Paediatric First Aid – Choking

Paediatric First Aid – Choking article will look into helping a child and infant in case of choking. Choking happens when an object lodges in the throat or windpipe blocking the flow of air. In adults, a piece of food is usually to blame. Young children often choke on small objects. Choking is life-threatening. It cuts off oxygen to the brain.

 

Paediatric First Aid – Choking Child

How to recognise if the Child is choking?

First step is to ask the child if they are choking. Second step is to observe:

• Mild obstruction: Difficulty in speaking, coughing and breathing.
• Severe obstruction: Inability to speak, cough or breathe. Eventual unconsciousness.

 

How to Help Choking Child

Step 1. Encourage Child to Cough

If the child is breathing, encourage her to cough to try to remove the obstruction herself. If this fails, go to step 2.

Step 2. Give Up to Five Back Blows

If the child cannot speak, cough or breathe, bend her forward. Give up to five sharp blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. Check her mouth. If choking persists, proceed to step 3.

Step 3. Give Up To Five Abdominal Thrusts

Stand behind the child. Put both your arms around her, and put one fist between her navel and the bottom of her breastbone. Grasp your fist with your other hand, and pull sharply inwards and upwards up to five times. Recheck the child’s mouth.

Step 4. Call For Emergency Help

Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the obstruction clears. If after three cycles it still has not cleared, call 999/112 for emergency help. Continue the sequence until help arrives, the obstruction is cleared or the child loses consciousness.

Source: St. John Ambulance [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G_0YxMEViE]

 

Paediatric First Aid – Choking Infant

How to recognise if the Child is choking?

With choking infant, it is very important to carefully observe and look for:

• Mild obstruction: Able to cough but difficulty in breathing or making any noise.
• Severe obstruction: Inability to cough, make any noise or breathe. Eventual unconsciousness.

 

How to Help Choking Infant

Step 1. Give Up To Five Back Blows

If the infant is unable to cough or breathe, lay her face down along your thigh, and support her head. Give up to five back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.

Step 2. Check Infant’s Mouth

Turn the infant over so that she is face up along your other leg and check her mouth. Check the mouth – do not sweep the mouth with your finger. Pick out any obvious obstructions. If choking persists, proceed to step 3.

Step 3. Give Up To Five Chest Thrusts

With the infant still lying on your leg, place two fingertips on the lower half of her breastbone, a finger’s breadth below the nipples. Give up to five sharp thrusts, pushing inwards and downwards, towards the head. Recheck the infant’s mouth.

Step 4. Call For Emergency Help

Repeat steps 1 to 3. If after three cycles the obstruction is still not clear, take the infant with you and call 999/112 for emergency help. Continue the sequence until help arrives, the obstruction is cleared or the infant loses consciousness.

Source: St. John Ambulance [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oswDpwzbAV8]

 

Raising Awareness

There are a number of ways in which one can train and refresh their knowledge in Paediatric First Aid. eLearn Safety offers fully online, blended and face-to-face environmental and occupational health and safety courses. One of such courses is Paediatric First Aid course. At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Assess the paediatric patient.
• Perform the CPR on a child and infant.
• Place the child and infant in the recovery position.
• Know how to treat the choking child and infant.
• Stop bleeding.

Furthermore, there are a number of useful resources available online. Such resources are St. John Ambulance and their Paediatric First Aid Get Advice section. This is First Aid advice for children and babies including choking, croup, drowning, head injuries, hypothermia, how to do a primary survey, CPR and the recovery position. In addition, the HSE provides information about how to treat cuts and bleeding in babies and children and when to get medical help via their webpage First aid.

 

Online Health and Safety Training

Proactive Health and Safety training is critical to ensure a safe workplace. An effective training program can reduce the number of worker injuries and deaths. It can also reduce instances of property damage, legal liability, illnesses, and missed time from work.

Health and Safety training helps establish a culture in which employees themselves help promote proper safety procedures while on the job. It is important that new employees be properly trained and embrace the importance of workplace safety. The role of training in developing and maintaining effective hazard control activities is a proven and successful method of intervention.

