Safety for Children

When you are babysitting, YOU are completely responsible for the child at all times! It is essential to know what to do in times of emergency BEFORE the emergency arises.

Confused Cathy Read through the “Confused Cathy” scenario and then together we will discuss if Cathy is a good caregiver.

Confused Cathy 1.What did Cathy do right? 2.What did Cathy do wrong? 3.Was there anything in that situation that could have been extremely dangerous? 4.What would you have done differently?

Ten Tips for Safety Never leave a small child ALONE at any time. Keep the child away from ELECTRICAL equipment or HOT objects. Keep GATES closed or have a barrier across the top of stairs. Keep dangerous OBJECTS out of children’s reach. Do not let children RUN around with SHARP objects. Keep pot handles turned to the inside or CENTER of the stovetop. Keep children away from WATER unless supervised constantly. Teach children how to USE their toys safely. Teach children to PICK UP their toys when they are finished playing with them. Teach children to stay out of the STREET.

Before the Parents Leave Ask for emergency phone numbers and contact information Know how to get in touch with the parents in case of an emergency Ask for specific information about each child (allergies, bed time, etc.) Talk to them about routines that should be followed with the children to keep things consistent If the children need medicine or special care of any kind, be sure to review this before they leave

Emergency Guide Choking: children less than a year old: place the child face down over your arm with the head lower than the trunk. Resting your forearm on your thigh to support the weight of the baby, hit the child four times between the shoulder blades with the heel of your other hand. If they are over one year old: The child should lie on is or her back. A larger child should stand. Place the heel of your hand on the child’s abdomen and your other hand on top of the first. Press firmly but gently into the abdomen with a rapid inward and upward thrust. This procedure is known as the abdominal thrust. Repeat 6-10 times until the child expels the object. WARNING!!! Do not practice the abdominal thrust as serious damage could occur.

Emergency Guide Fractures/Sprains: Check for pain or swelling. Do not move the suspicious fracture or sprain. Never move a child who may have a head or back injury-call 911. For a sprain, apply cold compresses, and elevate the injured part. Convulsions: Protect the child from injury. Place the child on his or her side. Do not put anything in the child’s mouth. Call the doctor or 911.

Emergency Guide Animal Bites: Wash the wound with soap and water and call the doctor. Locate and identify the animal for possible rabies. Nosebleeds: Sit the child down. Squeeze his/her nostrils between your thumb and index finger for at least 5 minutes. Do not tip the head backwards as the child may choke on blood. If bleeding will not stop, call the doctor. Skin Wounds: For bruises, apply cold compress for 30 minutes. For cuts, apply direct pressure with a clean cloth until the bleeding stops. Wash with soap and water and put on an adhesive bandage. If the cut is large or deep, keep up the pressure and call 911. For puncture wounds, wash with soap and water and call the doctor. Do not try to remove large objects.

Emergency Guide Poisoning: Decide exactly what was taken and how much: know the child’s age and weight. Take the bottle of poison with you to the phone, if possible. Dial the Poison Control Center. If the child is unconscious, drowsy, convulsing, or having difficulty breathing, call 911. Insect stings: Remove the stinger by scraping it with your fingernail or credit card; do not pull it out. Once it is removed, apply cold compress. Check for hives, paleness, weakness, nausea, tightness in the chest, and difficulty breathing. If these occur, call 911.

Emergency Guide Burns: Place the burn under cool water or cover with a towel soaked in cool water. For burns on the face, hands or feet, call the doctor. For deep burns, call 911. Head injuries: Check for unconsciousness, drowsiness, convulsions, inability to move any body part, severe headaches and oozing of blood or water from the ears or nose. Call 911.

What Should You Do If… You may never experience a scary emergency while you are babysitting. But, you may experience something like this… VIDEO CLIP

When Infants Are Crying, Remember….. They are too young to understand requests. Make up your mind that you are there to help the baby, not necessarily to stop the baby from crying. Just because it is night does not mean the baby turns off or switches to your schedule. Check to make sure the baby’s basic needs are met

Is the baby ill? Could the baby have colic? Remember, when the caregivers are tired: *They are at a high risk for losing control. *It is natural to feel frustrated when crying occurs. *When the baby is crying, choosing options for dealing with the crying are not easy to see or think of, so plan what you will do to keep from losing control before you are faced with the situation.

Coping with Crying Walk with the baby Rock the baby. Dance with the baby. Bounce the baby gently in your arms or on your knee. Take the baby for a stroller ride. Take the baby for a ride in the car.

Let the baby sit in a baby swing. Provide white noise for the baby (radio, vacuum, TV, etc.) Divert the baby’s attention with a toy. Sing to the baby. Rub the baby’s back. Massage the baby with a warmed lotion.

Wrap the baby snugly in blankets (swaddling). Feed the baby. Burp the baby. Give the baby a pacifier. Turn off the lights and gently rub the baby’s back. Let someone else tend the baby for awhile. (Call a friend for help.)

Turn on the TV so the baby can look at if for a few minutes. Take the baby outside for a breath of fresh air. Turn on a music mobile or music box. Change the baby’s diaper. Give the baby a warm bath. Hold the baby close so they can hear your heart beat.

Make sure the temperature of the room is comfortable. After checking to make sure the baby is not hungry, wet, or in danger, place him or her in the crib, close the door, and call a friend to talk for a minute. Be sure to check the baby at least every 10 minutes.

NEVER EVER SHAKE A BABY!!! This could cause Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) results from the vigorous shaking of an infant or young child by the shoulder, arms or legs.

When a young child is shaken, the head whips back and forth, slamming the brain against the hard skull, causing bruising, bleeding and swelling inside the brain.

The consequences could be deadly… VIDEO CLIP

Having a babysitter is like going on vacation! Kids are excited to have a babysitter. But, not one who only wants them to sit quietly and watch a movie. Kids want babysitters who play with them! What are some of the fun activities you remember doing with babysitters? Older Children

As a table group, come up with 10 fun activities that you could do with children as a babysitter. Be prepared to discuss these with the class. Activities