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Teaching Kids to Call 911

June 25, 2021 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy Leave a Comment

*This teaching kids to call 911 post contains affiliate links

I learned all about calling 911 with my oldest son. He was around 7 the first time he called 911.

We lived in Ohio at the time, but were visiting my parents in Kentucky. My husband cut his hand with his pocket knife. It wasn’t bad, no stitches required, but I guess it scared our son. He went in the other room and called 911.

I found out when I answered the phone when 911 called back to check to see what was going on. I had to explain the situation, which they accepted, and we avoided anyone coming to the house.

So we had a big discussion with him about how 911 was for emergencies only. To which he replied it was because dad was bleeding. So we continued that discussion. We thought we had finally gotten through to him.

Teaching Kids to Call 911 My Story Part 2

Until a couple of days later…..

We were back home in Ohio. And as moms do, I went to the bathroom. Since kids can come up with all kinds of trouble while mom is in the bathroom….

My son called 911 again. So much for our conversation.

So I’m in the bathroom when I hear the answering machine in the other room. “We received a call from this number. We are checking to see if everyone is ok”

Oh my! Guess who flew out of the bathroom?

I ran out to the phone and replayed the message. Yep, I had heard it right. So now I’m freaking out! What do I do? Call 911 back? That didn’t seem right. I didn’t want to tie up the line. So while I’m standing there trying to figure out what to do, I hear a knock at the door.

2 policemen. “ we got a call from here so we’re checking to see if everything is ok”

So yes, I had to stand there and tell the police that my son must have called while I was in the bathroom and that I heard the callback but couldn’t get to the phone in time. Because I was in the bathroom. Lol They believed me lol and I didn’t get arrested for making false 911 calls.

So we had another discussion. Apparently this one sunk I because he never called 911 again.

Teaching Kids to Call 911

Before you start, you need to make sure that your child has memorized their full name and address. Even a 2 year old can learn that pretty quickly. A land line call can be traced to your address, but cell phones will take a long time to trace, if it is even possible with your phone/ where you live.

After learning those, the first step in teaching kids to call 911 is to teach them WHEN and WHY to call 911. This can be in general terms, or in more specific terms if someone in the family has a health condition. I’ve linked some resources below to help you.

Once they know the when and why for calling 911, it’s time to teach them how to use the phone to call.

If you have a landline phone, teaching kids to call 911 is easy. Just make sure the phone is hung up when dialing!

Teaching kids to call 911 on a cell phone is a little more complicated. You need to check out the phone that they would most likely have access to in an emergency. Cell phones have a way to access the phone to call 911 without having to put in the phones password.

On my phone, when the home button is pressed, the keypad comes on the screen to put in the password, but at the bottom it says EMERGENCY. When that is touched , the phones number pad comes on the screen. I think on some phones it’s a swipe. So check out your phone so you can teach the kids the correct procedure to use to make the call. Go over that procedure often so they remember. When you get a new phone, remember to check it out to see if it works differently so you can show them that way.

What to Do When You Accidentally Call 911

While you are teaching your kids how to call 911, they, (or you!) may accidentally make the call for real.

When that happens, it is recommend to stay on the call, don’t hang up! Then tell the dispatcher you were teaching your kids, and the call was an accident. As I learned they will make a call back if you hang up that takes extra time for them.

It’s helpful to look up the non-emergency number for dispatch. So if your kid calls 911, you don’t have to freak out like I did and not know what to do. Call the non-emergency number and tell them what happened if you miss the call back, like I did.

Teaching your kids to call 911, the correct way!, isn’t difficult, but might be tricky depending on your kid, (or mine, sheesh, lol) and your phone.

Here’s a book, A Childs Guide to Calling 911, that will help reinforce what you have taught them.

Check out this website and resources that will help you.

Visit 911 for Kids for lots of helpful information for teaching your kids about 911.

They have a 911 Lesson Plan, that I wish I had had! lol

And a pdf for teaching kids about emergencies that looks amazing.

