American Red Cross Central Valley: Is your babysitter prepared?

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Is your babysitter prepared?

So, as I was driving the other day a question popped in my head; some of us adults know how what to do when an emergency happens, but what about our children, teens, and babysitters?

Here’s a little story about something that happened me. When my niece was a baby I use to babysitter her. Well, one morning she was crawling around, eating Cheerios and then she started to choke. I panicked for a second, grabbed her flipped her over and padded that Cheerio right out her throat. I was a little shakey afterwards, but was glad I knew what to do in that situation. The weekend before, I had received my First Aid/CPR Certification from the Red Cross, and I was prepared. Now my niece is 10 years old, I give her self-defense pointers, but I think now I’m going to start giving her and her older sister preparedness pointers.

This Saturday, is our Taste of Riverpark event (which I hope many of you will be attending), and you may be leaving your teens taking care of your younger children or have a babysitter. Have you gone over with them what to do in case of an emergency? Being prepared is simple. Get a Kit, Make a plan, and Be informed. Have an emergency/disaster kit that includes: food, water, and a first aid kit (find a full list for a disaster kit on our website), make an escape plan in case of a home fire, give them all contact numbers (local and out-of-area), teach them who they can call in case of an emergency, show them where the emergency/disaster kit is located, how they can be prepared, and know some First Aid/CPR.

Another way you, your family can be prepared is by consider taking First Aid/CPR classes, make it a family bonding opportunity. If you have a babysitter, ask if they have taken a babysitting class? If they haven’t, make sure they do; your children’s safety is not only in your hands but in the person you trust with them. For more information on these classes and on how to be prepared, go to www.redcross.org.