My toddler -- who is now almost 22 months old -- loves to play with our phone. The house phone. (Yes, we still have one of those things called a "land-line.") And I let her. Why not? We're so cheap here the "land-line" can only dial our own area code so it's virtually useless. It's more for looks, or nostalgia, or because I just need one more thing on the kitchen counter.
So she's playing with the phone and I'm cleaning up the kitchen for the 17th time that day when she comes in saying, "Dada. Dada. Dada."
"Awww, isnt she sweet? She wants to call her dad! I can't wait to tell him this tonight, but I'll probably forget." --This is what's going through my head as I take the phone from her and ask, "Do you want to call Daddy? Ok, let's call him."
I put the phone to my ear and realize someone's on the line, "Hello?"
"Yes this is the [our town] police. We're about to dispatch a car. Is everything okay?"
"What?!?!?" That's exactly what I say and it sounds a lot like the skit that Dave Chappelle did on his old show where he just says "What? What?"
"You dialed 9-1-1, so we're going to dispatch a car."
"What?!?!" I get a hold of my senses here, "Oh my god, that was my daughter. She's a toddler. She must have dialed 9-1-1. I didnt even think this was possible on this phone!"
Before we hang up, I tell my kids -- in my nicest voice here because I don't want them dispatching a car -- "No more playing with the phone!"
Two seconds later we get a call from 9-1-1 making sure we're okay because "we received a call and heard two small children..." I can only imagine what they heard.
So she's playing with the phone and I'm cleaning up the kitchen for the 17th time that day when she comes in saying, "Dada. Dada. Dada."
"Awww, isnt she sweet? She wants to call her dad! I can't wait to tell him this tonight, but I'll probably forget." --This is what's going through my head as I take the phone from her and ask, "Do you want to call Daddy? Ok, let's call him."
I put the phone to my ear and realize someone's on the line, "Hello?"
"Yes this is the [our town] police. We're about to dispatch a car. Is everything okay?"
"What?!?!?" That's exactly what I say and it sounds a lot like the skit that Dave Chappelle did on his old show where he just says "What? What?"
"You dialed 9-1-1, so we're going to dispatch a car."
"What?!?!" I get a hold of my senses here, "Oh my god, that was my daughter. She's a toddler. She must have dialed 9-1-1. I didnt even think this was possible on this phone!"
Before we hang up, I tell my kids -- in my nicest voice here because I don't want them dispatching a car -- "No more playing with the phone!"
Two seconds later we get a call from 9-1-1 making sure we're okay because "we received a call and heard two small children..." I can only imagine what they heard.
Thank goodness I found "Aha! Parenting" and I don't yell anymore.
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