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Edmonton, AB - May 11, 2010 - The more you know, and the more practical the knowledge, the better prepared you are. That’s the belief behind the national What Every Babysitter Should Know course offered by St John Ambulance.

The one-day Babysitter is a comprehensive course with chapters that include information on Becoming a babysitter, Caring for kids, Kids and food, Getting along with kids, Keeping kids safe, Handling emergencies and First Aid. The course handbook also includes the Babysitter’s Checklist.

“This is knowledge that the babysitter will likely carry with them the rest of their lives,” says Beverly Lafortune, the VP of Training and Community Services for St. John Ambulance, Alberta Council. “It helps them start off right. There’s everyday-practical things like how to pick up, hold and carry a baby, how to bottle feed, and how to change a diaper, foods that may cause choking, what to do about crying, colic, shyness, temper tantrums, and when the child refuses to go to sleep.”

“On the safety side, there’s lessons on how to prevent injuries, hazardous product symbols, safety hazards, how to handle emergencies like fire, a prowler, if they smell gas, power failures, storms and so on, and a lesson on emergency procedures.”

The First Aid Chapter covers Emergency Scene management - the first steps to take when there’s a casualty - then what to do for a choking infant and child, how to perform CPR in an infant and child, wounds, bump on the head (conscious), burns, back injury (conscious), poisoning, bites, fever convulsions, eye injuries and objects in the eye or ear.

“With this knowledge and hands-on practice, the babysitter will feel good about what they’ve learned and be more prepared for potential emergencies,” says Ms Lafortune.

The What Every Babysitter Should Know course is one of two courses for children offered by St. John in Alberta. The other course, We Can Help, is offered to Grade three classes across the province free of charge. It introduces basic First Aid to the children through lessons and an activity book. Children are never too young to learn about safety and First Aid.


For more information, please contact:
Dianne Szlabey
Manager, Communications
St. John Ambulance Alberta Council
Tel 780-452-6565 ext 8249
Dianne.Szlabey@stjohn.ab.ca

Hard copy of above news release

Babysitter Course schedule