Emergencies

Emily Yeung was visiting the 911 call centre. I don’t think they call it a call centre, actually. That’s something else. Something you wouldn’t really need in an emergency. Or at any other time. Anyway, emergency control command operation central centre, center, whatever. That’s where Emily Yeung was. Ah. You don’t know who Emily Yeung is? She is one of television’s best presenters. She is charming, intelligent, probing, polite, and very natural in front of the camera. She is 6 years old (and therefore “a big girl”) and she goes and does interesting things, or even everyday things, along with a film crew. It’s then edited into a very good 5 minutes of television for children. “You said that American kids’ tv is rubbish” I hear you say. I know, I know. Well, I’ve found another little nugget of good watching amongst the relentless cartoons. And actually, Emily Yeung is a Canadian production (I mention this because if I don't, some other smart alec will; a smart alec or a defensive Canadian).

Anyway, Emily Yeung was at the 911 place, and I started thinking to myself whether I wanted 3-yo to know about 911. She might get bad ideas. After all, Emily Yeung made it look rather fun. You get to pretend your teddy bear has fallen off a swing, and the paramedics come and play hospitals with you. Hm. I must remember to keep the phones out of reach.

This brings back memories of 10-yo, who loved the phone, and the times he dialed 999. Times. Yes. Three of them. But this is the sneaky thing. It was from three different locations: our house, and once from each grandparental home. So I avoided getting on the “very bad mothers who let their children play with the phone” register. In his defence, he didn’t mean to dial 999. Of course 999 was invented when dialing meant dialing, not pushing buttons (although we still say “dialing”, which must be rather confusing for the younger generation). It's clear that 999 would never have been chosen in the push button age. It is too obviously the combination that a wobbly toddler, pulling himself to stand at a desk on which a phone sits, and patting happily away at the buttons, is most likely to hit. That and the speaker on/off button, so that when his mother comes into the room, she is confused by the voice that is coming, seemingly out of nowhere, “Is Mummy there? Is anyone there with you? Where’s your Mummy?” Most disconcerting.

Yes, 911 is a much better number. Well done America. By the way, for those of you who have a phone-obsessed toddler, and want to know what happens if he dials the emergency services by mistake, don’t go out to a call box to try it. I’ll tell you for free. They confirm that there is no reason for the call, and then say “this is a service for emergencies and you are using valuable resources; please keep your child away from the phone in the future” which is totally fair enough, and you deserve to feel as small as you do. Don’t ask me what happens if they know your child does this repeatedly. That’s one for the public call box. Or we might find out if Emily Yeung ever visits a maternal correctional facility.