The Slice

Sometimes kids need to talk to mom or dad when the parent is at work.

Cell phones have made this easier than ever. So parenting-by-phone has become a fact of life.

There are half a dozen distinct styles. See which one most closely matches your approach.

1. The negotiator: Treats every call from a child as a bargaining session.

2. The threatener: Reflexively declares intention to impose harsh sanctions.

3. The nurturer: Believes all problems can be solved by appealing to the kid’s better nature.

4. The hair-puller: This parent regards everything as a three-alarm crisis.

5. The multitasker: Repeatedly mumbles “Uh huh” while continuing to work.

6. The flight controller: Calmly reacts to each call from the kids on a case-by-case basis.

Paul Turner

pault@spokesman.com