KeepaBeat First Aid South West Yorkshire

Today we are looking at water safety, both in the house, and out and about 🌊

Drowning usually happens quietly and quickly, it only takes a second of distraction for our baby or child to get into trouble

Bath Safety 🛁 - get everything prepared before you start to run the bath, bath seats are a great support but never use instead of close, adult supervision. Never leave your toddler to watch your baby as it could happen to either of them

Garden Safety 🏡- in the holidays its great fun to have the paddling pool out but what may seem like something to keep them busy actually needs lots of supervision. Only fill it when you have time to sit and enjoy the fun with them 😊

Be extra cautious of hot tubs and make sure the lid is always replaced securely after use

Make sure ponds are fenced and that children cannot access the alone

At the beach 🏖 - teach children about safe swimming zones and lifeguards and make sure they know to always stay in view of an adult. Teach them about inflatable safety and how easily they can get swept away

Open water - explain the dangers of open water to older children, it is usually much colder than expected and it is very hard to tell the depth, there can also be things under the surface that you can't see. No matter how strong a swimmer they may be teach them to stick to safe places where other people are around for safety

Sources: CAPT, RNLI

Every month we run live, online First Aid For Weaning sessions

These sessions are perfect for anyone that's starting the weaning journey with their baby

One of the biggest worries for parents is that their baby may choke and they wouldn’t know what to do

Feeling confident is key when you start your weaning journey! 🥦🥕🍓
💪Learn how to prep food safely
🥵😰Learn how to recognise the difference between gagging and choking
😌Learn how to react if your child is gagging
🖐🏽🚑Know how to start emergency treatment if your child was to choke

Our sessions are just £9.99 per person! The next one is Thursday 27th August at 10am and can be booked at https://www.keepabeat.com/southwest-yorkshire

Comin up next week at Baby Sensory Rotherham our last session of the summer holidays 🌞

Finish off the summer with a new skill, learn First Aid to protect you and your loved ones in case of an emergency 🚨

Our classes are open to Parents, Parents to be, Grandparents or anyone helping to care for your young children

Take 2 hours out of your week to gain the confidence to help when needed 🤕⛑️

Book at www.keepabeat.com/southwest-yorkshire

We usually spend more time in our gardens over the summer so it’s good to think about how safe it is for our babies and children

Things you can do to make your space safer

🎋 remove plants with berries or inedible fruits on so there is no temptation
🐝 remove any food or fallen fruits from the ground to deter wasps
🐈 keep sand boxes covered to prevent cats using it as a litter tray
🐌 keep toys in a covered box to prevent slugs and snails from slithering over them
🌊 if you have a pond or water feature with standing water make sure it is securely fenced off at an appropriate height - children can drown in 5cm of water
🌞 try to create a nice shaded area out of the sun to protect your little ones skin
🐜 make sure any bug spray, w**d killer, chemicals and tools are locked away
👧🏼 children love a trampoline and lots of accidents happen when there is more than one person on so keep it to one at a time
🌭BBQ season can also bring with it lots of burns - keep children away - see our First Aid Friday from last week

A positive for your outdoor space is buying plants that are colourful for your child to look at and to attract butterflies and bees 🦋🐝

Children also really love to get involved and see things grow so giving them a little planting area or veg patch is a great activity to do together 🍓🥕👩‍🌾

Why are finger foods good?

Often when parents start to prepare for the weaning journey they start to worry about choking. Historically, parents and carers would puree foods or cut them up in to teeny tiny pieces. But, if you want to promote safe eating then we need to teach children how to eat in a safe way. That means we need to give them foods that help to develop their oral motor skills

If you want babies to be able to chew then we need to give them chewable foods

So are finger foods safe? Yes - but we must prep them for the age and ability of the child

We cover more about how to prep food and all the reflexes our baby is learning with their hands and mouth in our First Aid For Weaning sessions! These are online twice a month, they are live and informal so you can ask questions as we go along

*Images show examples of size and shape but these will be different dependant on age and ability

Its looks like there are a couple of scorching days ahead so here is a reminder of our hot nights information for any new followers 💙❤️ - check yesterdays post for what to wear

For any pregnant mamas stick your feet in a cool bucket of water 💧 and have an ice lolly 🍦🧊😎

🌙🌙How to try and keep cool on a HOT night🌙🌙

Many parents worry about their young ones when the weather is very hot!
Here are our top tips!

☑️Prevention - Try to keep bedrooms cool during the day by closing windows and curtains/blinds (open windows when the hot air has cooled). Try not to use dark curtains/blinds. Try using a reflective material/colour
☑️Use a fan in the room to circulate the air (make sure this is a safe distance from little fingers with leads out of reach too - do not aim directly at a baby)
☑️Hang wet towels or sheets in the room. This will add moisture to the air and may help to cool the room further. Or...
☑️Place frozen bottles in front of a fan (again, please make sure this is out of reach of children and that any excess water is collected safely by standing bottle on a plate or towel) 🧊
☑️Give your little one a cool bath before bed and dress them in lighter clothing or just a nappy. If using a sleeping bag, please see the manufacturers guidance for the best tog for the correct temperature 🛁
☑️When checking babies' temperatures, do so by touching the back of their neck or tummy - NOT the hands or feet as these will be colder 👶🏼
☑️If they are sweaty or clammy, remove layers if possible
☑️If your baby is unwell, do not be tempted to cover them up
☑️Stay hydrated 💦

For more information or advice, you can visit NHS online

It looks like its going to be super hot again over the next couple of days so I thought I would share our what to wear in hot weather advice again for those who may have missed it 🌞

This image gives an idea of what clothing to have your baby in on hot nights, always check manufacturers instructions on sleeping bags

When checking your little ones temperature its best to use your hand on their back or chest. Do not use hands and feet as these are often colder than the rest of their body

Remember to stay hydrated 💦 We will also be sharing our hot nights advice later 🌛🥵

Today we are looking at BBQ safety - hopefully the sun 🌞 will keep popping out over the holidays which means lots of people will be enjoying eating in the garden or other public spaces

BBQs and the ground they may be on can stay hot enough a long time after use to cause serious burns

Keep in mind that if you use a disposable BBQ on the beach the sand acts as an insulator which can then cause severe burns if touched 🏖️

BBQs in grassed areas are really dangerous as if flames, sparks or hot embers touch dry grass a fire can start and quickly get out of hand 🌳

Children should be kept well away from the cooking area during use and until the area has completely cooled 🔥

Also keep in mind that fire pits can stay hot for a significantly longer period of time and are usually lower to the ground so more accessible to tiny hands

Always have a bucket of water to hand for emergencies 🪣

It is also important to make sure that the BBQ is properly extinguished as smouldering ashes can give off fatal carbon monoxide fumes

If someone does get burned cool under running water for at least 20 minutes and then seek medical advice if it is more than superficial 💦💦💦

Sources: CAPT, London Fire