Teaching kids to use the phone
Categories: Preschoolers, Kids 5-7, Development
Until recently, my kids' phone skills needed some work. I had one child who often held the phone upside down to talk and another who nodded her head and gestured, not realizing that the person on the other line couldn't actually see her. My mom, the person they call the most, had a list of phrases she could use for the times she couldn't understand what they were saying (read: all the time). "Wow!" "Is that so?" "That's exciting." "Good for you!" When the kids would fall quiet, she'd know her comment didn't quite hit the mark.But over the last several months, their phone skills have been improving, so much so that my five-year-old pretty much handles her phone affairs (calls to Grandma) independently. She's also started answering the phone by herself, a milestone that required a little education. At first, if she answered and it wasn't someone she knew, she just fell silent. This, obviously, confused people like doctors, teachers, and telemarketers (though I really didn't mind about that last one).
Like all things parenting, phone manners take a little guidance, but it's a life skill that everyone needs. Eduguide has some excellent tips for teaching preschoolers to use the phone, including tips on teaching phone numbers, avoiding embarrassing moments like when they call 9-1-1 on accident, and how to teach good phone manners. Before you know it, those little ones will be teenagers with phones permanently attached to their ear, so it's best to get to them now while you can still get a word in edgewise!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ojiugo 9-02-2008 @ 12:09PM
I think its a bit too early to teach them at least aged 9 and above is much better.Let kids be kids.
Enjoy my blog @http://lifeasafirsttimeparent.blogspot.com
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Paul Cyopick 9-02-2008 @ 12:47PM
Last year my twins were taught the 911 phone number at school during a fireman's visit. That night, the smoke alarm went off in our condo when the nanny opened up the oven after cooking chicken wings. Jessica took off, and when I went to find her, she had already called 911. I talked to the operator, who was very nice and understanding. She got really worried when she asked Jessica to speak to her mommy, and she said that mommy was dead. Mommy passed away from cancer, but I think the operator was worried she had perished in the "raging fire" that my dear daughter called 911 for.
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Joy 9-02-2008 @ 5:44PM
I had to re-read ojiugo’s answer a few times because I really couldn't believe it. Not to teach a child to use the phone until 9? As of in 9 years old of age? Wow! What would happen like in Paul Cyopick's case and there was a fire? What if you fell down the stairs and knocked yourself out? What if you had a bad reaction to medication and he/she couldn’t wake you up? What if you were choking? What if you had a heart attack? What if you got burned or cut? Do you know how many what if’s there are in life? A child old enough to talk should know how to dial 911 in case of any emergency that comes up and we all know accidents happen. I’ll bet if Paul’s house really were on fire, he’d be grateful for that call. I’d much rather err on the side of caution as any emergency team will always call you right back before coming to your house.
A kid can still be a kid and know how to use the phone.
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isisaquaria 9-03-2008 @ 10:53AM
All my kids learn 911 as soon as they can speak clearly enough...which thus far has been 3yrs or so. They do not talk on the phone randomly and no one answers anyone else's phone-
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