Mom too busy for small talk

Dear Diane: Why is it that my husband keeps calling me from work to find out what I’m doing? I am home with two young children, and I’m usually doing things for the children or for the home.

He’s not calling to tell me something important — it’s generally small talk. I don’t have time to make small talk. I’m very busy while he’s working. What should I do?

— Bothered in Bethesda

Dear Bethesda: On the one hand, I can’t help but be tickled by the fact that your husband is still so in love with you that he needs to hear your voice so often and he calls you from work just to make small talk. I think that’s adorable.

On the other hand, I can understand that you have your hands full caring for two small children and keeping house.

However, I can’t also help but wonder if you are the only person on the planet whose phone isn’t equipped with Caller ID and voice mail. I mean, honestly, how hard can it be to screen your calls? Even a raggedy old answering machine from the 1980s can do the job.

So that’s my solution. Screen your calls. Or, if you’d like, you can always tell your husband when he phones, “Sweetie, I love it that you call me just to say ‘Hi.’ So, I don’t want you to feel bad if I have to cut short our conversations because I’m in the middle of something, like say, keeping one of the toddlers from shoving a cookie in the VCR.”

I’m sure he’ll understand.