When Do You Teach Kids About 911? - Oregon City,OR

When she knows her address and phone number, when she knows how to make a phone call on her own.
Three is really, really young to respond effectively to an emergency. A three year old has no real grasp of time or death, let alone how to gauge a particular situation which requires that comprehension.
Do you have a particular concern, are you diabetic or something like that? You could role play with her, that may give you some peace of mind, but I wouldn't count on her being completely capable of such a responsibility. It would probably be better to teach her how to reach out to a trusted neighbor in an emergency.

I felt my daughter who is very mature for her age was ready at about 4 1/2.

Hi-- I think you can certainly start teaching your daughter that people dial 911 when there is an emergency like when someone is really hurt and can't get to the phone themselves. (I am a single mom and once fell down a few stairs, also broke my ankle-- so this one hit home.) I don't think your daughter has to have her address memorized entirely. Emergency staff can often see addresses connected to the phone number that is calling into the station. So I would start with baby steps. Make sure your daughter knows her name and her parents' names. Then maybe her phone number (which is associated with your address/billing address, too). I often would teach my daughter such information by singing or putting numbers to a sing-song type of rhyme. That way it becomes easier for her to memorize. You could even just sing your names and number while she is doing something else. Believe me, she may not appear to be paying attention, but my guess is that she is absorbing it more than you know. Best of luck to you. What a great idea to you have in planning for this! Take care.

Because of our situation, I decided when my son was 2 1/2 yrs old that it was time to practice some basics for safety. He knew his first and last name, and we'd practice "Mommy A." and "Daddy Jeremy" if I asked what daddy's name was. (He CALLED us mom and daddy, but if you said "what's mommy's name?" he'd answer Mommy A.). We did that a lot. We started practicing what would happen if you got lost at the store or wherever: to look for the cash register/desk and talk to the "worker" there with the register, and if he couldn't see one, then to ask a mommy who had kids with her already. Once I thought he had those things down, I started teaching him the phone. I let him hold the home phone with the battery unplugged to practice dialing, and my cell phone with the sim card removed. We learned by a sing song kind of chant to open the phone, then hit 9-1-1-green! (Green means go, he already knew that from driving around; and though he didn't know the numbers back then, he could memorize what buttons we were pushing). My cell has a little green on the "talk" button, so he knew 9-1-1-green. At home, we have portable phones and he learned where the "talk" button was (9-1-1-talk) but we also have an old corded phone for emergencies or when the electricity is out, by the bed, and he knows on the cord phones you pick it up and hear the tone, then dial the numbers. We just practiced it together, but I made sure he knows it brings the police and we could get "in big trouble" if he calls for no reason. It's only for when we really need help. (Remember the boy who cried wolf? Just for real emergencies!) I told him it's for if I fell down or something and was hurt and couldn't call. He also knew that dialing "2-green" or "2-talk" would call daddy, and 3 calls mommy.
They don't really need to know much; addresses and stuff are good, but in an emergency, how many times do even adults get mixed up? My mom had kidney stones (I think that's what it was?) when I was 2 and my grandma used to babysit me while she worked. She called the house because we didn't show up when we were supposed to, and even though I didn't know how to call, I could answer the phone. I said "Hello" and she said "A., where's you mom?" and I said "OH, she's on the floor. In the bathroom". So grandma came and took her to the hospital. As long as they know HOW to dial out for help, all they need to do is say "mom fell" or whatever, and the operator can ask questions and keep them on the line (to keep tabs on the child as well).
Fortunately, the boys have never needed to dial 911, but right after his 3rd birthday we got separated in a crazy crowd and I was flipping out. I had the stroller with a newborn baby and was just about to panic when someone we knew saw me and asked what was wrong. I said "I can't find Joe" and she said "little Joe" and I said "MY JOE". She was calm and said "Go to the door and stand there" and she and a couple other ladies she was with split up to the corners of the place. BUT my barely 3 year old did remember his training (better than I did) and he went to the main desk and said "Hi, excuse me, my name is Joe-Joe __ and my mommy's name is A.. I'm lost". TOTALLY calm. The ladies tripped out on how well he did that. He handled it perfectly! But it took some practice. Not fear mongering, but practice and practical discussions. It made him feel big to learn something so important, to tell the truth!
Also, Babies R Us and Amazon have a book called "It's Time To Call 911" which is neat for little ones.

I think I first mentioned it when my son was 3. I wanted to make sure he was familiar with the numbers first and also with the concept of dialing a phone. I was a bit concerned that he might experimentally call 911, but it has never happened.

At 4 years old, we have gone over a few "stranger-danger" books. One was put out by the local police department and it covered the 911 issue. I have chosen quiet times and quiet places to review these books and not always at bedtime, because I want him to differentiate these from bedtime stories. He has always listened and taken the subject very seriously.

I would start introducing the subject now and just keep reviewing it every 3 months or so. That way you can ensure that it eventually sinks in.

My daughter knows all about 911 and when to use it. We started emphasizing it when she was 2 and she really started to understand about 3 1/2 years old. Our problem stems from the fact that the only landline we have is a cordless phone 4.5 feet on the wall in the kitchen. She can reach the phone but I don't think she understands that she has to press the "Talk" buttor first.

I just wrote this whole response abotu 9/11 not 9-1-1. Sorry.

Definately teach her now. Draw a keypad, and highlight the 3 digits. Let her practice on that. It will help her learn her numbers. Just keep reinforcing the goal in words she can understand, like "if Mommy and Daddy ever get hurt and can't call teh police, you call 9-1-1." But only if Mommy and Daddy can'ts - that is the key part, because she has to understand not ot call for fun :) It will sink in. My 3 year old knows 9-1-1, but I still don't think she could find the digits on the phone nor do I think she might react correctly in a real emergency, but I am happy she knows the number and when she is 4 or 5, dialing it will come naturally to her.

Does she know her phone number and her address, the city you all live in? Does she know your full name and your husbands full names?

Once she knows this info, she should be ready to know about 911. Of course if you have a land line at home that will be easy, but if you all have cell phones, she will need to learn how to use both,.

Our daughter was ready to learn 911 when she was 4.

On the news about a year ago, a little 3 year old found her daddy on the floor. She had been on walks with her daddy and knew where the fire station was. She walked 3 blocks to the fire station to tell the firemen (who her daddy had introduced her to) that her daddy wouldn't wake up. She saved his life!
At 3, they are old enough to learn about 911. I just taught my 3/4 year olds about fire safety and we visited a fire station. When the nice fireman asked my girls what they do in an emergency, all but one responded with dial 911!
Next goal of mine is to teach my new 4 year old her address.