This is why we have established eLearn Safety school. We pride ourselves in how we guide, support and mentor our students. They receive support throughout their learning experience and into their working lives. Our staff have extensive training experience and also have many years industry experience. We understand the challenges that exist within Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety. Our priority is to ensure that all learners are fully prepared to differentiate themselves in the workplace after completing our Health and Safety courses.

eLearn Safety offers fully online Health and Safety courses.

To find out more, please check our Courses page.

Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie

Hand Washing for Food Handlers

Hand washing for food handlers is an essential aspect of cleanliness and hygiene. When it comes to food hazards, food handlers are potentially one of the biggest risks in terms of food safety. However, to extend this, hand washing is not important only in a food preparing environment, but in a domestic one as well.

 

Hand Washing at Home

According to a research by BMC Public Health, Denmark tops the ranking when hand hygiene of consumers is looked into. According to a study Hand hygiene practices during meal preparation—a ranking among ten European countries, the ranking is as follows: Denmark, Greece, Norway, Romania, Hungary, Germany, UK, Portugal, France, and Spain. However, the overall conclusion of the study was that the hand washing is often done incorrectly by skipping areas of hand when washing, or washing one’s hands not long enough. Unfortunately, this is also true when handling risky food such as raw chicken. According to the study, the young families and pregnant women are most likely to neglect a proper hand washing technique. On the other hand, the elderly individuals generally do not wash their hands when required.

 

Hand Washing for Food Handlers – Why is it Important

Most likely, the single most important activity in the food preparation area is proper hand washing. Hands are used for everything – scratching your nose, touching your phone, keys, emptying bins, handling cash, and finally touching the food that is being prepared. It is incredibly easy to cross-contaminate food just by using unwashed hands.

Food workers have a moral and legal responsibility to ensure that they do not contaminate food. One of the characteristics of a good food worker is a positive attitude towards hygiene and a willingness to help maintain a high standard at the workplace. Hand washing is at the top of hygiene importance.

Food hygiene legislation places a legal responsibility on food workers, proprietors and visitors to maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness.

Keep the body clean – Food workers should wash or shower daily to remove the layers of dirt, dead skin, sweat and bacteria that build up on the body which can be passed onto food.

The law requires that:

• Food workers are required to maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness and wear suitable clean clothes, and, if necessary, protective clothing.
• It is an offense for an employee of a food business to fail to comply with Annex II of the Regulation EC no. 852/2004 (on the hygiene of foodstuffs).

Want to learn more? Explore eLearn Safety fully online Food Safety (HACCP) Level 1 course.

 

When to Wash Hands

Hands can never be washed too often, but they can be washed not often enough. This is especially important when hand washing for food handlers is in question. Always aim to wash your hands:

• Before changing into work clothes to avoid transferring dirt and bacteria onto them.
• Before handling food of any type.
• After handling one type of food and before handling something else, especially after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, raw eggs and dairy.
• After cleaning surfaces, utensils or any equipment.
• After handling waste.
• After handling money.
• After blowing your nose.
• After coughing or sneezing.
• After touching hair or face.
• After going to the toilet.
• After eating, drinking or smoking.

The main point to take is – Wash Your Hands regularly!

 

Hand Washing for Food Handlers – How To Steps

Hands must be washed at a wash hand basin supplied with running hot and cold water. Liquid bacterial soap and an approved means of hand drying should be used. The hands, front and back and the gap between the thumb and forefinger must be washed using a rubbing action. It is not satisfactory to run fingers under the tap and then to dry hands on uniforms.

• Hands should be thoroughly dried.
• Separate sinks need to be available for hand washing!
• The correct way to wash your hands:
• If required, make sure your sleeves are pulled up or turned up and they don’t cover your wrists.
• Wet your hands under warm running water.
• Use enough soap to form a good lather, and soap all parts of your hand, fingers and thumbs right up to the wrist.
• Keep washing your hands for about 20 seconds.
• Rinse your hands under running water until they are free of all traces of lather. Use fingers to help remove the suds.
• Turn off the tap with an elbow or paper towel.
• Dry hands thoroughly using fresh paper towels.

To learn more watch the below video prepared by SafeFood.net titled How to wash your hands properly.

 

Hand Washing for Food Handlers – Why Does it Matter?

