SUPER SITTERS

Conway camp covers ABCs of child care, safety

By Jeannie Stone

Leesa Gilmer, 15, practices CPR on "George" during the CPR portion of the Baby-Sitter's Camp held in Conway and sponsored by the American Red Cross of Greater Arkansas Faulkner County Service Center. Jeannie Stone 2008-06-18 16:21:00

LITTLE ROCK — One job that always seems to be available for teenagers is baby-sitting, but there’s more to it than watching TV while watching the kids.

The American Red Cross of Greater Arkansas Faulkner County Service Center in Conway has been preparing teenagers on the rigors of child care through a Baby-Sitter’s Training course, which grants participants, who pass the requirements, a certification card to show their prospective bosses.

This summer, the chapter cranked up the training a notch and offered Baby-Sitter’s Camp, which also included infant/child CPR and first aid. The chapter just graduated the first nine “super sitters.”

Community Service Coordinator Rae Casavan of Mayflower believes baby-sitting is an important job.

“You are, in essence, acting in the place of a parent,” she told the class of 11-15-year-old girls (although the camp was open to boys as well). “You have implied consent to act in the best interest of the child should an emergency arise.”

Twelve-year-old Jacie Keathley of Conway asked, “Can we get in trouble for helping someone if they are unconscious?”

Casavan replied by informing the girls of the Good Samaritan Law and the varying conditions that dictate the measure of assistance rescuers are allowed to extend. The 14-hour camp is designed to replace participants’ fears with basic life-saving and safety knowledge.

Thirteen-year-old Amy Fulton of Conway has helped her older sister baby-sit. “But I haven’t started on my own yet,” she said. “I like to take care of children, and I think it’s pretty cool getting paid for doing something you like to do.”

Several of the class participants said their standing in the ranks of baby sitters depended on completing the camp. Some of their parents didn’t feel comfortable allowing the teens to take on a job with such a high level of responsibility without the training. The camp served as a prerequisite for some students who had secured sitting positions pending the completion of the course.

“What might alert you that you might have an emergency when you’re baby-sitting?” Casavan asked the class. Lauren Powers, 13, of Conway was the first to answer. “Sudden silence,” she said. “Yes!” Casavan exclaimed and pumped her fist into the air. “I would be real concerned if I was watching a couple of children who were making regular kid type noises, and then, all of a sudden, stopped.”

“What else?” she asked. “Smell,” 13-year-old Kilmeny Cummings of Conway said.

“You betcha,” Casavan said. “Funny smells can tell us a lot.”

“If the child looks panicked,” 15-year-old ChanningCummings of Conway added.

“If they don’t feel good,” Leesa Gilmer, 15, said.

Casavan said, “Don’t forget unusual sights like blood or broken items and unusual behaviors and appearances such as a child who is clutching her throat or having trouble breathing,”

Casavan drilled the students in what to expect if the unexpected occurs. “You have to make sure the scene is safe first,” she tells the class.

“You should always err on the side of caution and call 9-1-1” she reminded them.

In the course of discussingresuscitation, Casavan told the class, “The victim might vomit in your face.”

“Eww,” the girls wailed.

“Hey, it can happen, people, especially in drowning victims,” Casavan said.

Technology and changes in society have affected the content of the Red Cross manuals. The traditional chapters include What to Do in the Event of Poisoning, How to Properly Wash Your Hands, Recognizing and Caring for Shock, What to Do in the Event of Diabetic Seizures, How to Stop Bleeding, What to do for a Choking Victim, How to Make a Sling, How to Dress a Child and Being Prepared for Weather Emergencies.

Additional chapters addressing issues foreign to past generations cover such topics as Dangers Strangers Pose, a section on personal safety which included Internet safety, How to Encourage Positive Behavior, Blood-Borne Pathogens, and How to Operate an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Included in the baby sitter’smanual is a section on Telephone Safety Tips.

“It is hard to supervise children while you’re talking on the telephone,” it states. “That’s why you should keep all conversation as short as possible and avoid personal calls that aren’t absolutely necessary. You should alsonot use your cell phone to text message or talk unnecessarily.”

Class participants also employ updated safety precautions such as using a face shield and wearing gloves to reduce the possibility of contaminents.

