Desperate Kindergartners
Okay, so it’s not quite a 5-6 year old’s version of Desperate Housewives, but a few weekends ago I was caught up in some interesting things that happen when little girls start using the telephone. [Read on, it takes a bit to set up but it’s worth it.]
My daughter Anna’s friend Gabrielle called one Saturday and I picked up the phone. I let the girls chat for a minute (which is fun in and of itself). Gabrielle had asked Anna to come over and play. (Now earlier in the school year Anna had made a sign-up sheet in Kindergarten for a non-existent skating party!). So when she handed me the phone, before hanging up I checked to see if Gabrielle was still on the line. She was and I asked to speak to her mother.
I got the “Mom! Anna’s dad wants to talk to you!” shouted across the room, then her mom picked up and we chatted. I made sure the offer to come over and play was authorized, and it was. She had some things to do but would call back later in the afternoon.
We waited through the early afternoon but still no call. My wife Heather had been working a yard sale at her cousin’s house, but came home to get some things and took Anna with her (she would be closer to Gabrielle’s house and could drop her off). When Gabrielle called back, I told her that Anna would be over in a little bit, then called Heather to let her know.
Within five minutes, the phone rang again. A man was calling and asked if I was Anna’s father. I said yes, and he told me that Gabrielle had just told him that she had talked to me, but didn’t understand what I said because I only spoke Spanish! I have no idea where that came from (I don’t know Spanish)! Her dad just wanted to make sure she hadn’t accidentally called Columbia or something! We laughed and I parted with “hasta la vista.”
But there’s more!
A little while later another little girl called for Anna (I guess they miss each other now that school is out). Leah wanted to talk to Anna, but I told her she was out and asked if she wanted to leave a message.
I got no response at all. Instead, I heard her frantically say “Mom! What’s the message? I don’t know the message!” Her mom rushed to the phone, and thinking Leah had gotten the answering machine, started leaving a message. She got halfway through her phone number when I realized what she was doing!
When did five and six year olds start using the phone so much? I can’t remember calling friends much before junior high, and not even on a regular basis before high school (which was when cell phones were still attached to cars…I’m getting old!). It was only a short while ago that I could get Anna to talk to Grandma or Grandpa (or even me on a business trip) on the phone.
They grow up fast. Anna will be six in a few weeks. I’ll blink and she’ll be 20!
My son Ian is following fast. One of his first words was learned while holding a play cell phone to his ear…”Hello”.
The lesson in all of this: Invest in Telecommunications.