I once taught a CPR/AED and First Aid class and was impressed by a 9 year old student that I had in my class. With almost 10 years of teaching basic life support programs, I never had a brighter student under the age of 18. He took the class with his mother and sister and he himself was a boy scout. He was quick to both ask and answer questions. The reason he was such a good student is because he had been well rounded by mom. Many things related to what we discussed in class had been taught to him by the boys scouts as well. You could say that he had an advantage by having been taught many things prior to class. The subject matter was easier for him to comprehend and it was not entirely foreign to him.

I wouldn’t expect him to latch on to the material and do so well in class having not been prepared the way he was. In any case, it was a lesson for me in a child’s ability to comprehend basic life support. Before that experience I generally would see, children his age in the babysitter course provided by the American Red Cross, but i don’t recall any of those children having the same level of understanding as this 9 year old. We actually had the director write him an official Red Cross letter commending him for his outstanding performance in class. Comparing him to other students under the age of 18 (most were 13-17) it was clear to me that if given the attention and grooming, children can do very well taking a CPR and First Aid class. It is my personal opinion that some of the basics should be taught in public schools.

When and if that will ever happen is doubtful…who knows? In any case, presently parent are the primary basic life support teachers of children. If the parent is uninformed and untrained then the child will most certainly fall in the same category. Children can do well in these classes if they are prepared and do not come to class with attention problems. Repetition is the mother of skill for children as well as adults. In order for you child to get the maximum benefit form taking CPR or First Aid, make sure you as a parent are trained and have decent understanding on the subject to help prepare them and coach them through the experience. Now days you can find videos online that can help children understand and comprehend how to recognize and respond to emergencies. Whatever you can do to help them prepare for their training, can ensure that your child gets the most out of their class. we don’t expect them to leave the class knowing everything, but don’t be suppressed at what they do remember.

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