First aid: when is the right time to teach children

KarynChildhood, children, community, emergency, First Aid, Parents, prevention, Sickness

Kids doing resuscitation training on medical dummy during first aid course

Parents often ask me when they should start teaching their children first aid.  Everyone that knows me, knows that I believe that first aid is a fundamental life skill.  As I look at how my children (aged 7 and 9 years) remain calm and help when their friends are hurt, I realise that I subtly started “teaching” them from a very early age.  Remaining calm when someone is hurt or injured can be hard to … Read More

Breathing symptoms: the subtle signs to watch for

KarynChildhood, children, emergency, Parents, prevention, Sickness

Mother checking temperature and breathing of her sick child

Over the last few weeks my family has been battling the usual “change of season” colds, viruses, heavy breathing and coughs. The fluctuating temperatures can be a trigger for young, sensitive airways and for those with Asthma.  All too often in my career I have seen people miss the early and sometimes subtle breathing symptoms that indicate the severity of their asthma/illness. If this happens then they tire quickly, breathing worsens and a worrying hospital … Read More