Hannah Avery and I had a bit of an adventure this morning. It could have turned into a minor emergency, but luckily Hannah knew how to use the phone. Let me start at the beginning.
Some mornings (especially in the winter) we take our time starting the day, we go slow, do our chores and complete our morning routine at a relaxed pace. This morning was not one of those mornings. Avery's 6 month check up at the dentist was scheduled for 10:00 am. We had a lot to do and we had to be out of the house by 9:30. Little did I know, there would be no second cup of coffee this morning.
Hannah was eating breakfast and Avery was watching Reading Rainbow when I headed for the bathroom to get dressed. I started to get ready, but needed something in my bedroom, so I tried to open the door. (Here's where the adventure begins.) The door wouldn't open! "Hannah let go of the handle." I shouted through the door. "We don't have time for games this morning!" "Mommy, what are you talking about, I'm not touching the door." Now I start jiggling the handle, the door won't open. I'm pulling it and pushing it, nothing. It's locked. Strange thing is, the door has no lock. (I do not need this today, of all morning's, we have an appointment.)
Hannah tried to help from the outside, but to no avail. We have an emergency list of numbers on the fridge for her, so she got those and started dialing for help. Mimi and Pop-Pop were both at work. She couldn't call her Father because his cell phone was not charged and I never thought to teach her how to page him. She finally reached my Sister. Help was on the way. After 45 minutes of being locked in a cold bathroom,(we have no heat in there) and worrying about what mischief the girls might be getting into, I was finally rescued. My Sister was able to pry open the door with a knife. Thank goodness!
This experience taught me that even though I had prepared Hannah for different types of emergencies, we could never be prepared for everything. We taught her the basics, she knows her address, phone number, and how to dial 911. She knows the "Stay Safe Rules" and we have practiced fire drills and many different "What If Scenarios". Never have we paracticed what to do if Mommy gets locked in a bathroom.
Needless to say, what I had planned for table time got postponed. Instead, Hannah learned how to page someone. She also learned how to send an email and we practiced a few more phone skills. I also added a few more numbers to our emergency phone number list. We now have the local Police Department number listed. As I type this, I realize that Hannah has never seen a phone book, so she obviously doesn't know how to use one. Two more lessons to add to my lesson plans. How to use a phone book and how to search for a phone number on the internet. After all, what if I'm locked in a bathroom and the electric is out? We will still need that obsolete telephone book.
An extra note. Hannah stayed calm, even when she was frustated. She managed to get Avery a snack, and she managed to get help. One thing is for sure, she knows how to THINK, and that saved the day!!!!
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