Phone Etiquette

Z is very into the phone.  He likes to carry my phone around and chew on the case, depositing loads of baby drool directly into the charging port.  He loves looking at pictures of himself on my phone, and he will chatter away at videos of himself.  In case of true emergency, we've been known to use the Badger Badger Badger website to calm a dinner time tantrum (it mesmerizes him).

Mommy and Daddy also like their respective phones very much.  We've bought and received a variety of toys for Z that look like their grown up counterparts.  He has not just one but TWO cell phones, two remote controls (one of them is a dog toy that looks like a real remote, he loves it) and a toy set of keys with keychain tools, like arming the alarm, a flashlight, and the sound of a doorbell.  As much as he likes picking up his leapfrog phone and hearing Scout the dog sing to him, he seems to know it's not nearly as cool as the phones that Mommy and Daddy have.

When his toy phones are in the on position, they ring randomly.  The other evening, his phone rang while we were sitting on the floor playing with blocks.  He picked it up, flipped it open and barked "WHAT?" into the receiver.  He listened for a moment, smiled and said "Oh, hi!" then handed the phone to me.

We try so hard not to actively laugh AT him.  But how can you not?  What sort of behavior are we modeling for him that he would answer the phone and bark in annoyance because he's been interrupted at play?  The first time he spouts off with an obscenity, I will probably choke to death in an attempt to not laugh at him.

On the other hand, Z brings me so much joy, so many times throughout the day.  He also thinks it's very funny when Mommy laughs, and tends to laugh along with me.  The sound of his infectious little giggle mingled with my own laughter is a highlight for me.  I think he knows he's a bit of a comedian.  He knows that grabbing his nose and saying "MEEP!" will crack me up every time.  He knows the value of a well timed fist bump.  It's the first law of stand up, "know your audience".  And my little boy knows his Mama.