When Your Parents Fail, Call 911

Driving home from work the other night, my five-year-old daughter, Rose, said, "When your parents fail, call 911."

"What?'

"That's what Sabrina [a classmate] says to do, mommy. When your parents fail, call 911."

You know, while we do live in the southern United States, we don't really have many friends with accents so heavy that "fall" sounds like "fail."* And, in fact, Sabrina doesn't have the accent either. But still, I love the idea.

Kids being mean to Rose at school and I can't come up with the appropriate response? Call 911.

She needs new tennis shoes and we're broke that week? Call 911.

Forgot to sign her up for soccer again? Call 911.

Maybe I won't win Mother of the Year award but at least there's 911 to back me up.