They also learn that it is OK to turn down a job if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

Casavan asked the class, “What are the ABCs, y’all?” In unison, the students recited, “Airway, breathing, circulation.”

Students earnestly studied their manuals during a brief recess before breaking up into two-girl teams to perform CPR on the adult dummies whom they playfully named “Fred,” “Bob,” “George” and “Ed.”

Students compared their timing and techniques to a video. Casavan reminded them, “Make your mouth huge to cover the mannequin.”

They demonstrated how to pinch the nose and lift the chin and how to count the chest compressions.

“Sometimes CPR is not enough,” Casavan said. “That’s why we have AEDs.”

She continued to expound on the virtues of the devices, which are provided at many public facilities such as swimming pools and shopping malls.

“Cell phones can disrupt the readings of the AEDs, so turn them off and instruct people to get away,” Casavan said. “You might encounter someone with an extremely hairy chest.”

“Eww,” the girls squealed.

“That’s why some of the nicer kits have razors,” she said. “Don’t waste your only AED pads on a hairy chest. Shave the area.”

Casavan said some students are surprised at the intensity of the training. “I’ve had a class filled with sitters from a church nursery who came after they experienced a child who stopped breathing under their care. They wanted to get certified, to know what to do if that ever happened again. Learning these skills allowed them to continue to care for children, which is what they loved to do,” Casavan said.

“We hope they never have to use these skills, of course. Butit makes for more confident sitters, and battling the fear of the unknown is half the battle in an emergency situation,” she said. Students also are encouraged to carry a first-aid kit and safety inspection checklist when they are on the job.

The Babysitter’s Training brochure includes a burgundy-colored text box that has printed on it: “Impress parents by earning your Babysitter’s Training certificate from the American Red Cross.”

These teens are doing more than impressing parents. They are impressing themselves. Fulton looked up while signing her name to her newly acquired certification card. “Do you need a good baby sitter?” she asked.

SAFETY INSPECTION CHECK LIST from Red Cross Baby-sitter’s Training ManualFOR EMERGENCIES:

The emergency phone list has been filled out and is posted.

The first-aid kit is properly stocked and stored away.

I know where the working flashlights, battery-operated radio and extra batteries are located.

TO PREVENT WOUNDS:

Knives, hand tools, power tools, razor blades, scissors, guns, ammunition and other objects that can cause injury are stored in locked cabinets or locked storage areas.

TO PREVENT FALLS:

Safety gates are installed at all open stairways in homes with small children and infants.

Windows and balcony doors have childproof latches or window guards.

Balconies have protective barriers to prevent children from slipping through the bars.

The home is free of clutter on the floors,especially on or near stairways.

TO PREVENT POISONING:

Potential poisonings, like detergents, polishes, pesticides, car-care fluids, lighter fluids and lamp oils, are stored in locked cabinets and are out of the reach of children.

Houseplants are kept out of reach.

Medicine is kept in a locked storage place that children can’t reach.

Child-resistant packaging is closed or reclosed securely.

TO PREVENT BURNS:

Safety covers are placed on all unused electrical outlets.

Loose cords are secured and out of the way. Multicord or octopus plugs are not used.

At least one approved smoke alarm is installed and operating on each level of the home.

Space heaters are place out of the reach of children and away from curtains.

Flammable liquids are securely stored in their original containers and away from heat.

Matches and lighters are stored out of the reach of children.

Garbage and recycling materials are stored in covered containers.

TO PREVENT DROWNING:

Swimming pools and hot tubs are completely enclosed with a barrier such as a locked fence or gate and covered.

Wading pools and bathtubs are emptied when not in use.

Toilet seats and lids are kept down when not in use.

Bathroom doors are kept closed at all times.

Buckets or other containers with standing water are securely covered or emptied of water.

TO PREVENT CHOKING AND OTHER BREATHING DANGERS:

Small objects are kept out of the reach of children.

Toy box has ventilation holes. If there is a lid, it is lightweight and removable and has a sliding door or panel, or is a hinged lid with a support to hold it open.

The crib mattress fits the side of the crib snugly, and toys, blankets and pillows are removed from the crib.

Drape and blind cords are wound up and not dangling.

River Valley Ozark, Pages 63, 68 on 06/19/2008