About Heather Camlot
A freelance writer, crafts junkie and mom of two, Heather Camlot is constantly on the lookout for that elusive work-life balance she hears so much about. Read about Heather's never ending search for five minutes to herself while trying to meet deadlines, make the school bus and raise two fantastic children.
Have you heard about the seven-year-old boy who called 911 when his home was invaded by gunmen? I hadn’t until my parents recounted the story to me later that evening. And what a story it is.
According to the news reports, while the armed robbers held the parents at gunpoint, the young boy grabbed his sister and a phone, went into the bathroom, locked the door and called 911. The dispatcher on the other end had deputies at the house within three minutes, but not before the gunmen knocked in the bathroom door and asked the boy whom he called. When he told them, they fled.
The story had me tearing up; how scared the whole family must have been, and yet how clear-thinking this boy was. When asked how he knew what to do, he said he and his mother practiced emergency drills everyday. I find this fascinating. And eye-opening.
I have never discussed with Alexandre what to do in an emergency. I mean, he’s asked what to do in case of fire, and I simply said, get out of the house and go directly next door. I guess my thinking has been that he’d never be home without an adult so there’s no real reason to get into specifics. Now I’m not so sure.
Alexandre knows our phone number off by heart, and he knows the general cross-streets of our house. He also knows Marc’s and my real names – you know, besides mom and dad – and we’ve talked about what to do if he ever gets lost. So I suppose that we have started introducing safety measures. But the story makes me feel like it’s not enough.
So what should a parent teach and how? I’ve put together a few sites to get you, and me, started.
Teaching your children to use 911
Home: is your child safe?
Teaching children fire safety
How to teach simple first aid to kids
Let’s plan for the unexpected
What have you taught your children to do in emergency situations? Log in and leave a comment below.
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