Parenting: 3-Year-Olds Community
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Does your 3 year old know who to call in an emergency?
Elizabeth_WebMD_Staff posted:
Does your 3 year know your cell phone number, how to reach a neighbor, call 911?
A co-worker relayed this story to us -
"My daughter-in-law has Type 1 Diabetes and that means there's the chance of things going very wrong, very fast, though she's VERY good at taking care of herself. She has three children: 4 1/2, 2 1/2 and less than 2 months old. About a year ago I started talking with my daughter-in-law about the need for her oldest to know how to call me (I live down the street from them) and/or 911 should Mommy need help and not able to call herself.
So a few minutes ago I got a call on her cell phone, the 4 1/2 year old speaking a bit quiet (had to make her shout so I could understand) said Mommy is stuck and yes, needs help.
So I raced up there, into the house and upstairs…
Turns out everyone is fine but she and the baby had stepped out on to the balcony off the master bedroom. The 2 1/2 year old had shut the sliding glass door and it automatically locked at the bottom and it's a hard lock to unlock. So yes, they were stuck and the baby would have had heat stroke and a bad burn on this sunny day if it had gone on too long but not the dire emergency I was imagining as I went up there.
YAY for my 4 1/2 year old granddaughter! A good teaching moment for her, a chance to reinforce that she did something exactly right and to learn from it all."
This turned out to be OK but you can imagine all the what if's.
Have you taught your child how to reach out in case of an emergency? Has your family experienced anything similar?
Elizabeth
A co-worker relayed this story to us -
"My daughter-in-law has Type 1 Diabetes and that means there's the chance of things going very wrong, very fast, though she's VERY good at taking care of herself. She has three children: 4 1/2, 2 1/2 and less than 2 months old. About a year ago I started talking with my daughter-in-law about the need for her oldest to know how to call me (I live down the street from them) and/or 911 should Mommy need help and not able to call herself.
So a few minutes ago I got a call on her cell phone, the 4 1/2 year old speaking a bit quiet (had to make her shout so I could understand) said Mommy is stuck and yes, needs help.
So I raced up there, into the house and upstairs…
Turns out everyone is fine but she and the baby had stepped out on to the balcony off the master bedroom. The 2 1/2 year old had shut the sliding glass door and it automatically locked at the bottom and it's a hard lock to unlock. So yes, they were stuck and the baby would have had heat stroke and a bad burn on this sunny day if it had gone on too long but not the dire emergency I was imagining as I went up there.
YAY for my 4 1/2 year old granddaughter! A good teaching moment for her, a chance to reinforce that she did something exactly right and to learn from it all."
This turned out to be OK but you can imagine all the what if's.
Have you taught your child how to reach out in case of an emergency? Has your family experienced anything similar?
Elizabeth
4 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:Does your 3 year old know who to call in an emergency?Does your 3 year know your cell phone number, how to reach a neighbor, call 911?<br /><br />A co-worker relayed this story to us - <br /><br />"My daughter-in-law has Type 1 Diabetes and that means there's the chance of things going very wrong, very fast, though she's VERY good at taking care of herself. She has three children: 4 1/2, 2 1/2 and less than 2 months old. About a year ago I started talking with my daughter-in-law about the need for her oldest to know how to call me (I live down the street from them) and/or 911 should Mommy need help and not able to call herself.<br /> <br />So a few minutes ago I got a call on her cell phone, the 4 1/2 year old speaking a bit quiet (had to make her shout so I could understand) said Mommy is stuck and yes, needs help.<br /> <br />So I raced up there, into the house and upstairs…<br /> <br />Turns out everyone is fine but she and the baby had stepped out on to the balcony off the master bedroom. The 2 1/2 year old had shut the sliding glass door and it automatically locked at the bottom and it's a hard lock to unlock. So yes, they were stuck and the baby would have had heat stroke and a bad burn on this sunny day if it had gone on too long but not the dire emergency I was imagining as I went up there. <br /> <br />YAY for my 4 1/2 year old granddaughter! A good teaching moment for her, a chance to reinforce that she did something exactly right and to learn from it all."<br /> <br />This turned out to be OK but you can imagine all the what if's. <br /><br /><b>Have you taught your child how to reach out in case of an emergency? Has your family experienced anything similar?</b><br /><br />Elizabeth
lenono97 responded:
No, I have not taught 911 or anything similar yet. I hesitate because I am not sure my 3 year old could understand what a true emergency was. I am afraid she may pick up the phone and radomly dial 911. She knows mommy and daddys names and our last name. We have also taught her what city and state she lives in. This would be in case she ever got lost. However, I believe teaching chilren what to do in case of an emergency is important.
Report This| Share this:Does your 3 year old know who to call in an emergency?No, I have not taught 911 or anything similar yet. I hesitate because I am not sure my 3 year old could understand what a true emergency was. I am afraid she may pick up the phone and radomly dial 911. She knows mommy and daddys names and our last name. We have also taught her what city and state she lives in. This would be in case she ever got lost. However, I believe teaching chilren what to do in case of an emergency is important.
Elizabeth_WebMD_Staff replied to lenono97's response:
Hi lenono - You bring up a great point. How to recognize a true emergency.
We use the word emergency, but do our kids really know what the word means.
This is even something I should bring up with my 7 year old.
How would you define emergency? If mommy (or whoever) won't answer you, if you can't wake them up?
How do you teach about fires, etc without scaring them?
We use the word emergency, but do our kids really know what the word means.
This is even something I should bring up with my 7 year old.
How would you define emergency? If mommy (or whoever) won't answer you, if you can't wake them up?
How do you teach about fires, etc without scaring them?
Report This| Share this:Does your 3 year old know who to call in an emergency?Hi lenono - You bring up a great point. How to recognize a true emergency.<br /><br />We use the word emergency, but do our kids really know what the word means. <br /><br />This is even something I should bring up with my 7 year old.<br /><br />How would you define emergency? If mommy (or whoever) won't answer you, if you can't wake them up? <br /><br />How do you teach about fires, etc without scaring them?
cyn22mull replied to Elizabeth_WebMD_Staff's response:
We have taught DS to call 911 in an emergency. We have told him to only call if he can not wake mommy and daddy up, if mommy or daddy fall and can not get up, or if we hurt ourselves and ask him to call.
Cindy (35) Scott (39) DS Christopher 3
Report This| Share this:Does your 3 year old know who to call in an emergency?We have taught DS to call 911 in an emergency. We have told him to only call if he can not wake mommy and daddy up, if mommy or daddy fall and can not get up, or if we hurt ourselves and ask him to call.
annierules responded:
It's really hard for children that little to distinguish emergence cases. So I told my grandson to call 911 only under some certain possible circumstances...
Report This| Share this:Does your 3 year old know who to call in an emergency?It's really hard for children that little to distinguish emergence cases. So I told my grandson to call 911 only under some certain possible circumstances...
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