aelf
in
booju_newju
Phone Etiquette
I grew up before caller-id, answering machines, and CPS being called if you left a child under age 12 home alone. Learning phone etiquette was a big deal. I was taught that I was supposed to answer the phone with a pencil and paper ready. "Hello, this is the Last_Name Residence, My_Name speaking. May I please ask who's calling?" I was to take complete messages, and woe unto me if I didn't write down the name, phone number, and reason for the call.
I was also carefully tutored to never, ever let it be known when I was home alone or watching someone else's children while their parents were out. I was also strictly instructed never to say something as vulgar as "my mom's in the bathroom, let me run and get her."
But now we have answering machines and caller id! Do we still need to teach our children the phone etiquette of yore? Is there modern phone etiquette we should be teaching them? Do we throw the whole concept out the window?
I was also carefully tutored to never, ever let it be known when I was home alone or watching someone else's children while their parents were out. I was also strictly instructed never to say something as vulgar as "my mom's in the bathroom, let me run and get her."
But now we have answering machines and caller id! Do we still need to teach our children the phone etiquette of yore? Is there modern phone etiquette we should be teaching them? Do we throw the whole concept out the window?