Select Ringtones: Another Nice Digital Tool

OK, I admit, the select ringtones for certain callers can get a bit ridiculous. We now have a phone that talks to us and says, "Call from ..." Crazy, huh?

However, I've come to realize that, with young children around especially, the select ringtones and other audible information telling me who's calling are invaluable tools. We have assigned rings for each of our cell phones, our parents, and our siblings. That way, if one of those people calls, I know automatically who it is, along with two other important things: I can answer and still deal with my children; I can call them back right away without even listening to a message if I'm changing a diaper and just can't get to the phone (I have all those numbers memorized and they're also stored in the phone). It's been a big help to me, simply knowing which phone calls are a bit more high priority and which ones are on the lesser end. (No offense to non family out there!)

Another terrific feature on our old phones was a "do not disturb" feature--it would silence not only the ringer, but the answering machine as well, all with the touch of one button. If Mommy needed to grab a quick catnap, that one button silenced it all for the duration of the nap.

Cell phones can be a help, too, because they can be carried outside and around the house more easily than a regular phone.

Don't be tied to your phone. But do recognize the tools available now that will let you make better choices about when/if to interrupt your time with your family.