What to Teach Your Pre-schooler for "In Case of Emergency" Plan?

Better for him to practice dialing 911 once and have them come out for a non-emergency (he would get quite the stern talking to) then for him to not know how to do it. Teach him 911. That should be enough.

You're certain that he'd try out the 911 line - but he may not. If he understands that it's only for times that people are hurt very very badly he wouldn't make the call - you may e underestimating him. My son was the kid who NEVER listened, would also defy directions, etc. But we explained that if he or daddy, mommy or grandpa got really sick and we needed the emergency people to come right away we need to make sure that they're not busy talking to a kid who's just calling to see waht happens. See if your local firehouse has a kids day - they all have one each year - but they may allow it at other times. If he sees the inside of an ambulance and sees the firetruck and how LARGE and SERIOUS it all seems he may really understand the seriousness of it. My son has never called 911 - and he's be the kid who would. ;o) Finally - even if he does - they will call you back to ask if there is an emergency. As long as it doesn't happen repeatedly you wouldn't get in trouble.

Hi A.,

This is a really common question, when I was a Nanny one of my lesson plans was about emergencies. Reality is that 1st responders will arrive before your child tries to get out, whether that 1st responder is you or authorities, someone will try to save your child.

It's best to teach your child not to hide from 1st responders in an emergency, but to go to a window and make noise. Often kids are scared of firefighters and their equipment, so they will hide. This means when the firefighters clear a room, they will not see the child.

I would also have a "meeting spot" on the same side of the street as your house, incase your child does get out, that you'll meet at. A neighbor's driveway is best.

Lastly, talk about emergencies often, but in a "no big deal" way. This way the subject is open and not scarry, but something familar to your child.

Good Luck!

R. Magby

I totally understand your concern, as I am a grandmother "with health issues" who frequently keeps her infant grandchild. When his Mom leaves him with me, I ask her to call me every couple of hours. In your case, being somewhat isolated at home with the kids alone while your husband is away, I would ask a sibling, nearest neighbor, even someone from a greater distance,to call and check on me at least twice daily--also, your husband could do this a time or two each day. If anything drastic is wrong and they don't get an answer from your home or mobile numbers, they can investigate further. Give your contact person the number to reach your husband in his absence, as well. And put an instruction note on your shirt front as to whom to call to come for your children should there be a major incident involving yourself. This sounds overly cautious, perhaps, but it would ease your mind a lot and would be very helpful to emergency personnel if they had to make a call. You are very wise to have thought of the possibility of an emergency with your husband away. Two of my friends, in their '30s, died of an aneurism which came on suddenly. You will be fine, but hey, why not add a bit of insurance with the contacts several times a day, plus the pinned-on I.D. and "in case of emergency, contact...to come for my children" note!

Have a plan..make a rebus (picture) plan and put it where he sees it regularly. PRACTICE it.

I am a home childcare provider, and we are required to do monthly fire drills (even in the winter, we do outside fire drills..and I currently care for 7 children under the age of 3!)...and monthly storm drills. We have inside "safe" place and an outside "safe place". My kids are learning about 911 and the "safety pack" that is always right by the door so it CAN be grabbed in an emergent situation, or just if we go for a walk.

Inside is my first aid kit, a few bottles of water, diapers and hand wipes/sanitizer, and a current copy of all my kids registration form, with contact and emergency info for my kids, along with my emergency info as well. My neighbors all know I do daycare and my kids are familiar with at least the names of who lives in a few homes (we talk about who is walking by, getting their mail, pulling out of driveways, etc). My neighborhood is familiar to them.

I recommend a plan...meeting places, etc. Practice drills monthly. Put it on the calendar. Quiz him randomly (where do we meet outside if the smoke alarms go off....then make it harder after a while..simply where do we meet..with no hint to the "outside" part")...do the same for the "if mommy is hurt" scenario..what should you do first..then what, etc.

See about public events to see the police station and sit in the cars, talk with police people..fire station events, etc. I know our cities locally do these events at least once a year. This can get small children to not be afraid of these intimidating officials and learn some safety tips.

Look at the library for any videos to help you reinforce these ideas. Books too. Repetition is what works from my experience.

Good luck!

I just started thinking about this the other day when I wasn't feeling well. I like the idea of doing a fire safety lesson. I do a field trip to the firehouse every year with my second graders, you might be able to do your own. Call your local fire/police services and see if you can take your son and some friends to the fire house. The firefighters are usually willing to put on all their gear and show the kids the trucks so the kids won't be afraid of them in an emergency when they look and sound like Darth Vader. Maybe the firefighters will role play a 911 call so the kids would know what to expect. Teach your son to speed dial the neighbors if something happens to you, instead of expecting him to run outside to the neighbors. In case of a fire emergency, teach him a safe spot like right by the door where he could wait for the police and firefighters if you are unable to help him get out.
I always keep a list of important numbers like family, friends, dr.s and poison control on my fridge, more for any adult that would need it, like a babysitter or someone who came to help you in an emergency.

