Tohru Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 We're learning about community and safety and one of the lessons talks about teaching children how to call 9-1-1 in an emergency (TM Copyright 2004.) I don't know about everyone else, but my child rarely ever uses the phone. This lesson seems super complicated...for land lines you need a dial tone first, cell phones you dial first then push send, don't even get me started with the variety of smartphones and having to first figure out how to unlock the phone, then seek the number pad... Anyone else run into 9-1-1 as a problem? Any helpful hints or suggestions? Phones are so different from each other I feel like it's a lost lesson. It seems the only solution is to get my elementary aged, homeschool children their own phones and then teach them about 9-1-1. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 There is an app for aus called 000. I imagine us would have something similar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Is the lesson trying to cover all possible types of phones? Just do the parts that pertain to the phone(s) in your home adapting as needed. For example, on our landline, we do not listen for a dial tone first. We enter the number and push talk. If the children don’t have access to a smart phone, they don’t need to know how to make a call on one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I taught my kids the steps based on our phones. A child who can read can likely figure out how to do it on any smartphone with a way to do it (I'd be surprised there isn't a way to do it on some phone). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I would just teach them using the phones they're likely to need to use - your land line (in case they're home alone or something happens to you at home and they need help) and your cell phone (again, in case something happens to you). In the unlikely event that they're with a strange phone, they'll likely figure it out. Do you remember programming your VCR for your mom? I do. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Seconding to have them practice calling family members and talking on the phone. It took one of my boys ages to understand how to hold the phone because it seemed so not intuitive to him to hold this flat rectangle on his face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Yes! DD needed to learn this for a Girl Scout badge and we don't have a land line and our cell phones are locked and a pain-in-the-rump to open and get to the key pad. She just turned seven and rarely uses the phone and never dials. We ended up practicing on paper keypads and play phones. Need to try to teach her to use our phones, but in an emergency, I doubt she'd keep her head enough to actually get to the right screen. DH and I talked about getting an emergency phone for her. Maybe a simple pay-by-minute phone. I'm not sure. Our house isn't even wired for a land line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Mouse Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 In many places, it is actually fine for you/your child to call 911 when practicing. Just make sure to stay on the line long enough to tell the call taker what you are doing. If you hang up without talking to anyone, they will send emergency personnel to your location to check. Where I live, the non-emergency police number and 911 are routed to the same dispatcher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tohru Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 We have 3 different kinds of phones. It is very frustrating. I'll let them practice calling family - not sure why I didn't think of doing that :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tohru Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 I miss old phones. It feels weird to me to talk on something that's so small and flat. My face always touches the touch-screen and hangs up, or mutes, or puts it on LOUD speaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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