First Aid for Kids-- When Emergency is crucial

Your kids and yourself can begin to study safety manuals from the Red Cross available at the Internet. In our own case, The basic text we’re using is a Community First Aid & Safety manual from the American Red Cross that I picked up for free. We won’t be reading over each and every word in the text we’re using; instead I’ll be summarizing a lot of the material to make it applicable to your kids and their abilities.

Suggested Activities and Resources.
■Make a home first aid kit. Have your kids help you collect all the supplies to put a home first aid kit together. (Please note that the use of syrup of ipecac is no longer recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics). Here are some of the items you might consider including in your kit:

1)bandages
2)gauze squares
3)adhesive tape
4)thermometer
5)ice pack
6)hydrogen peroxide
7)rubbing alcohol
8)cotton balls
9)scissors
10)soap
11)tweezers
12)cotton balls
13)disposable gloves
14)elastic bandage
15)paper cups
16)calamine lotion
17)activated charcoal
18)first aid information (such as a reference card)

**Obtain a good first aid guide from the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. You can probably find used copies of these at a large used book store like Half-Price Books. Use the guide as your “curriculum.”

**Check out your local library for some good books on first aid and safety. The youth nonfiction section will likely have several good books about safety and first aid written at a child’s level. Although not an exhaustive list, here are some subjects that would be good to look up and study with your kids:

■fire safety
■bike safety
■water safety
■stranger safety
■gun safety
■first aid, especially with regard to the following emergencies:■Head injuries
■Broken bones
■Burns
■Bleeding
■Choking
■Lack of breathing/heart attacks


■Have your kids attend a first aid class. Check with your local community center, hospital, or school to find out where such classes might be offered.
■Utilize the internetfor some free safety and first aid information. Here are some sites with good information you might like to check out:

a)Kids Health

b)Injury Free

c)American Academy of Pediatrics