Telephone etiquette is one skill you will use your entire life. Many times, a person’s first impression of you is based on how you speak to them over the telephone, so it is important to be courteous and polite on the telephone and to learn what is and is not appropriate when answering the phone.
What is telephone etiquette?
Children should also learn how to answer the phone and have good phone etiquette. For kids, basic telephone etiquette should consist of “Hello” and asking who the caller is if the caller doesn’t identify him or herself.
From there, the child should get the person the caller is looking for. Teach them not to shout into the phone; most people know how irritating it is to be on hold while a child screams, “Mom! Phone!” into your ear.
If the parent or person the caller is trying to get a hold of is unavailable, teach your child to take a message or call back later. They don’t need to give the caller information about what the parent is doing, like, “She’s taking a shower.” Teach your child to say something like, “She can’t come to the phone right now.” From there, your child can take a message or ask the person to call back later.
When is my child old enough to start answering the phone?
You should start early, but not too early. You may think it’s cute to let your infant pick up the phone and babble into it, but unless it’s a grandmother or parent on the other line, most people will more than likely be annoyed and frustrated. So make sure the child is old enough to know what to say and when before you allow them to start answering the phone. The age will vary with each child’s maturity level and speaking ability. Usually, this is between about three and five years of age.
What should my child say when answering the phone?
The following is how a typical conversation should go:
Child: Hello?
Caller: Hi, is your mom there?
Child: May I ask who’s calling please?
Caller: This is Mrs. Jones from down the street.
Child: Yes, just a second please. (Or, if the parent is unavailable: She can’t come to the phone right now. Can I take a message?)
You can practice this or something similar with your kids, either using a toy phone, role playing, or calling your house phone on your cell phone. This will help your child practice and let you know what you need to work on with him or her.
In addition, it’s important to make sure your child never lets the caller know when you are not home. He or she should also know not to tell the caller that they are home alone.
Your child should also know basic telephone safety, such as how to dial 911 or who to call in case of an emergency (a parent’s work number or cell phone numbers.) These numbers should be posted by the phone for the child’s reference.
Knowing how to answer the telephone and telephone etiquette is an important skill you will use your entire life. That’s why it is important to teach your children when they are old enough to understand how to properly answer the phone and what to say.
