If you have a baby sitting job, you hope that an emergency will never happen, but what do you do if it does?
If you are baby-sitting you hope that an emergency will never happen, but what do you do if it does? There could be a fire, a gas leak, a bleeding or choking child, or other emergencies you need to be able to handle to keep yourself safe and the children you are watching.
Baby sitting is a big responsibility. When you take a baby sitting job you are saying to the parent, "I am capable of handling an emergency if one happens while you are gone."
If you are baby-sitting and you smell smoke or fire, get everyone out of the house. Do not try to find or put out the fire yourself. Forget all things, like shoes or your belongings, just get everyone out safely. If you remain calm, but act quickly, the children will trust you and follow you. If there is a lot of smoke, get on your hands and knees and crawl out with the children. Go to the nearest neighbors and ask them to call the fire department. Have someone phone the parents to come home quickly.
If the people you are baby-sitting for have a gas stove, make sure it is turned off. Sometimes it is hard to detect the smell of gas, but if you do, get everyone out. Even if you only smell a little bit of gas, don't underestimate the danger. If exposed to gasoline for a long time, you can pass out. Take the kids and go to the neighbors and have them call the parents and the gas company.
Bumps, cuts, and bruises will happen when you are baby-sitting. They usually won't be very serious. Put a band aid on it, kiss and make sure you tell the parents what happened. If it is a good sized lump, put some ice on it. If it is a large cut and is bleeding pretty good, then stop the bleeding by putting pressure on it and call the parents home. If the child is bleeding really bad, call for emergency help.
If a child gets a burn, look to see how bad it is. The most serious burn is a third degree burn, when the skin is charred black; call for emergency help. A minor burn can be submersed in running cool water for at least 15 minutes.
If you believe a child you are watching has taken something poisonous, call poison control and the parents immediately. Try to gather up the container or remainder of what ever it was they took.
If a child you are watching has stopped breathing, you need to know how to save their life. It would be really good if you took a certified lifesaving class for infants and children so that you are really prepared. You need to assess if the child is choking on something and do the heimlich maneuver to get the object out. If a child is choking but can still talk, then leave them alone, they will be able to correct the problem themselves. If the child isn't getting any air, stand behind him and put your fist on his stomach right below the ribs. Cover your fist with your other hand and thrust upward four times until the object pops out. If this doesn't work call for emergency help and start rescue breathing.
If your child has been bit by a dog you need to call the parents home so they can take care of the injured child. Keep the dog away from the other children. If it is a stray dog keep track of what it looks like to tell authorities so they can find it to find out if it has rabies. Call for emergency medical help if the bite is really bad.
