Safety essentials for busy new parents

As a busy mummy to 6 children, I am constantly dealing with scraped knees, sprained ankles, bumped heads and baking-related burns. I get asked questions about first aid all the time, so I’ve made a list of the top things you really need to know.

First aid kit essentials

Your first aid kit needs to be big enough to store your essentials but compact enough to easily carry around – I always recommend you keep one at home, one in the car and one in your changing bag or rucksack.

Our award winning Mini First Aid Kit, as seen on Dragons’ Den, contains 74 items, including the kit you need to deal with grazes, bleeds, sprains and minor burns safely and hygienically. We include safety pins in our kits which can be used to rig up a makeshift sling (grab a clean muslin!), and paramedic recommended shears for cutting through tough materials such as seat belts.

Best of all, our kit contains a QR code, giving you access to my first aid video guides covering emergencies like dealing with a choking baby and performing CPR.

Where should I keep my first aid kit?

So many people answer this question with “the bathroom” and there are a couple of reasons why this isn’t a great idea!

Firstly, bathrooms are usually at the top of the house, and the most likely place for a first aid accident is the kitchen, or downstairs where you spend the most time. Secondly, bathrooms are full of moisture – not ideal conditions for storing medical essentials. I’d recommend a high cupboard in the kitchen, away from curious little fingers, but not so high an older child can’t reach if needed.

Make sure you regularly check contents are in date as well! We have a really handy refill kit which you can purchase and add to your original Mini First Aid kit bag.

Know the location of your local A&E

It sounds so basic, but would you know where to go in an emergency?

Despite the best efforts of our emergency services there may be times when you need to find your own way to A&E, so locating your nearest one is a must. Don’t forget not every hospital has a children’s A&E department – in my hometown of Leeds we have two major hospitals, but only one has an A&E department for under 16s.

I’d thoroughly recommend that once you’ve found out where your most local children’s A&E department is, you do a practice run. Familiarise yourself with the route and save it into Google maps or your Sat Nav for easy access under pressure. Work out where you can park and walk the route to the department, so it’s familiar when needed.

It’s also worth locating your local urgent treatment centre for minor injuries and illnesses that are urgent, but not life or limb threatening. If unsure where to go, contact 111 for advice, but in a medical emergency always call 999.

Who can you call on locally in an emergency?

Picture the scene – it’s 2am and your poorly baby urgently needs taking to A&E. But your 3-year-old is sound asleep. You can’t leave them alone, but don’t want to disturb them, and time is of the essence. What do you do?

I always encourage parents and carers to brief a trusted neighbour or friend living close by who they can call on in an emergency. Perhaps give them a key to your house for use in emergencies. Being prepared for events like this limits the panic when you need to keep your head. If you have a landline, keep these trusted contact numbers by the phone for easy access for the whole family.

And finally . . .

I’d strongly recommend you do a baby and child first aid class. Ours gives parents the knowledge and skills to carry out CPR, deal with choking, bumps, burns, breaks and bleeds, plus an understanding of meningitis and sepsis awareness.

I really hope this has given you food for thought and helped you think about how to plan for a first aid emergency. As I always say, it’s better to know it and not need it, than need it and not know it.

All the best,

Kate x