I have the same fear!! What if I fall down and get hurt and my 5 year old doesn't know what to do!?
So, I have taught him how to dial 911. I have stressed to him the importance of NOT playing with that number, how it is for emergencies only, and then we practiced a lot on a fake phone...me on one fake phone, he on the other. We practiced what we would say, (my mom needs help, someone is hurt, please come to my house) and what the operator would talk to him about.
Any time I see an accident, or he does, we talk about how someone probably called 911 to get the police, firetrucks and ambulance there. Again,stressing the importance of ONLY EMERGENCY calling.
I started this as soon as my boys could talk and I feel like they are ready if I ever need them to make that call.
With the neighbors...how close are they? Could you teach him about standing in the back of the house and yelling for help? (HELP ME...MY MOM NEEDS HELP!)
L.

teach him to call your neighbors :) let him practice all day long and fore warn them it will happen. let them decide to call 911

My almost 3 year old grandson knows how to call me if he wants to talk...I speed dial #2 on his Momma's cell phone!!! Teach your son how to speed dial his Daddy...or his Grandma on your cell phone. Chances are he would have a general idea of where your cell phone is, if something were to happen. I would also teach him how to dial 911....and have repeated conversations with him about how busy the 911 operators are taking care of emergencies so we never EVER call them unless someone is really hurt badly or the house is on fire, etc etc.
I Would also consider instituting a "meeting place" for the family in case something were to happen. My daughters ( who are all now grown) still remmeber where we were supposed to meet in case of an emergency where we all needed to evacuate the house.
We can't protect our children, or ourselves from ALL emergencies but we can do the best we can to plan ahead and it sounds to me like you have a good start on it!!!

My son is an only child, so that was something I was really concerned about with him knowing what to do. I taught him how to call 911, but I then showed him how to use the ADT pad. There are symbols that represent if you need a firefighter, police, or ambulance. I gave him senarios and asked him which button would he push. This was easier for him and I show him who to call on my cell phone also, in case of an emergency.

He could be with either of his grandmothers and they are older. I just want him to be prepared.

So odd! I was just thinking about this last night! My husband is out of town too! Other than taking the kids to school, no one would know if I were missing either! I have given every other scenario thought. I defiantly would teach your son to call 911. If he trys it once, it's not that big of a deal. If you feel that he will unlock the door, I would not teach him how. In the event of an emergency, police/firemen will be able to get in, even if they have to break in! 911 should be good. Also, can you do speed dial on your phone? You could put some numbers in there and teach him that too. I would teach him to say his name and then report the problem. Even if he "practices" the novelty will wear off! At least you'll know he can do it! ;) Good luck!

Being a single parent I have this worry. I used to be doing some decorating or changing a lightbulb and think OMG what if I fell off the ladder and knocked myself out, my poor daughter would panic and freak out. So now i actually avoid doing things like that unless another adult is there. She knows how to call emergency services and we also have a list of numbers she can call if anything was to happen (granddparents, aunt or neighbour who happens to be a nurse). And she is old enough to know where our door key is but she can only use it in an emergency to go to the neighbours to get help. Oh and this is an obvious one but teaching kids there address and phone number is really important.

Both of my boys know how to dial 911 they know you only call if there is an emergency. We did some role playing with our 3 year old on his play phone he has never dialed it. My 8 yr old accidently dialed it once his grandma's phone numbers last 4 digits are very would be 911 if you leave out the third number. The officer that came was very understanding, he had a chat with my son about it, told him if he wants to call grandma to have mommy help him dial, etc

Well, we just had a kitchen fire, and ran through that 'emergency' scenario.
My oldest is 3 1/2 ... He first learned about 911 in preschool,. We continue to reinforce the scenario, and we ask him bout what to do in an emergency. He is far from knowing what to do. So what happened when we had our little emegency ??.. all of our kids stood there and cried in fear.
My kids were two feet away from the door yet they did not go out until I grabbed them all. They were virtually paralyzed in fear.
My point is that it is going to take much more practice and I mean A LOT more, before my kids follow directions and can think straight in an emergency.
And in your case, you are on a busy street. You really need to practice the emergency plan with him over and over and over again.
I'd say the deadbolt doesn't make a darn bit of difference until your child would actually think straight in an emergency and try to get out.
This is one of those things where I think you will feel differently him knowing 911 after practicing with your son a ton of times... If you take it seriously, he will likely do the same. Get over it, and start doing it.
The world doesn't come to an end if he dials that number without the emergency. But you'll never forgive yourself if something happens .. and you did not tell him what to do 1,000 times... practice, practice,practice.

All I know is our emergency could have turned out much worse... As I type this, 911 was not the priority.. getting out was .... Maybe you just focus on the part about getting out and screaming fire. Busy road , means people are around to help. If I saw a kid screaming fire on the sidewalk... I'd call 911 right from my car and ask questions later.
I keep thinking that teaching my kid to use the phone and dial 911 means he would first stay in the house .... . that is precious seconds wasted . His life is more important than the house. An adult can make the determination if they have enough time to grab a phone on the way out...
This is such a complicated topic.
Call your local fire department and ask from some literature for kids.... they have it ... and maybe they would invite your kids to see a truck and talk to him. Heck, go get a group of kids together and plan your own fire safety lesson. You could use a lesson too. Do you know how you would react, and have a backup plan for when the original exit route is not safe.
Do you have a smoke detector in every room... Do your kids even know the sound of the alarm?. and new batteries ? ... did you really check them when you turned the clocks back last week?