I work evenings. How do I get friends to stop calling early in the morning?

Question

I work til midnight and have told and continue to tell friends and acquaintances not to call me early in the morning but they still call around 8 or 9am not wanting anything but to converse. (They don't have jobs due to the economy) Once my phone rings and I'm disturbed, I'm not able to get back to sleep since it's usually and hour or two before my awake time anyway. They were leaving msgs but I put a msg on my machine telling them I'm not taking msgs. If I think it might have been an important call, I'll call back and they plainly see they have awakened me and I tell them again not to call but a few weeks later they will do it again. I don't want to turn off my phone because there might be a family emergency I'd need to know about. ex: I turned it off once and missed 15 calls trying to tell me to get to the hospital because my mom was passing away. (My sis & bros are all in their 50s & 60s so it's a real possibility.) I get so cranky throughout the day when this happens and my work suffers. I feel they think my sleep isn't important. I'm trying not to curse anyone out but I'm on the verge of it because I know they will take me seriously then. I'm trying to live a christian life and don't want to offend God or my friends and fam. What can I do to get them to respect the fact that my schedule is different from theirs?

Update:

Thanks to everyone who answered but this is the perfect example of my probelem. People don't hear what I'm saying! I SAID I CAN'T TURN OFF THE PHONE. I can't block numbers or wait until someone has already died to recieve calls. This is a very real possibility--I have sick sibblings. But again thank you for your advice.

Update 2:

Thank you Chris--great advice--God bless you. No wonder you're at the top.

? · Accepted Answer

Personally, I'd just yell at them until they get the hint.  It's not un-Christian to give them a wake-up call (pun mostly unintended) that you're serious about not wanting to be bothered in the morning.  You don't have to use profanity to get your point across; just be very direct, then ask them if they understand what you're saying, and make them tell you what they think you said.  Getting a scolding like a young child might be a bit humiliating to them, but hopefully that'll help them remember.

If you don't want to do that, check with your local phone company to see what services they offer.  Many phone providers who offer voice mail also offer a do-not-disturb feature so that calls can be automatically routed to voice mail, and typically there's an exception list where you can put in a list of numbers that ring through (e.g., your relatives' numbers, and anyone else who is likely to need to reach you in an emergency.)

ignatz · Answer

Simple, turn off if a cell and unplug if land line.
You're allowing yourself to be abused by these people who obviously have no respect for your wishes.
You're not being unchristian to want your privacy.
Keep this in mind if the call they make or anyone else may make to you is important enough they will eventually call back or if absolutely necessary come over to you.
Quit being so easy and take a stand.
Turn the phones OFF!

Anonymous · Answer

Get another phone like a cell phone. Turn off the phone and only give the cell number to trusted people.

Anonymous · Answer

Unplug your phone.  Or, set the ringer to low so that it doesn't ring and let an answering machine answer your calls in the early morning.

Anonymous · Answer

Be strict and tell them to stop calling so early in the morning, if they keep calling block their numbers, they obviously don't care about how you feel, so their not good friends anyway.

Anonymous · Answer

tell them not to call them in the morning...

angry_skittle · Answer

break their shins.
I'm sure they wont every call again.

Trending News

I work evenings. How do I get friends to stop calling early in the morning?

7 Answers