One of the areas where parents must focus is training kids to handle emergencies! While this exercise is undoubtedly important, many parents postpone it. Your kid needs to start training from a young age so that in due time he/she becomes capable of smartly handling emergencies.
Training kids is not as simple as it may sound, as there are drastic differences in cognitive abilities of kids; however, with the help of 5 simple steps and routine observation of the same, parents can get the training done smoothly. In this article, we will talk about those steps which, if followed, can greatly help parents in this exercise. So, without further ado, let us begin.
1. Understanding that Emergency is Relative
You need to communicate coherently to your kid that emergency is relative in nature—not everything constitutes an emergency. This area is a bit tricky because your kid might have a totally different perspective on emergencies, and it is your task to rectify the same.
In order to help your kids, grow their understanding of emergencies, make them read or narrate to them emergency manuals and tell them all kinds of possible emergencies which may be encountered. It will take time for kids to get acquainted with various kinds of emergencies, but with little patience, they will get there.
2. Emergency number is no joke
When kids get to know that there is a phone number they can dial whenever they are in an emergency, they might not take it seriously. You must be absolutely clear that they cannot mess with these numbers and that they must only dial the numbers when they know there is an emergency.
You need to teach your kids how they should correspond with the operator: they need to tell the location, their company if any, and a description of what is or has happened. Stress on the fact that they must follow the instructions of theoperator.
3. Detailed instructions
Your kids should have basic knowledge and training on how to handle emergencies on their own until help arrives. For this, you must describe various events which may likely happen and what they should do in case of an occurrence. Be very specific. If you are unsure yourself, then kids will not be able to fully appreciate the instructions.
4. Roleplay
Knowledge is good, but kids should know how to implement it. To equip your kids to tackle tough scenarios bravely and smartly, you should undertake role-playing sessions in which you simulate a crisis and let your kids handle it on their own.
Role-playing will familiarize your kids with the setting and the approach they should take in such case. Conduct these sessions every week to develop your kids’ responsive behavior.
5. Do not freak them out
You need to tell them clearly what it means to have an emergency; but, while doing so, you must not freak them out. If you do this, your kids will panic and will not be able to think rationally when facing an emergency.
