|
Page 1 of 2
Do you find that the senior in your life
calls you with little regard for what you’re doing or the time of day? Do you find that they will call you when
you’re in a meeting or driving on the highway?
Are you baffled by these constant calls that seem to be about
nothing? Do you feel that you have no
control over when your loved-one will call you?
Seniors have more time on their hands and
they may have few interests outside of the welfare of their family. Additionally, they may not be as mobile as
they once were. They may have to rely on
others to drive them to doctor’s appointments or to the grocery store. Depending upon where they live and with whom,
you might be the only outside contact that they have during the day.
When they were working, things were done at
a slower pace and there was a definite delineation between the time you spent
at work and the time you spent at home.
There was no such thing as cell phones, email or the Blackberry eating
into your family time. Nowadays it’s
acceptable to check your email several times in an evening or to bring work
home with you. People are on call 24/7
with IT emergencies or a call from another time zone. There is a blurring of work and home
life. For the senior in your life, this
is confusing. If you’re not at work,
then surely you should be “off the clock” and able to talk to them. If you’re the boss, then you get to call the
shots so again, you can take their call.
They might view working in an office as “easy” compared to the hard
physical labour that they did. There are
all sorts of reasons that they deem valid as to why you should be able to speak
to them every time they feel the urge to call you. To relieve the pressure on you, you have to
be able to control the situation.
Often it’s just a case of your loved-one
feeling lonely or neglected. This may or
may not be true but one way to avoid the constant calls during the day is to
set aside the same time every day for a 5 minute call. Pick a time that will be convenient to you
and no matter what, make the effort for that call. Let them know that you’re thinking about them
and try not to sound harried or to tell them how busy you are. Ask about them and tell them a few of the
things that have happened to you or the family.
Try to keep things upbeat so that they are not left worrying about you
as that will only precipitate more phone calls.
|
