for Dr. Keener because Dr. Keener knew the little girl’s death could have been prevented if the babysitter had just known how to rescue a choking child. Even more tragic, Dr. Keener knew the little girl’s mother personally because the mother happened to be a nurse at that very same hospital.
Dr. Keener decided that she would create a class to teach young teens how to handle emergencies. Since then, there have been almost 200 documented cases of Safe Sitter® tragedies and save lives.
graduates using their skills to prevent
WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW Each of you has received a letter from our Medical Director, Dr. Sara Ross. Just as these students have new responsibilities, so do you as their parents.
• Completing this course does not mean your student is ready to stay home alone, watch younger siblings, or babysit. Decide if your student is ready based on his or her maturity level. If your student is going to babysit or do odd jobs for friends or neighbors, monitor job requests and activity, and help your student decide which jobs he or she can handle.
• Help your student practice good work habits, especially screening jobs, checking references, and being on time.
• Have a method to track the jobs that your student accepts. For example, a family calendar is a great place to keep this information, and there are several online calendars and apps that make it easy for you to share information. [Google calendar is a good option.]
• Help your student stay safe: don’t allow them to advertise on Internet sites. [for example, Craigslist,
Care.com, etc.] Many of those sites require users to be 18 and over, and it just isn’t safe for young teens to advertise to strangers. We encourage our students to babysit or do odd jobs for friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and other people that they or you know personally.
• Talk to your student after each job. They still need your guidance, and when you ask your student how each job went, you’re likely to learn more about what they experienced.
• Sibling sitting is especially difficult. You can help by identifying your student as being in charge while you’re gone. Review the rules in front of the siblings and urge them to support the sitter’s authority while you are gone. Sibling sitting is an important family contribution, so be sure to show your appreciation to your Safe Sitter®
.
• Last but not least, we have taught these students that if they are ever in a situation that is unsafe, they should call or text you the words “I’m ready to be picked up now.” If you get that message, that means “Come immediately and pick me up. Don’t ask questions; I’ll explain later.” They can use this Safety Signal if they are in an unsafe babysitting situation, but they can also use it in any situation, now or in the future, where they are in danger or feel uncomfortable about a situation.
PAGE 80 | SAFE SITTER® INSTRUCTOR MANUAL
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