When I called a friend on a fairly urgent matter, I got her four-year-old, who talked about her imaginary pony for five minutes and then hung up on me. At what age should a child be allowed to answer the phone?
Some four-year-olds can be taught basic phone manners, but most youngsters aren't ready until age five or six. It depends on the child -- if they freeze when handed a phone, it's better to wait until they're more comfortable. But even if they are chatterers like your friend's daughter, they need to know the rules: Answer "Hello," and then, after saying, "Just a minute, please," hand off the phone to Mom or Dad. Similarly, don't put your child's voice on your answering machine unless you're absolutely sure the message will be decipherable to callers.