This goes waaaay beyond a Pet Peeve, it's a Major Annoyance - People who have their toddlers record their voice mail prompts - or worse - answer the telephone.
I know what you're thinking: Oh that grumpy old ShimmaPuff.
She doesn't have kids, so she just doesn't understand the overwhelming surge of pride we as parents feel when our offspring emits a sound that we believe is an intentional attempt at speech.
She is just an unfeeling, heartless bitcch who is incapable of comprehending how inexpressibly precious it is to hear those sweet darling angel voices, those first dulcet notes of their own unique symphony of verbal communication.
Well, you're only half right.
Especially considering the verbal skills of some of the parents who make this really bad parenting choice, and whom it has been my lot in life to call on the telephone, I can totally understand that they would be not only proud, but no doubt quite astonished, by the slightest indication that an infant bearing their DNA might be developing the capacity for speech.
But you are correct that I am unable to perceive even the smallest scrap of sweetness or beauty in conversations like this:
HAAAH-OOO! - Hello
JOOOOS! - Juice (used to indicate a desire to consume fruit juice)
AHHH - GAAAH - AHHH - SSS - TEEE-KEEE! - I gotta stinky
(a declaration of imminent excretory activity, though expressed as if in reference to a future event, it is more often made after the fact).
BAIBAI! - Bye-Bye
So Please, Parents - If you do not engage in this irritating practice, don't start, and while I am sure that none of our Purse Forum brothers and sisters do it, to any lurkers out there who do it, please stop.
Here's a good general rule: If they're not old enough to write down a message, including a correct call-back number and identifiable facsimile of caller's name, they're not old enough to answer your phone!
End Rant, and Thank you for listening.
I know what you're thinking: Oh that grumpy old ShimmaPuff.
She doesn't have kids, so she just doesn't understand the overwhelming surge of pride we as parents feel when our offspring emits a sound that we believe is an intentional attempt at speech.
She is just an unfeeling, heartless bitcch who is incapable of comprehending how inexpressibly precious it is to hear those sweet darling angel voices, those first dulcet notes of their own unique symphony of verbal communication.
Well, you're only half right.
Especially considering the verbal skills of some of the parents who make this really bad parenting choice, and whom it has been my lot in life to call on the telephone, I can totally understand that they would be not only proud, but no doubt quite astonished, by the slightest indication that an infant bearing their DNA might be developing the capacity for speech.
But you are correct that I am unable to perceive even the smallest scrap of sweetness or beauty in conversations like this:
NOTE: While the above is a "composite," representative of my experience with typical telephonic exchanges of this nature, specific vocabulary was chosen because of the popularity, and because the parents subsequently provided (proudly) a translation, which I include here for your convenience and edification :
HAAAH-OOO! - Hello
JOOOOS! - Juice (used to indicate a desire to consume fruit juice)
AHHH - GAAAH - AHHH - SSS - TEEE-KEEE! - I gotta stinky
(a declaration of imminent excretory activity, though expressed as if in reference to a future event, it is more often made after the fact).
BAIBAI! - Bye-Bye
So Please, Parents - If you do not engage in this irritating practice, don't start, and while I am sure that none of our Purse Forum brothers and sisters do it, to any lurkers out there who do it, please stop.
Here's a good general rule: If they're not old enough to write down a message, including a correct call-back number and identifiable facsimile of caller's name, they're not old enough to answer your phone!
End Rant, and Thank you for listening.
:lolots:
and its hard enough .......