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Original poster

2year old dials 999 - mine couldnt do this!

17 replies

llynnnn · 15/07/2009 20:09

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/8148506.stm

my 2 year old doesnt know how to dial 999, her address or even how to open the door! could yours??

OP posts:

Tinker · 15/07/2009 20:11

She could open the door at 2 as she did just that and ran out into the street!

The girl in the story might be nearly 3?

Original poster

llynnnn · 15/07/2009 20:12

mine is almost 3! and thats the reason i havent taught her how to open the door, mustve been scary for you

OP posts:

ButterbeerAndLemon · 15/07/2009 20:16

I was actually quite relieved to listen to the call and find that "all" she managed to do was dial 999 and say the name of her street. I still feel like an inadequate parent as my 4yo couldn't do that, but not quite so inadequate as if she'd given a masterly summary of the situation to the operator...

CMOTdibbler · 15/07/2009 20:17

When DS was 2.6 he could tell you that you would dial 999 in an emergency, and his name and address. By 3 he can also recite his phone number. It was inspired by Fireman Sam

midnightexpress · 15/07/2009 20:18

No, but if I had some sort of serious allergy I'd probably have made more effort to teach them things like that I guess.

DS1 (3.6) does know his address and phone number and has done for a year or so. Only because I remember being impressed that a friend's DD knew hers and thinking that it's actually quite useful if they ever get lost that they could tell someone where they live/phone number. Though he'd no doubt clam up completely and refuse to divulge any useful information.

Lilyloo · 15/07/2009 20:26

Wow that's great for a 2 year old , i just asked dd 4 and she had no idea.
Have just ran through her address and what number to ring in an emergency.

ButterbeerAndLemon · 15/07/2009 20:35

Have just done the same with DS, but don't have great faith in his powers of retention (although I asked him what he would do if there was an emergency and he ran through his nursery's evacuation procedure in admirable detail, so repetition clearly has some impact).

Claire2009 · 15/07/2009 20:41

Wow!

My 2yo Ds can open the front door, but not call 999.

My 3yo Dd can open the door, probably call 999 and tell house number and street.

MIAonline · 15/07/2009 20:50

My 2 year old knows his address but have never shown him how to dial 999. He does recognise numbers though so should be fairly easy to teach, but I am not sure that he would actually then do it in an emergency.

PacificDogwood · 15/07/2009 20:53

My 15 month old DS can dial 999 and 999999 and 999999999 and has done so repeatedly !!
Phone now kept well and truly out of reach. DS NOT happy about it....

Verity79 · 15/07/2009 21:06

i have epilepsy and I had my one and only seizure at home with my DDs a little while ago. My DD1 (just over 3) called my DH on my mobile and told him 'mummy is asleep and won't wake up. Come home' DH broke the land speed record coming home and found DD1 and I lying on our futon in the sitting room (I'd obviously put it down just before having the seizure) and DD2 16m/o asleep in the pushchair.

DD1 also knows our address and what to do if she is lost or if mummy has a seizure when we are out - find another mummy or daddy with children, or a shop assistant in uniform or policeman (as if!) and tell them 'my mummy has epilepsy.'

janeite · 15/07/2009 21:12

DD1 could have probably done it. DD2 knew most of the address (not the phone number: that took her ages to remember) but was convinced that she lived in Letterland!

janeite · 15/07/2009 21:13

Verity - she sounds great!

Verity79 · 15/07/2009 21:32

Thanks Janeite I like to thing so. She's very astute for her age though she does have a big mouth on her. She told loads of people 'My mummy has to keep weeing today' when I had cystisis I am pg so I have an excuse (honest)

Original poster

llynnnn · 16/07/2009 08:39

verity, its great your dd did that (the phone call, not telling everyone about your problem!!) bless her!

think i will have to teach dd how to call 999, worried that she will do it all the time though! an emergency to her is having no juice left in her cup!!

OP posts:

LouLovesAeroplaneJelly · 16/07/2009 09:18

I remember some wonderful stories about children calling the emergency services. I remember one girl who was about 4 who was woken up at about 3am by her younger brother who was about 2. He could not wake him mum up. The girl went to check and then called the ambulance. Told them her name address phone etc also that mum would not wake up and was not breathing. She then settled her brother down in bed, gave him a drink unlocked the front door, turned on the outide lights and then waited for the paramedics to arrive. Turns out mum had an aneurism and had died in her sleep but she did all above without panicking. That is amazing.

Also remember one about this girl who was about 8 who had had had a visit from the paramedics at school and they were giving them a rough overview of first aid, cpr etc.
Two days later when her grandfather was babysitting he had a massive MI and collapsed. She called the paramedics and then started cpr on him. It was not the best cpr but better then some adults can do. She also managed to get the front door open. Long story short. He survived all becuase crp was started within 4 mins of collapse!

NormaSknockers · 16/07/2009 09:31

DD at 2 could tell you her name & part of her address but only because I drummed into her on a daily basis! Now at the age of 3 she can tell you her full name, full address & a tiny bit of her phone number, she also knows she doesn't tell anyone other then a policeman this

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