Interactive Activities & Role-Plays to Teach Telephone Etiquette

Role Plays

• Talk to your children about why it is important to answer the phone properly. Choose one of your children to help you with a demonstration. Practice different telephone scenarios, like politely telling the person on the phone that their parents are busy and taking a message. Stress the importance of what you shouldn't say on the phone. For example, teach the children that you should not tell strangers you are home alone or that your parent is in the bathroom.

Play Phones

• Toy phones are a great way to help a child get used to using a telephone without using a real telephone. Ask your children to practice conversations with each other or with you using the techniques you learned in role plays. This is a great way to not only help a child know what to say, but also to help them get used to holding a phone and learn to speak more loudly or softly.

Using Real Phones

• Once you feel your child is old enough to use a real phone, sit down with him and teach him how to use the phone. If your phone requires pushing a button to answer, teach him which button to push. Teach him how to dial a phone number. Show him where the volume control is so he will know how to turn up the volume if he can't hear. Explain where the speaker button is so he can use the phone hands-free if needed.

Use Rewards

• Rewards can help reinforce what children have learned and let them practice and apply things they have been taught. Create a chart where children can put stars or stickers for each time they answer the phone properly. Once children obtain a certain amount of stars or stickers, reward them with money or other treats that they enjoy.