Ah, parenting! A love letter to sleepless nights and ceaseless worries. Amid all the joys and laughter, there’s that underlying sense of responsibility to prepare your kids for the real world. You know, the one with scraped knees and—dare we say it—actual emergencies. Worry not; we’ve got you covered with today’s topic: teaching your kids how to call 911. Oh, and don’t skip our Goal Mine Class video tucked neatly into this blog; it’s a gem that’ll help your kids learn this crucial skill independently.
Table of Contents
When to Dial Those Three Numbers
Firstly, you can’t just teach kids to hit 911 on the dial pad and call it a day. Let’s establish when it’s appropriate to make that call. Emergencies are, for instance, situations involving immediate danger, health crises, or serious accidents. In other words, discuss various scenarios with your kids.
Tips for Parents
- Teach them the difference between a “real emergency” and a “not-so-urgent situation.”
- Use stories or enact simple role-plays to explain the concept better.
Recognize the Device
Sure, you have a smartphone. But your kids need to recognize multiple types of phones—landlines, payphones, and so on. On the other hand, you might also want to teach them how to unlock a smartphone or bypass the lock screen for emergency calls.
Tips for Parents
- Have a quick session with different types of phones.
- Stick to the basics; you don’t want to overwhelm them.
Locate the Dial Pad and Dial
Finding the dial pad on various devices is crucial. After that, kids need to press the digits 9-1-1 confidently. Above all, practice makes perfect, so let your kids rehearse this step several times. Looking to boost finger dexterity? Look no further – Goally’s got the games.
Tips for Parents
- Make it a game, perhaps? Who can dial 911 the fastest?
- During practice, ensure the phone is in airplane mode to avoid accidental calls.
Read more: Teaching Your Kid to Lock the Door When Leaving the House
Wait for the Dispatcher
Once they make the call, it’s not time to hang up—far from it. Teach kids to wait for the emergency dispatcher to answer. After the call connects, they must answer the dispatcher’s questions clearly.
Tips for Parents
- Prep them for potential questions like location, type of emergency, etc.
- Reassure them that dispatchers are friends, not foes.
Provide Clear Information
Indeed, teaching kids to stay calm and give precise details can be a feat. But it’s essential. The dispatcher may ask for names, addresses, or what’s happening.
Tips for Parents
- Craft a list of important information they might need to provide.
- Quiz them casually over dinner or during car rides.
Read more: Medication Safety Tips
Wait for Further Instructions
Lastly, teach your kids to stay on the line until told otherwise. Dispatchers might give them essential instructions to follow.
Tips for Parents
- Emphasize the importance of listening carefully.
- Practice these steps often; repetition is critical.
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Does your child need some extra guidance on building essential life skills? Goally’s skill building tablet for kids includes a TV app that has the most robust video library of skills training videos for kids. Ranging from content like “How to Brush Your Teeth” to “How to Make Friends at School,” we have dozens of interactive video lessons for kids with thinking and learning differences.
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Unlocking Full Potential with Goally’s Dedicated Tablet
In conclusion, the stakes are high, but the steps are straightforward. To summarize, it’s about making kids emergency-ready while minimizing the parent jitters. For a more comprehensive lesson, consider getting Goally’s dedicated tablet to unlock the rest of our video lessons that walk through “how to call 911” in even more detail.
So there you have it, parents. You’re now armed with a toolkit to make your young ones safe and savvy. Because let’s face it—knowing how to call 911 is a life skill, not a childhood whimsy.
Goally
We help parents teach their kids life skills, like doing bedtime and morning independently. Backed by science, we incorporate evidence-based practices and expert-informed designs in all of our apps and content.
