If your baby becomes unwell or faces a life threatening emergency, first aid is essential.

The thought of having to give first aid to your child is daunting and scary for any parent - but it really shouldn't be.

A common reason for parents not learning basic first aid is that they don't want to think of their child being seriously ill or in danger. So they pretend (or rather hope) "it" won't happen to them.

With this in mind, here are 3 reasons first aid for parents is so important to learn:

1. It can happen to anyone

At same point in your life, your child or children will become unwell or get injured. It will happen to everyone.

Basic first aid prepares you to look for basic signs of serious or life-threatening injury or illness to your child. Learning first aid doesn't increase your risk of dealing with an emergency!

2. First aid is part of being a parent

As a responsible parent, it's your duty to look after your child to the best of your ability. So taking a few hours to learn simple, but potentially life-saving skills, is just as important as learning to feed your new baby. It's something every parent should do.

3. Basic First Aid is really easy!

Some people fear first aid as they feel they might not understand it. The whole idea of basic first aid is that absolutely anyone can do it.

Children are now even being encouraged to learn the basics in school as it's simple, straightforward and absolutely essential. You can even start off by picking up some basic skills online here to see just how easy it really is.

First aid is a vital skill for all parents because it forms part of your parental responsibility. It's easy and accessible to learn the basics, so what are you waiting for?

We cover some of your questions about 'CPR' in one of our blogs from last year , so check it out for more info!

If your child gets injured playing sport, why wouldn't you want to know what to do?

If, like me, you have children that play sport, your greatest fear is no doubt your child getting a serious injury. Your club will (or certainly should!) have a designated first aider for matches and training - usually the coaches who are able to provide first aid for them.

But there are a whole host of reasons why you, as a parent, should also be first aid trained and aware of what to do if your child gets injured playing their favourite sport. Here are just 5, to begin with...

1. Build Communication

Coaches & volunteers from various sports clubs always struggle with a recurring issue when managing an injury - the child's parent.

This shouldn't be the case. Usually, a parent will know what's best for their child. But if you haven't been trained in first aid, it can be frustrating and difficult to understand what the coach is doing to help.

Some basic first aid knowledge will not help you to understand (and ideally help the coach), but also make it a lot easier for the coach to communicate exactly what is going on to you.

2. Increase Head Injury Awareness

We've all heard about concussion & head injuries in sport in the news recently. Doctors and sports scientists are constantly researching & testing the impact of head injuries on sports competitors of all ages.

But until parents at grassroots level understand the dangers of head injuries and concussion, we will continue to fail to understand, play down and miss clear signs and symptoms.

A small amount of training and information about head injuries & concussion in sport will hugely improve your knowledge and increase safety levels for your child (click here for our head injury blog). 

3. It's Your Responsibility

The buck stops with you! You are responsible for the welfare of your child/children. Therefore, as a responsible parent, you should know the basic first aid commonly needed in your child's sport.

You know your child better than anyone else. If they get injured, why would you want someone else to provide first aid when you could do it yourself?

We are way behind other European countries when it comes to learning about and using First Aid in the U.K. We owe it to our children to ensure we have a basic knowledge and understanding to help them if they're hurt or injured.

4. Care After The Injury

Once the match is over, an injured child is in your care. Without first aid knowledge, some injuries can be made worse without the correct treatment and monitoring.

Would you know if a head injury is deteriorating? When would you refer to a GP or A&E? Do you know how to prevent your child's injury from deteriorating?

There are often basic steps you can take and guidelines available to help you care for your child post-injury. All of this information can be learnt from one day of first aid training.

5. You Can Help Others

Grassroots sport is all about teamwork and community. If all the coaches and parents at your club are trained to the same level of first aid, the responsibility for the team is shared.

Basic training helps to increase the knowledge, communication and safety of your entire team.

Would you like to learn more? We currently have our First Aid for Sport and Exercise 1 theory online!

To access the course go to https://www.lubasonline.com/courses/FASE1
Save 40% off by using the code: fase12020