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From age four and upwards, children can begin to learn basic skills.
Take a first aid course yourself to ensure you are teaching up-to-date recommended protocol. Start with a few of these skills, remembering to use “serious play” to engage your child’s relaxed and receptive learning mind. Begin gently with small children and trust your instincts to know how much they are ready to take in at each developmental stage. Keep building on the basics with more detail as they seem capable. Children can often practice:
- Applying pressure to a bleeding wound
- Icing a swollen injury
- Applying cold running water or a wet towel to a burn
- Pinching the nostrils for 10 minutes for a nosebleed
- Draping a blanket over a person in shock
- Gently rolling a person into the recovery position
Helping others always makes everyone feel good. Learning a few first-aid principles does more than prepare kids for the worst: it also helps them develop their compassion, self-esteem, and sense of purpose.1
Dr. Samir Matar
Pediatrician
