Babysitter's Manual

Canadian Red Cross Babysitter's Manual for Babysitting and Youth Leadership course participants in Kelowna, BC. The Canadian Red Cross Babysitter's manual is a smaller, more portable companion book to the Comprehensive Guide to First Aid.

You will refer to the Babysitter's student manual throughout your Canadian Red Cross Babysitting course. A significant part of your Babysitter training involves familiarizing yourself with the Babysitter's manual, and learning how to use it as an on the spot guide when you encounter an emergency or have questions about a babysitting situation.

The First Aid information in the Canadian Red Cross Babysitter's manual follows the guidelines from the most currently recognized International Liaison Committee on Rescuscitation (ILCOR) and Canadian Consensus on Science and Treatment Recommendations (CoSTR) recommendations.

Your Canadian Red Cross certified Babysitting instructor will provide you with a classroom copy of the Babysitter's manual to utilize in your Babysitting course. You also have the option to purchase a take-home copy, to keep in your home First Aid kit, vehicle glove box, backpack, purse, tool box or desk. You might even decide to buy a few copies to keep in different locations. You can also download a PDF copy of the Babysitter's manual for free, and keep it stored for quick, easy access on your computer, laptop, tablet and smartphone.

Babysitter's Manual contents:

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Canadian Red Cross

Our Mission
Our Values
Our Volunteers
How We Help
Red Cross Fundamental Principles

Chapter 2: Being a Responsible Leader

I'm in Charge
How to Be a Leader
Leadership Skills
Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect

Chapter 3: Childhood Characteristics and Behaviour

Stages for Babies
Stages for Toddlers
Stages for Preschoolers
Stages for School-Aged Children
Babysitting Children with Disabilities

Chapter 4: Injury is No Accident - Creating Safe Environments

Safety Begins With Me
Precautions for All Developmental Stages
Personal Safety and Security
Online Safety
Bullying Behaviours

Chapter 5: Caring for Children

Care of Children
Holding
Lowering the Risk of Infections
Diapers and Toileting
Dressing
Feeding
Sleeping
Playing
Comforting
Safe vs. Unsafe Touching
Misbehaviour

Chapter 6: First Aid - Check, Call, Care

Handling Emergencies
First Aid Kit
Check, Call, Care
Illness
Choking
CPR
Asthma
Anaphylaxis
Minor Cuts and Scrapes
Splinters
Life-Threatening External Bleeding
Nosebleeds
Bumps and Bruises
Burns
Head, Neck, and Back Injuries
Broken Bones
Seizures
Poisons
Insect Stings

Chapter 7: The Business of Babysitting

Finding Work
Your Resume
Before Your First Babysitting Job
Safety Tips for You
Expectations of the Families Who Hire You
Children's Expectations
Self-Evaluation After the Job
Your Own Family's Expectations

Chapter 8: Wound Care

Bandaging Guidelines
Cuts & Scrapes
Burns
Bruises
Splinters
Nosebleeds
Knocked-Out Teeth
Eye Injuries
Ear Injuries
Impaled Objects

Summary of What You've Learned

Resources
First Aid and CPR Training

How to Download a Free Copy

After you have completed a Canadian Red Cross Babysitting course, your name will be added and uploaded to a corresponding course roster on the Canadian Red Cross MyRC platform. This will activate your access to the Babysitter's manual through your online MyRC Profile at myrc.redcross.ca.

Click here for instructions on how to create your MyRC profile if you haven't done so already, then follow the steps below to access and download the Canadian Red Cross Babysitter's manual.

Create and/or login to your Canadian Red Cross MyRC Profile.
Click the "My Profile" tab
Click the "My Digital Books" tab
Click "Babysitter's Manual" from the corresponding list of links
View and/or download the PDF file that opens from your web browser