First aid is a vital life skill that can never be taught too early. Providing children with basic skills in first aid from an early age can equip them well for life’s emergencies, whether in the home or out and about. Simply put, the more people who have first aid training, the better we will all be protected in the event of an accident or becoming ill.
What types of first aid can children learn?
Emergency first aid training courses designed for children can teach them the basics of what to do in the event of someone falling ill or sustaining an injury. Courses such as this one, which is designed by the Red Cross, cover the ways to keep safe, thereby reducing the likelihood of needing first aid. The course topics include how to help someone who is having an asthma attack or bleeding and what to do in the case of broken bones, burns, and choking.
There may be times when the only responsible adult at home has fallen ill, in which case whether a child can get hold of a phone and call the emergency services for help could be the difference between life and death. Some older children may even be able to perform life-saving manoeuvres if they have received the correct training; for example, imagine a scenario in which a group of friends is in the park and one starts to choke. Children who have attended emergency first aid training courses are far better placed to do back slaps to try to dislodge the object.
Keep calm and help
Crucially, emergency first aid training courses also teach children how to keep calm and cope in an emergency. Knowing what to do and who to call without panicking are, of course, vitally important for anyone who finds themselves in an emergency. Children are amazingly resilient and as long as the emergency first aid training course covers the topics in a child-friendly and sensitive way, there is no reason to think it could be too frightening for them.
