Basic First Aid Skills that Parents Should Teach their Children
It is a known fact that kids are always hyper and that they are often prone to injury. A situation of emergency or injury does not happen in schools but also in many other places like playgrounds, parks, and even on a busy road where kids are walking. In times like these, it is a blessing to have someone around who knows first aid.
Many think that first aid is not a mandatory skill to learn unless you are working in an institution that requires you to learn it. In reality, a case of emergency could arise for anyone. It could also be your kid. The best way to push yourself to learn first aid is by being empathetic towards others. It could even be your child who might need first aid assistance at some point. As a parent, it is good to be aware of various first aid skills and teach your kids about the same. This could come in handy in any emergency. Here are a few basic first aid skills you can teach your child:
Contacting the emergency services
While a lot of serious injuries can be given first assistance with first aid, they still need professional and medical help. Help your child memorize the essential emergency contact numbers. You can also teach her/him how to call even if the phone is locked. You can as well fill up a pocket diary with the emergency contact numbers so it’s easier for them to reach out for help.
Reaching out for help
Teach your child how to reach out to adults if they are unable to deal with the injured. You can make them memorize any immediate family member’s phone number to reach out to them for help in case they find someone in a state of emergency.
Understanding various health conditions
It is not only an injury that could be an emergency. Some kids might be allergic to peanuts or lactose etc. Teach your child how to identify such allergies and understand what could be done in such cases. Knowing other common conditions like asthma, seizures, bites and stings, heatstroke, electrocution can also help them be aware of such emergencies.
Preparing a simple first-aid kit
There are a lot of essentials in a first-aid kit. Prepare your child for basic first-aid and also a simple first-aid kit along with it. Ask your child to carry it with her/him and teach them how to use it effectively. Some simple items like over-the-counter medicines, ointment, plasters, sprain bands, cotton balls, antiseptic talc or liquid, and bandages. Explain to your child how to use each of these items the right way.
Dealing with common medical emergencies
These are common injuries that happen to anyone. Learning about these can help them react quickly without panic. For example, if someone is bleeding from the nose, then the first aid could be using a towel or a napkin to apply pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. Applying ice on bumps, tending to burns by applying a wet cloth are all essential first aid skills you can teach your child.
Kids have tender tissues and for them injuries like sprains are common. In such situations, RICE treatment helps. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and elevation. Once this is done as a basic first aid, the injured can be taken for medical help. Also, your child can be taught about the basic first aid for choking - Heimlich Maneuver as it is very common among kids.
In times of emergency, being calm and compassionate is very important. Help your child understand how by panicking things can become only worse. Teach them how to stay calm and help the injured and reach out for help from adults and other medical support. It is a great thing to learn first aid for it comes as a blessing in fatal moments. Not just for others but also for your kid – if your child knows how to deal with basic injuries, she/he would tend to themselves and stay safe.
There are many NGOs that train people on basic first aid. ALERT is from chennai one such NGO where adults and children are taught about basic first aid to help them come to the rescue of those in need.
Enrol with ALERT’s First aid course to apply its knowledge anywhere, and at any given time. Gain skills to feel confident and help empower one another in emergency care.