If you are having to teach your children how to call 911 because of health issues in your family, you may find my Homeschooling in a Crisis post helpful. If your kids are still having virtual school, you may find it helpful, also.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you click the links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Filed Under: Homeschool, Kids

VOOKS Storybooks Brought to Life Review & Giveaway

April 28, 2021 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy 4 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links

I was recently able to check out VOOKS, storybooks brought to life to review. VOOKS is a really cool streaming library of kid-safe animated storybooks. Be sure to check out the giveaway below!

VOOKS is trusted by teachers, and loved by kids around the world. It encourages independent learning, and a love of reading.

VOOKS Storybooks brought to life

VOOKS Review & Giveaway

Once you get a subscription to VOOKS, you can make profiles for your kids. This is easy, and only takes a few seconds. You put in their name – first or a chosen screen name, age, and their preferred language. You can pick from several options for a profile picture. All the options are similar in style to those you can see in the picture below. I actually like that they don’t give you the option of uploading the child’s picture.

Switching between profiles is very quick as well. The kids can do that themselves.

Once you are signed in to VOOKS, you will see a large selection of books, in different categories to choose from. The pic below is how it looks on the computer screen.

Below is a picture from my phone. When you click on a title, you can see how long the book is, what category it is in, and the age group it is best for. You can click the heart to save it for later in favorites.

Not only can they save the books that they want to read, this is useful for you to “assign” books for your child to read.

VOOKS even has lesson plans, offering discussion topics and engaging activities. They are fun, free, and printable. So whether you are a teacher, homeschool teacher, or parent looking to supplement your child’s learning, you will find them very useful. You can see some of the categories in the picture below.

If the child has to stop reading before they finish it, the next time they sign in it will tell them how much time they have remaining in the book. Then they can click on the resume button when they are ready to finish the book.

The words are displayed on the screen, with the words highlighted as the story is being read. This helps kids that are learning how to read, and also helps their vocabulary and spelling.

I have thoroughly enjoyed using VOOKS. The children in your life will enjoy it, too! It’s 100% kid-friendly and parent-approved!

Try Vooks free for 30 days! Go to VOOKS to sign up!

VOOKS Giveaway!

Enter below to win a one year subscription to VOOKS! Be sure to read the terms & conditions on the form!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#VooksMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork #vooks #betterscreentime #vookspartner

Disclosure: Many thanks to Vooks for providing this product/product information for review.  Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

*This post contains an affiliate link. If you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Homeschool, Reviews Tagged With: giveaway, homeschool, review

My #1 Piece of Advice to Homeschool Moms

August 25, 2020 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy 1 Comment

*This My #1 Piece of Advice to Homeschool Moms post contains affiliate links

I have 6 kids, and began homeschooling in September 1991 when we started kindergarten with my oldest.

Now, all six have graduated from our homeschool! Our youngest graduated in February of 2019.  I did the math for you. We homeschooled for 27 years.

So I have a lot of experience homeschooling. And  now, I’m going to share my #1 piece of advice to homeschool moms.

My #1 Piece of Advice to Homeschool Moms

My #1 Piece of Advice to Homeschool Moms

Are you ready for it? Here it is!

Relax!

Yes, that one word is my #1 piece of advice to homeschool moms. Really. Here are just a few examples of what I mean when I say relax.

Relax. Make learning fun for your young elementary ages kids.  It’s ok if your kid doesn’t learn how to read until they are 10. Or doesn’t memorize the times table until they are 12. The list could go on and on. It really is ok to relax and let your student learn at their own pace.

 

Relax. It’s ok if your middle school and high school students don’t play every sport or join every homeschool club or co-op you can find. It’s ok to let them pick only one sport or one club.  It’s even ok if your student doesn’t want to play sports or join any club at all!

 

Relax. There will be gaps. I have heard so many times over our homeschooling years about gaps in homeschool students learning. Guess what? No matter where you go to school, no matter how hard the homeschool teacher and classroom setting teacher try, there will be gaps in a student’s learning! It is not humanly possible to learn everything there is to learn in 12 years of schooling.

You know what? College graduates will have gaps in their learning, too! It is also not humanly possible to learn everything there is to learn in the world in four years of college. If your students don’t like and study British Literature, they will still be ok. If your students don’t learn Greek Mythology, they will still be ok. Relax. Let your high school students follow their interests. Let them study what they are passionate about. No, I’m not saying they can skip the core subjects they need to graduate. Those are mandatory. But let them have a say in what they are studying. And definitely let them choose their own electives. Learning can be, and should be, still fun in high school.

