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| The babysitting basics | ||||
| Does your babysitter have them? | ||||
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The campaign features two "must see" ads: The first shows a number of babysitting disasters and dramas and babysitters clearly not coping. The second is from the children's point of view, urging all babysitters to go online and take the course. The ad campaign is very funny, but also slightly alarming, given most of the situations in the campaign have probably either happened in your home or could very easily happen at any time. They aren't all emergency or dramatic situations. Some are very mundane basic parenting situations we have all had to face, but not necessarily as a childless teenager. The Red Cross asks the questions: Do you know how to calm a crying baby? Or how to handle a conflict between two children? How about what to do if a child has a tummy ache? The Red Cross has initiated a brilliant online course for would-be babysitters called Babysitting Basics. Via the web, babysitters can learn how to help kids have fun, while keeping them safe and following household rules. There's also a Babysitter's Training classroom course run by the Red Cross. What a brilliant idea and let's face it, we parents could probably learn a bit from the course as well. When was the last time you did basic first aid? Do you know what to do if a pan catches fire? Or if your child gets its head stuck in the bannisters? Designed for students ages 11 and older, the online training provides the knowledge and skills necessary to safely and responsibly care for infants and children up to the age of 10, as well as to manage a babysitting business. It takes about 4 hours to complete and makes learning fun with lots of videos and interactive games. A score of 80% or higher on the final exam is required to receive a printable Diploma. Dozens of downloadable resources provide:
The Course Outline includes:
While this course is currently only available on the American Red Cross site and costs USD$25, it's well worth doing and recommending to your babysitter or your teenage kids if they're thinking of taking up the babysitting challenge. Not just for babysitting but for basic life skills. The Australian Red Cross and St John's Ambulance also offer First Aid course specific to child care. So next time you employ a babysitter ask them a few questions regarding emergency situations and general child care skills, and better still, get a babysitter through one of our trusted agency partners. They've already asked the questions for you. View the campaign on YouTube. For USA Red Cross go to www.redcross.org or for the Australian site www.redcross.org.au Find a vetted, secure and ultimately experienced babysitter locally. More babysitter resources from CareforKids.com.au |
A brilliant campaign being run in the USA by the American Red Cross identifies that babysitters, particularly teenage babysitters, often have little knowledge or basic skills when it comes to health and safety or child care.
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