To ask when did you teach your children about 999?

[QuestioningStuff]

I realise this isn't an AIBU, forgive me as I'm posting for traffic.

I'm a lone parent to 2 boys. My eldest is 3. I suffer from anxiety so don't always know when I'm panicking unreasonably, but one of my biggest worries that I can't shake at the moment is that something will happen to me while we're at home and nobody will know.

DS1 is very smart for his age and I feel confident that he could dial 999 and ask for help if he knew how to, but I'm unsure how to talk to him about it. He can be sensitive sometimes and I don't want to freak him out as I suppose I'll need to specify the circumstances in which he'd need to call 999?

How do I approach this or am I being ridiculous?

My DS learnt when he was three. I did a lot of role plays with him and made a bit of a game of it while we practised him speaking to an 'operator' (me) and answering questions about what the problem is, his name and full address and how to follow the operator's instructions (and especially not to hang up until he is told to. He knows what to do if the adult he is with is incapacitated due to illness or accidents and if there is a fire.

My 6yo definitely knows but I can't remember when I taught her. She's seen/heard us do it a couple of times too, for DS (asthma attack and roads were jammed so couldn't drive to hospital ourselves). 3yo, not yet but I ought to. I have taught him to use the auto-dial function on the house phone to call my parents or my husband's mobile, I know for sure that he can do that. I Didn't have the confidence that he would talk on the phone to a stranger though. Difficult, isn't it, to explain to a 3yo why it's not ok to talk to strangers but it is ok to phone a stranger for help (and then answer the door to one...)? He does know our full address so I guess now is a good time...

I'm a LP and taught mine from pre-school age. I also popped a label sticker on the back of the handset with 999, our street address and a relatives number too.

I've taught my DS1, also 3, to use my mobile to call DH or my mum. Pretty much any time when he's in the vicinity of my mobile & able to call someone without me noticing is going to be a time when he needs to be asking for help! I'm over-protective of my phone! At least this way there are no numbers for him to remember - touching a photo of DH on the main screen of my phone will automatically call him - & DH/Mum can assess the situation by asking him questions & then they can take charge of calling for help if necessary. Bit of a round about way of doing it but I'm not convinced DS1 is mature enough to be told how to use 999 & he'd automatically want to call DH if there were something wrong with me. Sometimes I give him my phone & ask him to call DH & put it on speaker phone just to remind him how to do it.

3 is reasonble, all four of my DC knew how at that age. St John Ambulance teach basic first aid and the recovery position from age 5, so I would certainly expect a bright 3 year old to be able to understand how and when to call.