seconds after our departure, while we are still in our driveway, our home phone is already calling our cell phones. According to my extensive research, those calls seem easier to decline! I like to call those “driveway calls.” 😝)  

We are naturally so connected and invested in our children that ignoring a call may be ignoring something important our children finally decide to tell us, or ignoring a milestone they would like to share or just a plain old update about how their day is going. 

And then I thought about it even more, something else occurred to me. 

It occurred to me, maybe the reason why our kids call is to check in on us. To make sure we are ok. To hear our voice. And in our voices, if we are calm, if we are strong, if we are happy, they will draw a sense of calmness and strength and happiness from us. 

We are their rock. And equally important for us to hear that they are ok, they need to hear our voice and know that we are ok. 

An ol’ country folk song summed it up well: 

“If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” 

And that’s why I can’t ignore Child’s phone call. 

(Well, most of the time anyway. Kids, don’t get too excited.) 

Happy Mother’s Day to my very special Mother and Mother in law. (Whose calls I would never ignore either!)

 … and to all Mothers who are part of our Socially Appropriate-ish family,  💕

😊, Shifi