We usually tell our kids to call 911 when they need help, but one child took that advice to a whole new level! When a young boy found himself stuck on his homework, he figured he’d call for help the only way he knew how. Since 911 was the only number he remembered, he picked up the phone and dialed for assistance. After all, isn’t 911 meant for people who need help? In his mind, he wasn’t wrong.

When the 911 operator answered, they asked the usual questions, trying to figure out the emergency. After a few moments of back-and-forth confusion, the operator finally realized the boy wasn’t facing a life-threatening situation—he was just struggling with his math homework!

Here’s the full conversation from that adorable phone call:

Operator: 911, what’s your emergency?

Boy: I need help.

Operator: What’s wrong?

Boy: My arithmetic.

Operator: Your lips?

Boy: No, my math! I need to finish it. Can you help me?

Operator: Okay, where do you live?

Boy: I can’t do my math.

Operator: I understand, but where do you live?

Boy: I don’t want to tell you. I just want to talk to you.

Operator: I can’t stay on the phone, but I can send someone to help.

Boy: Alright.

Operator: What kind of math problems are you having trouble with?

Boy: Takeaways.

Operator: Ah, subtraction. What’s the problem?

Boy: What’s 8 minus 16?

Operator: How much do you think it is?

Boy: I don’t know… maybe 1?

Operator: Not quite! How old are you?

Boy: I’m four.

Operator: Four! Wow. What’s the next problem?

Boy: This one’s five takeaways.

Operator: What’s 5 minus 5?

Boy: Five!

At this point, the boy’s mom enters the scene, and the situation becomes even more amusing:

Mother: Johnny, what are you doing?

Boy: I’m getting help with my math from the policeman!

Mother: I didn’t mean for you to call the police!

The mother quickly cleared things up with the 911 operator, realizing that her son had taken her advice to ask for help a bit too literally. The operator, meanwhile, handled the situation with patience and a bit of humor, no doubt brightening their day with this unexpected call.

In the end, the boy didn’t just learn about subtraction—he also got a mini-lesson on the proper use of 911. This funny yet heartwarming moment is a reminder of how literal children can be and how sometimes they follow instructions just a little too well.

So next time you tell your child to ask for help, you might want to clarify that homework help doesn’t require calling the emergency line!