 

There you have it.

My #1 piece of advice to homeschool moms. Relax.

 

Check out my other homeschool posts!

And my Amazon homeschool store!

Science

*This post contains affiliate links. If you click the links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you

Filed Under: Homeschool

What Should Your Homeschool Day Look Like

January 3, 2018 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy Leave a Comment

 

 

That is both a hard and easy question.

 

What should your homeschool day look like?

 

Homeschool moms & dads everywhere struggle with that question.

 

What Should Your Homeschool Day Look Like

 

It’s tough because we want to make sure we fit everything in. All the required school work, the supplemental music, art, sports, church activities, scouting, etc, and family time.

 

I think I have fried a few brain cells over the years trying to answer this question. We started homeschooling kindergarten with our oldest in 1991. We are still homeschooling our youngest. That’s a lot of years, and a lot of homeschool schedules to figure out!

 

~ To make answering this question easier, start with how you want your family’s life to look outside of school hours.

 

Does Dad or Mom have a work schedule that is different from 9-5? Adjust school hours to coincide with the work schedule. Some people do school on the weekends, so the family can have the same days off together.

 

Want to be done with school in the morning so you can have afternoons & evenings free for family time or visiting others?

 

Want mornings free for family time before Dad leaves for work in the afternoon? Start school after Dad leaves, and work into the evening if necessary.

 

~ Then  you will need to decide what activities you will do on school days.

 

Does your homeschool group have classes you attend during the day?When my two oldest were younger, we belonged to a group that had classes one day a week. Some groups meet 2 or 3 days a week.

 

What about sports? Often times, homeschool sports meet during the afternoon or early evening hours. Then games are often during the day. Two of my girls played on a homeschool volleyball team. We had to adjust their schooling schedules around volleyball practices and games for a few months.

 

~ There will also be certain seasons that you may have to curtail outside activities, and have a lighter school work load.

 

Like after a new baby is born, or when someone in the family has a scheduled surgery. Maybe you are going to be taking care of an elderly or sick parent for a time.

 

A schedule doesn’t have to be forever. It may be just for a season. Fall football, winter volleyball, spring soccer. Until Dad or mom’s work schedule changes, or until the baby sleeps through the night.

 

~ There are many activities, and daily living activities that you will need to adjust your homeschool schedule for.

 

By planning what days and times work best for your family, you can make sure everything gets done without the kids, or you, being overwhelmed.

 

Deciding on a schedule that will work for your family is a must do first step. You have to have the schedule written before you get to the fun part. Lesson planning!

 

Filed Under: Homeschool

Fun Eclipse Projects, Maps, Simulator, and Viewing Tips

August 18, 2017 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy 1 Comment

 

In case, you have missed the news, there will be a total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, 2017. This will be the first total eclipse to be visible from the continental US in 40 years. The path of totality will travel across the length of the continent.

 

Fun Eclipse Projects, Maps, Simulator, and Viewing Tips

 

The next total solar eclipse visible from the states will be on April 8, 2024. You can check out this website for other future solar eclipse dates, as well as maps.

 

Use this website to check the Eclipse Time in your area.

 

Use this Eclipse eBook from Apologia to help the kids learn more.

 

Check out these eclipse viewers to make:

 
Printable Pinhole Projectors

 
Make a Box Pinhole Projector

 

Make an eclipse viewer out of a cereal box

 

 

 

Or try using your hands to view the solar eclipse.

 

 

Eclipse Mega Movie Simulator – This is so cool. Type in your city and state, and it will play a video showing what the eclipse will look like where you live.

 

Check out this video from The Weather Channel

 

 

 

Now that we covered the fun stuff, lets cover solar eclipse viewing safety.

NEVER look directly at the sun. Make sure your kids know this, too. If you are in the path of totality, you can safely remove your viewing glasses for the brief moment that the sun is in total eclipse. Then put the glasses back on to view the rest of the eclipse.

Don’t use do it yourself viewing glasses or solar filters to view the eclipse.

