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What my student said…

Babysitters Parents Want You, 3 Scary Stories

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Young Babysitters, Parents Want You

Hello, young babysitters who have been trained to be safe babysitters!   Parents Want YOU!   I have taught Babysitting CPR (and Adult CPR and First Aid) for 17 years and know that parents want

A) someone who is KIND and  B) someone who is TRAINED.

If you completed my class you’ve been trained in preventing injury, quality time with children, first aid, choking skills, diapering and burping, when to reach out for an adult, FULL CPR and more.    You have been given, also, your class completion card from my Training Center, of the American Safety & Health Institute.   Because of your training, parents feel reassured to hire you – and you can earn income (which makes you feel very proud and happy).

There ARE “bad babysitters”

Yes, there are!    Here are three scary stories, as examples:

  • Kyle Out the Window

One of  my 12 year old students shared a story in class about how, at age 4, he had a brand new babysitter one day.   His mother showed the girl around the house, gave information, etc., and then departed.   The girl immediately went to the computer and played video games.   She ignored Kyle and refused to interact with him.   Bored, he had a great idea as he wandered around the house!   He would tie a little blanket around his shoulders and jump out of the 2nd story bedroom window and FLY!     So… yes… he did it.   He landed on the concrete sidewalk beside the house and was rendered unconscious; babysitter still on the computer, of course.   A pedestrian finally saw his body and raced to the door to exclaim, “Is this child?   Your child is lying here!”    911 was THEN called and he, miraculously, survived such a dreadful impact.    He shared this true story – it helps illuminate that “bad babysitters” are definitely out there.

Parents Want You

Parents Want You to keep their child safe

  • Babysitter Walking Home

A mother who booked a class with me to train her 10 Girl Scout Troop members in Babysitting CPR, shared in class  this scary story.   She shared that, years earlier, she and her husband hired a young babysitter living just down the street to watch their 18 month old baby so they could go out to eat, going on a “date”.    Driving back home down their street, they saw this girl walking down the sidewalk!   They were utterly and completely horrified.   They raced to the girl for an explanation – she said she was tired of babysitting and “wanted to go home, now”.   They dashed home to find their baby peacefully asleep.    The baby’s mother then escorted the young babysitter home to share the enormity of the irresponsibility the girl had displayed.   She told the girl’s mother to NEVER let her babysit – ever!

Parents Want You

Babysitting CPR Training – Get it Now!

  • Baby Difficulty Breathing

This is a scary story that turned out VERY WELL!    A young mother, who was untrained, was home with her 5 month old infant when it began to have trouble breathing.    Trouble breathing is one of the main life threatening conditions.   She called 911 but while awaiting their arrival, the baby STOPPED breathing.    She ran out to the front yard and screamed, “Somebody help me!   Help!   My baby’s not breathing!”    Two 10-year old boys playing nearby ran to her to ask, “What’s the matter?  What?”    When she said that her infant was not breathing, they looked at each other and said, “We’ll help you!”   And they did.    They went into her house and showed her how to place her 4 fingertips on the baby’s sternum and compress approximately 1.5 inches at a certain rate and then to blow into the baby’s little lungs two times (which is CPR!).     The baby’s life was saved due to these 10 year old boys because the baby had this excellent care (via their tutoring) prior to 911’s arrival.    Scary story – but they knew what to do!

Parents Want You – Because YOU are trained!

 

Weak Babysitting Classes

There are babysitting classes out there that do NOT include CPR.    I believe it is vital to have a great Instructor (not volunteers who teach twice per year, perhaps), mannequins, baby dolls, great book and passion to teach the topic.   I have loved my 17 years doing so!

 

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EasyCPR-Denver.com     visit my site for the list of upcoming classes

Connect with me on my Facebook page to keep receiving these tips!

Jean Lesmeister, 17 year youth Babysitting CPR, Adult CPR & First Aid Instructor

American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI)

Please SHARE this information with your network – THANK YOU!

Have a Summer CPR Party

By | ARE you ready to help?, Blog, Choking help, EasyCPR Adult class at Home, Safety Tips, What my student said... | No Comments

Have a Summer CPR Party

What IS a Summer CPR Party?

Well, are there people that you love?   Yes?   Oh, then you should HAVE a CPR Party!

As you know, the 2-hour certified CPR class teaches people two main things

1) what to do if someone is choking and

2) how to correctly do chest compressions for someone unconscious and not breathing – as you await the arrival of 911.

