You push a button on either the phone or base station, push the number of the phone that you want (1,2,3..) and it rings. Works fine. But in your situation, the kids would have to have a phone (handset) in their room. Of course if they carry it with them, you can still reach them. Or just call their cell. (not really kidding, that's how it works in our house!)

We have the Panasonic talking caller ID phones with intercom and three handsets p;us an added fourth, after having had plug in Radio Shack intercoms for years. Absolutely no comparison. The phones are the way to go since you are literally "talkiing in the phone". Is very efficient and absoluelty helpful between basement and second story! And by the way the talking caller ID is a mandatory feature in our house now. Couldn't live without it.

We have a set of cordless phones with an intercom function.
You just press the intercom button on one phone and it calls
the other phone. Then you talk just like using the phone.
Works great for our 2 phones. Don't know how it would work with 3.

Pooh Bear

I hope your talking about a *wireless* intercom system and not a hardwired system. A hardwired system would be a huge waste of money unless you live in a mansion and have money to burn. The cordless phones with an intercom feature is the way I would go, unless your phone is tied up all the time with people on phone calls. On our set you can't make an intercom call while someone is on the phone (duh!). We have 4 phones and we just call whichever extension is closest to the person we want to talk to, from any extension (or the base). The other great thing is that it's portable so you can walk or move around, take it with you outside or to the laundry room etc. I was in Fry's recently to buy a set for my mom and they now make cordless phone sets that allow up to 10 extensions. I know I eventually want to have 6 or more in our house.

Our phone does it too. It's a Uniden. Don't really use the feature, because our house is too small. One convenient thing, though, is that you can give each handset a name (e.g., "Living Room" "Bedroom" "Office", which makes keeping track of which handset is where a bit easier. We could add up to 10 handsets (we have 2 now, and will buy more when we move).

will the intercom work without the telephones connected to the telephone line? that is, will the cordless phone intercom still work as long as it is plugged into an electrical connection and NOT the telephone line too? seems it should but i do not yet have the phones so maybe someone can tell me. thanks.

Assuming we're talking about a wireless phone system (e.g., a base station and then one or more individual handsets that do not plug into a phone jack), then yes.