In a previous blog I shared my adventures in parenting in regards to teaching my preschooler how to use the telephone. Learning how to use the phone properly is a skill that is best practiced at home. After all, home is the place where your child has the most interaction with the telephone (unless you are one of those parents who’s surgically attached to their cellphone).
As I mentioned in my previous blog, one of my brother’s duties as a firefighter is to visit schools to teach students about safety issues. A couple of years ago he sent me a pamphlet he passed out at one of his school visits that featured tips for parents on how the phone can save a life and how to avoid having children accidentally dial 9-1-1. The handout basically encourages parents to teach their children that the telephone is not a toy and can be used for emergency purposes. There’s also a page on basic phone manners and how you can get your children to practice them.
Here are some of the tips:
Number Recognition. When your child is old enough to recognize the numbers one through 10 on a touchtone phone you should put some basic rules into place. For example, you should teach your children vital phone numbers, such as their home phone number and 9-1-1. Explain to your children when and why they should use these phone numbers (e.g. if they are lost, in trouble, or if you or their caretaker is hurt or in danger and can’t get to the phone). If your child is too young to memorize a seven digit phone number consider making a small phone book with pictures of friends, relatives and their corresponding phone numbers as well as a photo of an ambulance or police officer and the numbers 9-1-1 next to it.
Rules on Phone Use. Make sure you set clear rules about phone use. For example, you might establish a rule that states that your child must ask permission before making a call. Also, consider setting a time limit on how long your child can chat on the phone.
Practice Makes Perfect. There are a number of ways you can help your child memorize important phone numbers, including by making up silly songs. Another option is to have your son or daughter practice calling the number on a toy phone (or draw a picture of a keypad on a piece of paper and have your kids practice on that). Quiz your child once a day. Make sure she knows 9-1-1 and can recite her home phone number. You’ll likely have to repeat it several times when you are first starting out, but if you keep practicing and make memorization fun your child will have it down before long.
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