the "boy"

me: (Greeting procedure)

caller: Hello i am calling about my son. the poor boy is not able to make it to his appointment today. He is sick – was sick the whole night and i am glad he is now sleeping.

me: oh thats sad to hear, can you..

her: Yes my boy is so brave! his stomach hurts and he has a high temperature and is pale as a ghost, but he does not complain. Later i will call our doctor and in the meantime i will look after the poor boy.

me: when he is sick i will note it in his account – can i have his..(verification)

[thinking: client must be really young – 15 or some years more]

opening the account

blinking

[Account says the pooor sick boy is above 40years old, without solicitor]

me: Your son is sick from today on?

her: Yes from today

me: Thank you for your call – i noted it in his account. Please tell him, when he is well again, to call himself. And i wish him a fast recovery

her: but i am his mother – i do all this stuff for the boy

me: yes, but as your son is of full age, he has to call back and tell us, he is well again (legal requirement). …..

and that is no isolated case… the poor boys (only with “boys”, never got it with a “girl”) are always of age and mostly above 40years old. From the way their mothers talk about them, you have to think they are teenagers and very young. and no, these mothers are not the solicitors of their grown sons.

i know, most of them mean well – and i understand if parents from just-of-age-adults want to help them when dealing with us – maybe stay in the back and are ready to help out.

but it baffels me to infantilize their really adult sons (in my country you are of age with 18)

is this something only happening for my country/and workplace or do you also get calls for the poor helpless boys (that are not sooo young anymore)?