How to teach children what to do in an emergency
A mum has described how her five-year-old son "saved her life" by calling 999 after she collapsed at home, highlighting the importance of teaching children what to do in an emergency situation.
Ruby Natalie, 30, an influencer from London, started feeling ill at around 4pm on August 8, so she decided to head to her bedroom for a lie-down.
She was there for a couple of hours until her son JJ came in to ask for a drink, prompting her to get out of bed.
But having stood up, the mum-of-two collapsed and fell unconscious.
"I don't remember much from it," Natalie explains. "All I know is what the ambulance told me.
"They said JJ was incredible."
After seeing his mum collapse, JJ grabbed her phone and dialled 999. He spoke with the operators and followed all of their instructions - attempting to put his mum in the recovery position and letting the team know every time she took a breath.
When the paramedics arrived, JJ went downstairs, unlocked the door, and led them to his mum's bedroom.
"He's a hero in my eyes," Natalie continues.
"I've told him that he saved mummy's life. He's very proud of himself."
Ruby's other son Leo, nine, was not home at the time - and her fiancé Ansis, 26, was down in the flat block's car park fixing his car.
Ansis only knew something had gone wrong when an ambulance turned up.
"He asked them what flat they were there for, and when they said our number, he bolted upstairs," Natalie explains.
After the paramedics arrived the mum was rushed to hospital where doctors discovered she was bleeding internally due to an issue with her fallopian tubes.
She had to have emergency surgery and is still recovering.
Recalling her son's quick-thinking she says: "I've told him in the past about what to do in an emergency, for example if a burglar broke in.
"But it's not something you go over and over again with children his age, so I wasn't sure he would remember.
"He's only five after all. But the ambulance said he was incredible. I'm so proud."
How to teach kids to make a 999 call
While it's incredibly important that children know what to do in an emergency situation, it can be difficult for parents to know when is a good time to teach children how to make a 999 call and how to go about doing it.
According to Cormac Nolan, service head at Childline there is no age too young to begin to teach children about how to keep themselves safe, however, an adult should always use age-appropriate language when starting any conversation.
"Young people or children might find it hard to start the conversation about how to keep themselves safe and deal with emergencies," Nolan explains. "Parents or carers will know their child well and will need to take into consideration their personality, their fears, how well they’ll respond to potential scary situations."
Nolan says the level of detail an adult may decide to share can be influenced by the age of the young person, but it can help to begin by checking in with the young person what they already know.
"Exploration of feelings is important, and it is always ok if the young person is unsure or unable to express how they feel at a given time, it is something to revisit with them and it is helpful to check-in with the young person after the conversation or to pay more attention to how they are and how they are behaving," he advises.
Many parents may be concerned about the prospect of scaring young children, but Nolan advises a gentle check-in following the conversation can be helpful particularly for young children.
"It can also be useful to be aware of possible changes in behaviour once you’ve spoken to them, such as young people becoming withdrawn, irritable, or talking and behaving in a way that is out of character to point this out (gently) and to ask if everything is ok," he continues.
"It can take a young person some time to understand and come to terms with their sometimes-confused thoughts and feelings, so it is always wise to offer them the opportunity to speak whenever they are ready."
In terms of what children are advised to do in an emergency situation Nolan says they should always call 999.
"Their safety is the priority and the professionals on the other end of the line will be able to guide them through the process of finding help nearby," he explains.
"In non-emergencies, children can reach out to counselling services, such as Childline, to talk through problems or worries they might have that are not emergencies."
Experts from Safe + Sound, which runs first aid and safety training courses across the UK, have put together some further tips for children in how to respond in an emergency and advises teaching them how to:
Spot when someone needs help (e.g. “If you can’t wake up mummy or daddy by tickling them…”)
Make an emergency call on mobiles (and a landline, if you have one)
Say what’s happened
Give their age
Give their address if they are at home
Follow basic instructions
Stay on the phone until the ambulance arrives
"It’s also a good idea to check that you have ‘ICE’ (in case of emergency) contacts set up in your phone," the website advises. "Both Android and Apple phones let you add a list of emergency contacts. You can also add medical information such as known conditions, allergies and medications."
Childline is always available to talk to any child in the UK either online or over phone. Their trained counsellors are there 24/7 to help young people with any worries, concerns or questions – no matter how big or small they might feel. Simply visit childline.org.uk or call 0800 1111.
Additional reporting SWNS.
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