Over the past several years, the vast majority of the people who have attended my paediatric first aid courses have been women. This has always baffled me as fathers, grandads, uncles, brothers and indeed all males around children need to know what to do if a child in their care needs emergency assistance. As parents we would do anything to keep our children safe but let’s face it things happen! At Daisy First Aid we believe that everyone should have basic first aid knowledge to keep their families safe. Did you know that one in three parents admit to not knowing what to do if their child experience a medical emergency? Would you know what to do? We strongly believe it is better to know it and not need it that need it and not know it. So here are our first aid tips for dads.
Why we need First Aid tips for Dads
These days there are many more stay at home Dads, Dads that work from home, and Dads that are on a day-to-day basis, much more involved in being around their kids than previous generations. While this hands on fathering is amazing and crucial to our kids, statistically speaking, children are far more likely to have accidents around their fathers. A study in the PubMed Central journal concluded that while there was huge psychological and physical benefits to paternal care, ‘children were more likely to engage in high activity levels and were at higher risk for injury when being cared for by their fathers.’
My kids love playing with their Dad more than anyone. No one can make them laugh like he can! However, he does flip them around like pancakes that can result in the occasional bump or bruise. Luckily thus far, our girls have never had a serious accident, but it’s crucial that Dads know what to do if a child gets injured, chokes, or requires other emergence treatments. That’s why I would love to see more men on our first aid courses so get in touch with your local Daisy First Aid trainer and book a face to face or zoom class. If you’re new to first aid, I’ve listed below a few important do’s and don’ts to help you get started.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Don’t panic!
- Do keep calm and call for help 111/999 and know your local response time.
- Don’t expect somebody else to know what to do in an emergency.
- Do take a basic first aid class and have a refresher every few years as advice is updated.
- Don’t Google medical advice or ask for advice on a parenting group.
- Do have a basic first aid kit at home as you never know when you may need it. Also remember to check the use by dates!
- Don’t give Ibuprofen for chickenpox.
- Do teach your child their address, how and when to call 999, the recovery position and how to get out the house in a fire.
- Don’t use butter, creams or lotions on a burn. Do not remove clothing if stuck to the skin. Don’t pop blisters.
- Do run a burn under cool water for a minimum of 20 minutes and cover loosely in clingfilm before getting it checked and dressed by a medical professional.
- Don’t decant poisons in containers they are not designed for (screen wash in water bottles is a common one)
- Do put poisons out of reach and view or locked away.
- Don’t keep spare batteries within easy reach of little ones.
- Do remember to screw the backs on when changing batteries in toys. Even if it is 2am!
Want to learn more?
This post supports a Live First Aid Chat I did with the Dadvengers community. Hopefully these first aid tips for dads have given you some of the essentials that everyone should know when faced with a little accident. The thing is, nothing beats proper training. So if you are dad, or you know a dad who might be interested in doing a first aid course don’t hesitate to get in touch. Even if Daisy Southend is not in your local area I’m sure I can point you in the right direction for classes and courses near you.
Thanks,
Chloe Daly, (Daisy First Aid Southend-on-Sea)