Coaching kids to cope with emergencies
New research by Elastoplast reveals that while 85% of parents think adventure is an important part of their children’s lives, many parents do not allow their kids to enjoy new experiences.
Parental concerns include fear for their kid’s safety (55%) and anxiety around their children’s essential life skills.
Children are aspiring to adventurous careers including pilots and explorers and while 85% of kids crave more adventure in their lives, well over half of all kids surveyed have never even camped out in their back garden, laid down to watch the stars in the night sky or watched the sun rise.
Child psychologist Dr Mandy Bryon from Great Ormond Street Hospital highlights the importance of adventure: “Allowing your children to experience risk in a controlled environment helps to develop their ability to face risks in the future and builds confidence. It helps children become resilient and gives them independence to think for themselves.”
41% of parents have never even talked to their kids about dealing with risks or assessing danger, perhaps explaining why they are so reticent to let their kids enjoy adventurous activities. Research amongst kids revealed: 1 in 4 children don’t know what to do in a fire, 1 in 3 don’t know how to stay safe in a thunderstorm and 1 in 2 wouldn’t know what to do if they became lost in the woods.
Just under half of parents surveyed say their children would not be very capable of finding their way home if lost; 40% of all parents think their children would struggle to ask for help from a responsible adult; and 69% think their kids lack the skills to perform very basic first aid for cuts and burns.
Parents lack first aid skills
And it’s not just kids that are lacking in the skills department. The research also revealed that many parents don’t have essential first aid knowledge – especially for major incidents such as head injuries, broken bones or choking (75% of parents do not know how to deal with a choking child). But even when it comes to the basics – like covering a minor wound with a plaster – 70% of parents aren’t following the correct procedures – leaving cuts open to dirt and infection.
In response to these findings, Elastoplast has teamed up with leading child psychologist Dr Mandy Bryon from Great Ormond Street Hospital and first aid experts St John Ambulance to launch ‘KID ESCAPADES’ – a campaign which encourages parents to get clued-up on basic and life-saving first aid, and teach their children crucial life skills.
Available from elastoplast.co.uk, parents can:
• Prepare for childhood emergencies by downloading 3 short first aid videos to their PC or mobile phone. Videos include visual demonstrations from a real mum, and first hand advice from St John Ambulance – cuts and burns; choking and head injuries; resuscitation and recovery position.
• Download the Kids Life Skills pack for expert advice and practical activities to help teach their children essential life skills including independence, ingenuity and safety.
• Download the Become An Adventurer pack for fun filled activities to teach kids aged 6-10 about safety, decision-making, basic first aid and other essential life skills.
“If parents don’t have the first aid skills to cope with childhood emergencies then they will face difficulty when it comes to teaching their own kids about safety,” says Clive James, first aid trainer at St John Ambulance. “You never know when you’ll need to give first aid yourself so it’s a good idea to get prepared now. Download the first aid videos so you always have the advice to hand.”
While many parents are unsure of their children’s ability to cope in various situations, around 70% are confident that their kids are very capable of telling a responsible adult their full address and home telephone number. But when the kids were asked, it was a very different story. 63% of kids don’t know their parents’ mobile numbers and only 21% of 8 year olds know their home telephone number.
All parents can help teach their kids life skills and learn more about essential first aid by visiting elastoplast.co.uk.
All sources refer to research commissioned by One Poll, May 2010. 1500 respondents were parents of children aged 6-12, and 1103 respondents were children aged 6-12.