Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Periodically on the news, I hear about a really young kid that saved a parent’s life by dialing 911 in an emergency situation. This is more than impressive.
My oldest son is pretty smart, and I could see him doing something like that. My daughter, although smart, can be kind of selfish. Even though she may know how to do it, it would pretty much come down to whether or not she felt like it.
Regardless of what might happen, I thought it was a good idea to teach the two of them what to do in an emergency.
At the time, I was pregnant with our third child. I get very sick when I'm pregnant and am usually pretty dehydrated. I get light-headed and sometimes I pass out. I figured it would be good for them to know what to do if I were to pass out and hit my head or something like that. This is how our conversation went:
Me: "OK you guys, what do you do if Mommy all of the sudden falls over and it looks like I'm asleep?Meg: "Get you a blankie."
As I suspected, the girl is of no help, although it's good to see that she does have some compassion after all. I turned my focus to the boy.
Me: "Cam, what if you couldn't wake me up and I was lying there not talking and my eyes were closed?" I realize this is confusing, since I nap next to them on the couch daily while they watch a movie. Since I also ignore their requests, I realize they will not know the difference. I make a mental note to hide the phone during nap times or 911 will also be getting called daily.
Cam: "I know, we call 911 or get a neighbor!"
I don’t feel guilty about the daily naps anymore after that answer. Obviously, I’m an awesome mom.
Me: "That's right buddy, very good."
- Always refer to the emergency number as "nine-one-one" not "nine-eleven."
- Make sure your child knows his or her personal information (name, address, phone number, etc.) and that it's OK to share that information with the 911 dispatcher.
- If you live in an apartment building, make sure your child knows the apartment number and floor you live on.
- If you have special circumstances in your house (an elderly grandparent or a person with a heart condition, etc.) prepare your child by discussing specific emergencies that could occur and how to spot them.
- Keep a first-aid kit handy and make sure your kids know where to find it. When kids are old enough, teach them basic first aid.
(Source: KidsHealth.org)
I try again with the girl. "OK, so Meg, if you ever see Mommy fall down and I can't move — you run to the neighbor's house and tell them Mommy is hurt."
Meg: "OK"
I was feeling pretty confident and proud of my kids. I headed into the bathroom for a potty break. As I was washing my hands I heard our door open. I went to see who was walking in my house and discovered my neighbor there.
Neighbor: "Oh good, you're OK. Meg just came running over and told me that you fell down and couldn't wake up."
Awesome. At least she knows how to do it.
Later, I had an actual semi-emergency and was able to see exactly how my kids would react.
Our kitchen and living room are connected. I was cooking dinner while the kids watched a show. All of the sudden I began to feel very shaky. I hadn't eaten yet and knew I hadn't been drinking enough water either. I tried to make it to the couch and instead sort of slumped to the floor where I passed out. My kids continued to watch "Curious George" while I lay on the floor. I came to and realized what had happened. Feeling horrible and knowing it would happen again, I knew I needed to call my husband.
Me, still on the floor: "You guys, I need help right now. I need you to call Daddy — this is an emergency."
Cam glances my way while Meg eats a handful of chips and continues to watch the monkey.
Cam: “Mom, can you get me some milk in a sippy cup and can you warm it up?”
Me (trying to raise my voice and be somewhat authoritative): "Cameron! I need you right now honey, this is an emergency like we talked about. Call Daddy right now!"
Cam doesn’t take his eyes off the show, but talks in an annoyed voice. “I just want some milk.”
I begin to dry heave and Meg finally decides to acknowledge me.
Meg: “Eww sick.”
At this point I’m on the floor with my legs up on the couch. There is vomit by my head.
Me: "Cameron Lee. You listen to me right now! This is an emergency!! Call Dad now! Mommy needs to go to the hospital!"
Cam looks at me angrily and growls in a frustrated voice as he reaches for the phone. "Rrrrggghhh! I have to do everything around here!!!"
I think I’m just going to buy a medical alert bracelet.
Kate Lee is a Utah native and mother of three. You can read more of her writing at www.momentsofchunder.blogspot.comContact her at momentsofchunder@gmail.com.
