Children and Telephone Manners

As a parent, one of the most important jobs that you have is to teach your child skills that they will use later on in life. One of the most important skills that you can teach your child is how to properly use the phone. There is no wrong time to start teaching your child how to use the phone, but the younger your child is when you begin teaching them the better the chances that they will learn and continue to develop those important skills. There are certain things that you should know in order to help your child learn how to use the phone.

Here are some tips when helping your child learn how to use the phone.

Tip one:
One of the most important things you should know is that children learn by example. So if you expect your child to use proper telephone etiquette, then you should practice it yourself. You as the parent need to set the examples for using the phone, such as not taking or making phone calls during dinner, using the proper greetings, etc.

Tip two:
You should also know that children learn through playing pretend and role playing, especially when they are young. So as a parent you should take advantage of these times and sit and play with your child to help teach them how to properly use the phone. Encourage your child to talk on the play phone by sitting down with them, and carrying on a pretend conversation.

Tip three:
Another important thing that you should know is that you need to start off teaching them in small doses. Only work on one or two things at a time, and once they master that skill you should move on to the next. If you try to teach your child everything at once, you could actually overwhelm them and begin fighting a losing battle.

Tip four:
Another thing that you need to think about when teaching your child how to use the phone is supervision. Young children and even some older children should not be unsupervised on the phone. This is due to the fact that they are still learning how to use the phone and will make mistakes. In the beginning, you want to closely monitor your child’s phone use to be sure that they are placing the phone calls at the right time and in general following the rules of using the phone. To help make supervision easier, you should not install a phone in a secluded location. Rather like the computer, you should place it in a central location where it can be easily monitored.

Tip five:
Before your child starts using the phone you should take the time to explain to them about 911 and when they should call it. Too many kids call 911 on accident because they were not taught that it is a number that should only be used in an emergency. You should also be sure that your child knows their name, phone number, address and parents’ names before using the phone. This way in case there is an emergency they will be able to give out the proper information.

Tip six:
Giving out the proper information is another important thing you should know about when it comes time to teach your child to use the phone. You should always make sure your child knows what kind of information is okay to give out. You want to make sure your child understands that if they answer the phone when you are not home, that they don’t tell the person calling that you aren’t home, rather they should just say you are busy and can they take a message.