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The second Saturday in September every year is marked as World First Aid Day to raise awareness about the importance of first aid in saving lives. In April 2016, a 13-year-old boy named Nathan Boyer played a significant role in saving the life of his baseball coach Isaac Wenrlch who collapsed on the playing field after having a heart attack. It was a situation where a 13-year-old would most likely panic. Boyer dealt with the situation with the right frame of mind by dialing 911 on his coach’s mobile phone. He then rolled him over and performed CPR. Despite not having a first aid kit, Boyer managed to perform basic first aid techniques at the right time which eventually brought Coach Wenrlch back to life after being in a critical state (1).
It’s not every day that you hear a story that highlights the importance of teaching first aid to kids. Your child can learn to keep a cool head and the right frame of mind by inculcating those values in them early in life. They can also be taught the basic first aid techniques early on which can be life-saving and be trained on the technical aspects of it later.
You can let your kid learn first aid by enrolling him/her in a course that provides first aid training and by joining a home community for young kids. To help your child reap the maximum benefits of first aid training, age-appropriate training courses play a key role.
Why You Should Enroll Your Child In Age-Appropriate First Aid Training
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A child’s age plays a significant role in the level of education they have already attained. It will also be helpful to assess the level of difficulty they would be able to cope with. Most nationally recognized first aid training organizations segregate kids based on their age to decide whether they would attend non-credit first aid classes or credited first aid classes with parental consent. If your child is below 14 years, they will most likely be allowed to attend the non-credit first aid classes. Kids between the ages of 14 to 18 can attend credited first aid courses with the consent of their parents.
There is a reason why young children aren’t permitted to take first aid courses. Kids below the age of 10 years don’t have the physical strength it takes to successfully perform CPR. According to the European Resuscitation Council, the optimal age for a child to learn cardiac compressions is 12 years old (2). Besides, a child should possess a certain degree of maturity to grasp the graphic imagery as well as the technical concepts of it.
Benefits Of Your Child Learning First Aid
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Allowing kids to learn first aid can be fulfilling to both parents and children. If you are in two minds about why you should let your child learn first aid, here are some ways it could benefit your child:
- It will teach them to remain calm and cool-headed if they are ever in delicate and stressful situations. It is quite natural to panic and lose our train of thought at the sight of blood. But your kids will learn to be level-headed and take a mature approach.
- It will improve their communication and leadership skills. From a very young age, they would get to learn how to deal with a complex situation and how to take charge. They will learn how to take responsibility and initiative in emergency situations which will benefit them well into adulthood.
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- They will learn how to make better judgment calls. Your child may not be able to figure out how and when to use all the tools in an emergency first aid kit. But it will train their mind to recognize when something isn’t right and if something requires immediate attention.
- It will be a fun learning experience for them. Not only will the training be useful, but they will also have fun learning how to use a first aid kit. The training will also help them choose the right career path if they are interested in being a teacher or a doctor.
Are you interested in letting your kid learn first aid? Did our post help you understand the importance of it and how it will benefit your child? If so, share it with your friends and loved ones.
Mitha Shameer