A CPR Party is YOU gathering together your family and friends for the 2-hour class.  As the 16-yr experienced Instructor, I arrive with my 3 sizes of mannequins and teach a great class for you.   II am EasyCPR-Denver because I make class smooth, focused and with fun humor.  After class, you have a fun social time, a party!   A cook out?   Playing games?    Telling jokes to each other?

cpr party 1

2-hr CPR certified course followed by a PARTY!

Student stories I’ve heard – both good and bad

I’ve been teaching CPR and Babysitting CPR youth classes (age 11+) for 16 years and, WOW, have I heard a lot of stories!    Students like to share things that have happened in their family or to friends and neighbors.    I think it’s great!   Everyone in the class learns from the story that’s been offered.   Sharing stories adds to retention of the skills they’re learning!

The topic is choking?   I am told choking stories.

The topic is difficulty breathing?   I am told breathing stories

The topic is injury due to falling?   I am told falling/impact stories

Story examples:

“my uncle choked one time and…”

“my little sister climbed in the dryer to hide…”

“my mom fell off a ladder and…”

“my grandma could hardly breathe and we…”

“my neighbor’s house had a gas leak and…”

Most stories have happy endings – but some don’t.

My eyes grow huge when I’m told things like:

my mom dug her fingers down my little brother’s throat when he was choking”  (You don’t do that!)

my friend told me you punch a hole in the throat if someone can’t breathe” (You don’t do that!)

my uncle had chest pain so he went for a long jog”  (You don’t do that!)

 

Are you ready?

So, there is an emergency at your home…    Are you ready?

Have a CPR Party to become trained and confident.    Nothing matches that feeling.

Is your babysitter or nanny more trained that YOU are?    Are your teens trained?    Do you know what to do if someone chokes?    While everyone can choke, the people who choke most often are little kids and senior citizens.   What if grandpa chokes?

cpr party 2

You will be GLAD you got trained in CPR!

How does it work?

Why do you do compressions?   How does it work?   WHY does it work?   How does it help save a life?    Do you give the person breaths – or not?

I’ll be happy to tell you!   

I make class enjoyable and full of information and

skills practice that is easy to learn.   

It’s EasyCPR-Denver.com !

How you host a CPR Party:

  • Pick a date for the 2-hour class – I reserve that date for you.
  • I send you a link to send to your invitees so they can register/pay in advance. That way, class starts/ends on time.   (Minimum 6 people, maximum 14)
  • The day of class, everyone arrives and gets trained. Then you have a party!

Everyone feels confident and ready to save their loved ones.

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EasyCPR-Denver.com     visit my site for the list of upcoming classes

Connect with me on my Facebook page to keep receiving these tips!

Jean Lesmeister, 16 year Babysitting CPR, Adult CPR & First Aid Instructor

American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI)

Please SHARE this information with your network – THANK YOU!

 

Toss Your TV – from all Bedrooms, that is…

By | Blog, What my student said..., Youth Babysitter Tips | No Comments

Toss Your TV

During my 15 years of teaching youth Babysitting CPR classes (age 11+), I have always urged my young students to minimize use of the television and computer while they’re babysitting.   I stress the value of reading to the children, asking them questions, making up creative fun.    This is REAL time, quality time, and is wonderful for the children.   It is being studied how little attention little children may actually be receiving due to employed and busy parents, large daycare classrooms, the pace of life, evenings busy with meal preparation, etc. and more.    We have fun in my class brainstorming fun things to do while babysitting.

I urge my students that avoiding TV, movies and video games are very healthy choices for children.   Another healthy choice is to Toss Your TV, which is what I call having no TV, or any electronics, in bedrooms.

no tv

Toss Your TV – It hurts children’s sleep

The Children’s Hospital Colorado was recently referenced in an article called Kids Who Have Electronic Devices In Their Rooms Get Less Sleep.

“Sleep deprivation in kids can lead to weight gain, problems in school and behavioral changes”, says Ann Halbower, the hospital’s director of pediatric sleep research.    Technology is one culprit, Halbower says. The Sleep Foundation study found that 72 percent of children ages 6 to 17 who have an electronic device on in their rooms all night sleep up to one hour less, on average, than those who shut them off.

A shocking statistic from the L.A. Times states:    Nationwide, 70% of kids between the ages of 8 and 18 already have a television in their bedroom.

