A terrified family cowered upstairs after hearing burglars - because they didn't know the 999 system.
Instead of phoning police, they listened as two men searched the ground floor of their home in Forest Fields, a court heard.
The raiders got away with a 55-inch television, two sets of car keys, bank cards, cash and jewellery, said Alan Murphy, prosecuting.
One resident was sitting in bed watching TV at 11pm while his partner was asleep beside him on February 17. Their 12-year-old daughter was in another bedroom.
After hearing noises, he roused his partner and crawled onto the landing. Their child woke and they told her to go into their room.
Mr Murphy told Nottingham Crown Court: "They didn't know the telephone number to call the police."
After the intruders left, one of the victims went to a nearby shop "to find the number to contact the police," said Mr Murphy.
One of their cars was taken and that led to the arrest of two men. One was Darron Childs who committed his first burglary at the age of 13, the court heard.
He had a second burglary conviction two years ago and that left him facing a three-year jail term. This was reduced to 876 days because he pleaded guilty.
Judge Jeremy Lea told him: "If you continue to commit these offences, the sentences will get longer and longer."
A total of 74 offences were already on the criminal record of Childs of The Wells Road, St Ann's. These include 25 for theft and dishonesty, the court heard.
Digby Johnson, mitigating, told the judge that Childs knew that prison was inevitable. He added: "He was before the court for burglary when he was only 13 years of age."
The other offender was jailed for three years when he appeared at an earlier court. He also faced other offences.
