Children are like sponges; they’re quick to absorb all the knowledge and skills taught to them. Which is why teaching them the right things is essential. Whether they’re playing alone or under adult supervision, accidents and injuries are bound to happen. In an emergency, the simplest first aid lessons can save lives.
Our professionals at Metro Safety Training have shared these five easy first aid lessons you can teach your child so that they can be heroes if an emergency occurs.
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Emergency Dial
Children are quick to remember numbers if taught early on. Teaching them emergency numbers is crucial to their safety. Remembering three-digit numbers like 911 should be encouraged.
We suggest painting over the numbers of your landline with a red-nail polish. This will help the child associate the color red with an emergency and follow the painted numbers.
Conduct practice calls with them while pretending to be the operator. This will help your child know exactly what to say, when and if a real emergency occurs.
Print out a copy of your address in big, bold font and keep it near your landline to avid confusion when giving the address.
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Stop Bleeding
Teaching your child how to respond practically to the sight of blood is one of the most important aspects of teaching them first aid. They can be exposed to blood with a simple graze of a deep cut. Hence, preparedness will help them take control of the situation until they can get professional or adult help.
They need to follow 3 simple steps when dealing with a bleeding wound. First, they must apply direct pressure to the wound, pressing on the area around the wound but not on it. This might stop the bleeding. Next, cover the wound with a paper towel or gauze and secure with a bandage. Lastly, keep the wound elevated to slow the circulation of blood to that area.
With the current COVID-19 outbreak, if your child is helping another person, teach them to cover their hands before applying pressure to avoid exposure to germs or bacteria.
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Treating a Burn
Although you do your best to ensure your children are not around the stove or warn them about touching hot surfaces, accidents might happen. They’re children, after all! What you can do is teach them to handle a burn quickly and effectively. The minutes immediately after a burn accident are crucial. If not treated promptly, the severity of the injury can worsen. Teach your child to run the burned skin under cold water for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Afterwards, an adult can clean it and slather on the aloe vera to help cool it down.
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Using a First Aid Kit
Most children love adapting to the roles of adults and re-enacting situations. Such as acting like a chef, a parent, a singer, and even a doctor. Use this opportunity to teach your child how to use an essential First Aid kit.
Make a separate kit for them, with all essential and basic items. You can personalize the kit with their name to feel an inclination towards using it when needed. Explain each item and its purpose. Play, pretend and judge how your child responds and how much they have picked up from your teaching. Once they know how to use the items in the first aid kit, they’ll be better equipped to help themselves and others in emergencies.
Teaching your child how and when to perform basic first aid will be a confidence booster and give them the necessary knowledge and skills required to respond in a medical emergency.
At Metro Safety Training, we provide a range of First Aid Training and Red Cross Emergency courses in Vancouver. For more information, contact us at 604 521 4227.