Don’t put on solar eclipse viewing glasses and look through binoculars.

 

There are a lot of counterfeit eclipse glasses on the market. Several brands of eclipse viewing glasses have been recalled. Please check where you purchased your glasses to make sure they haven’t been recalled.

You can find out where to purchase eclipse glasses approved by the American Astronomical Society here. NASA also has a list of eclipse viewing safety here.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Homeschool

My Top 5 Tips to Make Your Homeschool Day Easier

February 13, 2017 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy Leave a Comment

*This post contains affiliate links

 

 

We finished our homeschool journey last year. And what a journey it was!

We started homeschooling our oldest in 1991 when he started kindergarten. Our youngest graduated last year. 28 years! That’s a long time! Some days were amazing. And some days were very, very bad. I learned a few things over the years about how to make my homeschooling life easier.

 

My Top 5 Tips to Make Your Homeschool Day Easier

 

My Top 5 Tips to Make Your Homeschool Day Easier

 

–Menu planning
Preparing meals is a large part of our day. planning meals ahead of time makes a huge difference in the amount of time we have to spend in the kitchen. And it saves money, too! Check out some of my dinner menus if you need ideas. When food is ready on time, and the family is fed and happy, there is so much less stress for mom.

 

-Morning routine

Mornings can be hectic! Having a morning routine will help you get a great start to your day. Figure out the top 5 or 6 things that will make the most difference in your day. My morning routine  has things like dressing to shoes (I work better in tied on shoes then in slippers), eating breakfast yourself (moms often feed the kids but don’t take the time to eat themselves) emptying the dishwasher, putting supper in the slow cooker, etc.

Don’t forget to make the kids their own morning routines. Hang their list in a prominent spot where it is easier for them to see and do. Help them to accomplish the tasks at first, like make bed, brush teeth, a household chore or two, working with them until they become self sufficient completing the list.


-Set aside an hour or two as quiet time
– little ones nap, older ones (and you!) rest quietly on their beds and read. You can either nap your self, read, or catch up on work. Quiet work so you don’t wake the kids!

 

–Develop an afternoon school routine – include those things that will clean up the school area, put away school supplies, grade papers, file papers, gather all the books and supplies you will need the next day, etc. Whatever you feel needs to be done so you have a less cluttered school area, so you can get a good start the next morning

 

-Enjoy your day! Yes, being responsible for our kids education is serious business. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the journey! Laugh at your little ones attempt at jokes, laugh with your kids about something the baby or toddler just did. Laughing breaks during school are the best kind! Do something fun in the middle of the day. Take pictures of the crazy positions you find your kids in while doing their schoolwork.

 

Don’t let the challenges of homeschooling rob you of the joy of homeschooling!

 

Here are some of my favorite homeschool books!

 

 

 

*This post contains affiliate links – if you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission

Filed Under: Homeschool

5 Fun, Educational Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids

February 8, 2017 by Linda @ Linda's Lunacy 2 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links

 

Valentines’s Day doesn’t have to be just about the candy for kids. Here are some fun activities to do with the kids that don’t involve eating lots of candy. They might eat some cookies that they make themselves, though!

 

5 Fun and Educational Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids

 

5 Fun, Educational Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids

 

Conversation Heart Science Experiments – some fun experiments using those little candy hearts

 

Heart Attack – write nice comments about your kids on hearts and put them on their doors. Have the kids write comments on hearts for their siblings, too.

 

Set up a Valentine Station – put all the crafting supplies needed to make Valentine’s in one place so the kids can easily make their own. You can put everything on one desk, or put all the supplies in a bin that can be carried a table or desk when the kids want to create some fun Valentine’s Day art

 

Valentines Day math with free printable candy heart sorting chart.

 

Practice using fractions while baking cookies – Get the kids in the kitchen and make heart shaped cookies with them. Let them do as much of the measuring and mixing as they are able to. Measuring involves fractions, so it’s the perfect time to discuss them. Let the kids get creative decorating them.

Sharing the cookies they made with others is fun, too!

 

 

 

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link, and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

Filed Under: Homeschool, Kids

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For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:16-17 NKJV


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