The Preschooler

Telephone Etiquette

We have all seen toddlers pick up a toy phone or something that is being used as a phone and then pretend to talk to an imaginary person on the other end.  Where do they learn this behavior?  By watching us, of course.  However, even we adults do not have the best telephone etiquette all of the time.

It can be difficult in our busy lives to stay focused on the conversation at hand.  Many of us have also picked up bad habits, like saying, “uh-huh” and “ya”, instead of saying, “yes” or “That’s correct”.  I have also witnessed conversations that were carried out in such a hurry that no one even said, “Goodbye.”

These habits may seem trivial, but they are ones which will be passed on to our little ones through our example.  Since we don’t always set the perfect example, you can role play with your child in order to practice correct telephone etiquette.  You can use two toy phones or create a cup phone with a string connecting the two cups.  (Your child will enjoy the change in the sound as it is heard in the cup.)  Then, pretend to call each other.  You can role play and pretend to be a friend or relative, or even pretend to order a pizza.  No matter how you carry out the activity, do your best to use your best telephone etiquette so that these skills will be mimicked by your child.

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Written by Laura on May 31, 2010