Vicky Rideout, who has written some of the most detailed studies of children’s media exposure and its effects for the Kaiser Family Foundation, said the latest study should strengthen some well established warnings but may miss some newer dangers as well.

Victims of Advertising

“Research has consistently shown better outcomes for kids who don’t have a TV in their bedroom than for those who do, whether we’re talking about obesity, sleep or academic achievement,” said Rideout, now an independent consultant specializing in health communication, social marketing and youth and media. Rideout urges parents to “take the TV out of the bedroom.” But newer technologies will require a new level of vigilance, she adds. “Keep an eye on your child’s smartphone and computers too, because food companies are now marketing games, websites and mobile apps designed to boost consumption of foods kids should be eating less of, not more of,” Rideout said.

no tv bedroom

You’re Wasting Money on that bedroom TV

Household electronics continue to use energy and electricity even when powered off. It’s called standby-power and it amounts to 5-10% of your total electricity bill.  One less television means one less financial drain on your checkbook.

RULE – The Bedroom Should ONLY be for sleep.

For adults, a TV in the bedroom can be hurting your mental attitude as well as your marital relationship.    There is a very nice list of reasons to NOT have a TV in your bedroom called  18 Good Reasons to Get the TV OUT of Your Bedroom.    I really like this list.   It’s very detailed and elucidates how quality time together can be sabotaged by that remote control, too handy, too available…

Very often, the young students in my Babysitting CPR class like to stay behind class to help me put away the dolls and mannequins we’ve used in class.    It’s always a nice conversation time and I so appreciate their help.   Lots of supplies used in that class!     I glean some interesting information from these casual conversations.    They’ve told me about how many of their friends fall asleep in class because they played video games in their bedrooms until as late as 2 am.    My heart breaks, hearing that.   It’s not only, of course, a set-up for academic failure in school but also so tragic that any young people grow obsessed with these addictive, unhealthy video games.     It’s such a massive waste of their beautiful brains.

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Jean Lesmeister, 15 year CPR & First Aid Instructor

EasyCPR-Denver.com

Connect with me on Facebook!

 

THINK – Cause No Further Harm

By | ARE you ready to help?, Blog, Choking help, What my student said..., Yay - Saved a Life!, Youth Babysitter Tips | No Comments

Stories about injuries and emergencies – Cause No Further Harm

One of the really rich things about teaching CPR, youth Babysitting CPR, First Aid, etc. these 15 years are the STORIES! I hear so many, many stories from students; of course, the happy ending stories are best. Students share how a family member got hurt doing this or that – but was OK.   A student shares how the neighbor fell off his roof – but was OK.  Some of the MOST amazing stories of all are when the youth (age 11-15) Babysitting CPR class shares their own youth injuries! They raise their hand and share.   For instance – one student ate $3.50 worth of quarters when a piggy bank broke before his parents found him. Another shared he hid in the clothes dryer and his mom turned it on, returning from a phone call.   Much screaming and shrieking ensued. A girl shared that she put beads into her ear canal wanting to wear “jewelry” like her mommy. And, of course, there’s the old “I put peanuts up my nose”.

Think Before You Act – Cause No Further Harm

But there are also the sad and heart breaking stories: how a neighbor family suffered the tragedy of SIDS with their infant, and how a sibling ended up for life in a wheelchair after a fall from high up.

osha-think-before-you-act-safety-signAccidents can stem from inattention, being careless, and can happen so quickly – but a mistake that always is at the forefront of my mind is when people “charge into action” without the pause to THINK, first, when there’s an accident. My most recent example of this type of NOT thinking first is a story shared by a man about an incident at his home with his two-year old son. Apparently, the child began to choke and so the grandma administered the abdominal thrust (Heimlich maneuver) – but wasn’t trained to do so. The wife thrust her fingers into the child’s mouth to grab the instruction – also not trained – nor do you put fingers in a mouth because it usually shoves the obstruction deeper. It turns out the obstruction came out of the throat, ultimately – so glad. BUT this man shared that out on the porch was sitting the grandfather who is a retired firefighter. You get my drift? Two untrained women start responding to the emergency – when a TRAINED person was THAT CLOSE. A perfect example of NOT thinking, not staying calm to make the best choice.  Ladies, don’t “help” the choking child – GO GET grandpa!

stay calm hands

As usual, I end each post with my message “get trained” – but this time I’ll add “THINK before you act.  Cause No Further Harm”.

Jean Lesmeister
EasyCPR-Denver.com