When To Teach Phone Etiquette To Children

You are probably already wondering when is the right time for your child to learn how to use the phone. There are many different answers to this question, such as, as soon as they learn how to talk, when they start playing pretend, when they start school, and other numerous responses. But the truth of the matter is there is actually no correct answer. You as a parent have to decide when is the right time to teach your child how to use the phone, but the younger they are the more eager they are to learn. Not to mention the fact that the younger they are when you start teaching them the easier it is to correct the mistakes that they make.

One of the best things that you can know about teaching children anything is that they learn from example, and the best way to teach them proper telephone etiquette is to pretend and role play with them. This will allow your child to learn from what you are doing, and they can also practice their new skills in a supervised environment before tackling the actual use of the telephone itself. When it comes to teaching your child how to use the phone, your best bet is to start working with them when they start making pretend phone calls. This will encourage them to use their imagination but will also help them to develop the proper skills for using the real telephone. Teaching your child proper telephone skills is important because the telephone is something that they are going to end up using for the rest of their life.

Here are some tips on how to teach telephone etiquette.

Tip one:
The first thing you should do when teaching your child telephone etiquette is to participate in pretend phone calls with them. You can use either real phones that have been unplugged or you can use their toy phones. But by taking part in the conversation and allowing your child to play out both parts, you can effectively teach them how to carry on a phone conversation from both sides.

Tip two:
When you are teaching your child etiquette, it is important that you teach them the proper things to say on the telephone. All too often as parents you have probably answered the phone when your child’s friends have called only to encounter children who have no clue what to say when talking on the telephone. Teach your child the proper responses such as Hello, May I ask who is calling please, and That person isn’t available right now. A helpful hint is that good manners go a long way in telephone etiquette.

Tip three:
When teaching your child etiquette, you also need to teach your child about the more common rules of using the phone. You want to teach them not to make phone calls after a certain time and not to call other parent’s cell phones. Probably one of the most important things in teaching your child telephone etiquette is teaching them how to leave a message on an answering machine. You should also explain to them what leaving a message does and that once they leave a message, they should wait for the person to call back.

Tip four:
Now that you have taught your child everything you know about telephone etiquette, you are going to want to let your child practice using the phone before turning them loose. Some of the best people to call when it comes to practicing telephone etiquette are grandparents or other family members. They will be more than happy to talk to your child and can also help correct any mistakes that they make.

Just remember that the best way to teach etiquette is to teach by example, and allow your child time to practice.