First Aid is an essential skill that everyone benefits from learning – even kids as early as six years old.
Kids have an incredible capacity to learn about all things safety. Teach them how to react when emergencies happen.
Learning First Aid For Children
Injuries and illnesses can strike anytime, especially during childhood when kids explore new things and their environment. In many cases, youngsters will require first aid treatment when something serious happens.
Fall injuries are one of the common causes of hospitalisation in children, according to research by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). This mostly occurs during playtimes, such as falls from trampolines and other playground equipment.
It is common for other children to be first on the scene when this happens. This is one good reason why kids should know what to do in the event of an emergency.
Research shows that kids as young as six years old can learn the aspects of basic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This proves that children can play a significant role in injury and illness response at home and in the community.
5 First Aid Skills For Children
Teaching children the basics of first aid can make a difference in an emergency if no adult is around.
Calling Emergency Services
Seeking emergency help is one of the simplest and most important lessons you can teach your kids. As soon as they recognise numbers, they can learn to call triple zero (000).
Make sure that kids know that dialing 000 is no joke, and whenever an unnecessary emergency call is made, it delays a response to someone who truly needs help.
To effectively make the call, kids need to know the specifics of what institutes an emergency (e.g., house fires, bleeding injuries, unconsciousness, etc.) Role-playing is an especially good tool for recreating real-life scenarios.
Use Of First Aid Kit
It is a good practice to go over the location and contents of a first aid kit with your kids. Take the time to explain each item and its purpose. While doing so, let them use it for demonstration by creating emergency scenarios that might incorporate the use of each item.
It is also important to teach them where the first aid kit can be found in your home. Show them the different include so they can be informed on how to help and what items to use in a specific emergency.
Stopping The Bleed
Cuts and scrapes are minor injuries that often occur in the household and even during outdoor plays. Teaching your child how to treat themselves or others with bleeding injuries is important to know that they have the ability to help.
Start by teaching them how to apply direct pressure and covering the wound with a gauze pad or clean cloth until the bleeding stops or help arrives. Let them know the importance of elevating the injured part and keeping it still to prevent further damage.
Recognise Signs Of Choking
One of the common accidents involving children is choking. If not recognised and attended immediately, it can be very serious and lead to death.
Recognising signs of choking is one of the most important skills for kids to understand. A few seconds that a supervising adult is out of the round, a young sibling or another child may grab hold of food or other small items that can lodge into their throat. Other children who can recognise the signs and be able to provide first aid response could save a life.
Older kids can be taught how to respond to choking emergencies by doing back blows, abdominal thrusts, and chest thrusts.
Burn Prevention And Treatment (Stop, Drop, And Roll)
Teach children to stop, drop, and roll in the event of burn emergencies. Stop what they are doing immediately, drop to the floor, and roll on the ground if their clothing catches fire.
For burn injuries, teach them how to cool the area with cold water or cold compresses until the pain is reduced or relieved. Get help from other adults in the area who will treat the burn and get medical help.
First Aid Training At Any Age
Arming your child with the knowledge of how and when to perform basic first aid measures help them remain safe in a medical emergency affecting them or someone else. Enrolling them in first aid training suitable for their age is a good first step in introducing them to lifesaving steps and procedures.
The skills learned in first aid training help children build self-confidence and compassion for others by using real-life scenarios.
Interested in getting your kids trained? Contact our team at the First Aid Courses Darwin or head to our course page for more information.
