Emergency Steps Your Child Should Know

"From age 4 on up, your child should be able to dial 911 in the event of an emergency," says Julie Dutton, communications manager of the Garden Grove, California, police department. First, define what an emergency is for your child, so she doesn't think it's okay to call for help with a game, for example. "Tell her to use 911 only under one of the following circumstances: if Mommy or Daddy asks you to; if Mommy, Daddy, a babysitter, or another adult passes out and you can't wake him or her up; if there's fire and an adult isn't present; or if you see an accident and it looks like people are hurt," Dutton says. Rehearse mock-dialing 911 with your child, and teach her to answer the operator's questions simply and not to hang up until the operator tells her to.