About Rebecca Eckler
Since becoming pregnant with her daughter Rowan, Canadian journalist and author Rebecca Eckler has penned three hilarious books, including the best-selling Knocked Up. Catch Rebecca’s weekly unique perspective on motherhood and single parenthood.
I didn’t recognize the number, so I didn’t pick up my BlackBerry. It rang again. Same number. I didn’t pick up. When it rang a third time, I picked up. Even though I didn’t recognize the number, and one of my best friends was over for dinner with her children, someone apparently really, really, really wanted to get in touch with me.
“Hello?” I asked with hesitation. Who likes picking up unknowns? Um, nobody!
“Hi. Is Rowan there? This is Holly. Rowan’s friend from camp,” came a little voice.
I’m not sure what my expression looked like, but my friend asked, “Is everything OK?”
“Rowan,” I called out. “The phone is for you.”
My daughter raced to get the phone and what followed was the most INSANE conversation I have ever heard. Of course when your six-year-old gets phone calls, you never give them privacy. You spy and listen in!
I can’t recall the exact conversation but I know the words “hot dog” and “living room” and “Toy Story” and “come to my house,” came out of my daughter’s mouth.
My daughter, too, was talking like a 16-year-old. Meaning, she was holding the phone and giggling and obviously LOVED getting the phone call.
My friend who was over said, “My kids never get phone calls.”
I told her she was lucky. I’ve spent YEARS keeping my BlackBerry number private – for good friends, family, and certain work related calls only. Because it’s my cell, it’s the number I’ve made my daughter memorize. Of course, I didn’t factor in the fact that she would be getting phone calls for herself on it.
After she got off the phone, I asked her how Holly got the number.
“I gave it to her on the bus ride from camp,” Rowan said.
This made me really think about getting my daughter her own cell phone. I know, I know, it sounds insane. But the gal really is going to need her own number. I can’t, for one, be talking to the editor of Maclean’s magazine and then be interrupted by a call from six-year-olds wanting to talk about hot dogs with my daughter.
So, you are probably asking, what about your home phone? Yes, what about it? Well, we never pick up that phone! But maybe I’ll have to get her to memorize that number, at least for her friends. Tell me, at what age would you consider getting your child her own phone?
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