Hand washing for food handlers is extremely important as correct hand washing will remove bacteria such as E. Coli and salmonella. Bacteria on the hands have an ideal environment, They have food, moisture and a temperature of around 37°C allowing speedy reproduction and a higher risk of infection. This is why hands must be kept meticulously clean at all times.

 

Online Food Safety Training

Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!

Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.

To find out more, please check our Courses page.

Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie

Are there Food Safety Requirements for a Childcare Provider?

The Environmental Health Association of Ireland (EHAI) recommends that where a childcare service provides food to children, relevant staff are required to have food safety training.

The childcare provider needs to have a HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point) Food Safety System in place.

 

Your food safety management system allows you to identify and control any hazards that could pose a danger to the preparation of safe food. It helps you to:

 

• identify what can go wrong
• plan to prevent it
• make sure you are doing it.

 

According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), If you are responsible for developing and maintaining your business’s HACCP based procedures then you must undertake adequate training in the application of HACCP principles.

 

 

What Level of Food Safety Training Do Our Staff Need?

 

Food Safety HACCP Level 1

The Food Safety (HACCP) Level 1 course is ideal for those with no previous experience, with light food handling duties and/or performing low-risk duties (such as waiters, baristas, caregivers, kitchen porters, deli shop assistants, etc.). 

 

Food Safety HACCP Level 2

This is the recommended level for all food handlers, or those working in a kitchen setting, who do not have management responsibility for HACCP.

 

Food Safety HACCP Level 3

Food Safety HACCP Level 3 defines food safety skills for management and is aimed specifically towards Catering Managers, Supervisors, Executive and Head Chefs within the Hospitality Industry, Industrial and Institutional Catering Units, along with the Health Sector, Retail Sector and Delis.There should be at least one food worker with Food Safety HACCP Level 3 on duty in a food premises. 

 

Managers, Owners, need to be able to manage HACCP systems. They should also have a good understanding of how to implement a HACCP Programme for their workplace. All food businesses are required by law to have a food safety management system in place based on the principles of HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point).

 

What Can Myelearnsafety Do for You?

Contact Myelearnsafety, HACCP Food Safety Training Consultants can be contacted for free HACCP Food Safety Advice and Guidance.

 

Telephone the office @ 01 278 1938 – As for Shane or Cormac

Top Challenges That Early Childcare Educators Face

We at Elearn are always looking to share valuable information with our followers.  The Houses of the Oireachtas have written a very informative Report on the Working Conditions of the Early Years Education and Care.

Early Childcare Educators Challenges

Training and Upskilling

vi) The Role of State Funded Training Agencies in Improving Quality Standards Training organisations offering accredited childcare training programmes have a crucial role to play in ensuring the high standard of training on offer. Training organisations need to be fully committed to providing the best quality training programmes for the early years workforce. Those facilitating programmes must hold the appropriate skills, experience and qualifications and regularly access continuing professional development themselves to keep updated in early childhood policy and practice.

Quality assurance standards should be consistently applied and all early childhood care and education programme content should be current, relevant and fit for purpose. Training organisations should also ensure that there are sufficient places available on part-time courses so that the early childhood workforce can combine work and study while progressing to levels 7 and above on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Systems of Recognition for Prior Learning (RPL) should be in place to recognise and reward the skills base developed by staff working in the sector, who require formally recognised qualifications, over a number of years.

Both education and training appear to be better predictors of childcare quality than practitioner’s age, work experience or professionalism. The fact that childcare providers who continuously participate in training offer higher quality care than providers who attended training sporadically is also evident. In Ireland, most training currently supported by State funding in the Early Childhood sector focuses on the ECCE scheme, with less training or development offered for those working with children under three years of age (e.g. Leadership for Inclusion (LINC) training). It was highlighted by practitioners that the level of supports available to those working with children over three should be available to those working with under 3s, and that there cannot be an inequality in relation to supports available. Such inequality serves only to disadvantage both staff and children….. Continue reading 

 

If you are interested in Childcare Courses to up-skill yourself or your colleagues/employees, take a look at our ChildCare Package overview here where we have bundled all the course requirement for early childcare educators for your connivance at a cheaper price then taking all the courses separately.

 

Children First Legislation

We at Elearn are always looking to share valuable information with our followers.  The Department of Children and Youth affairs have written a very informative piece on the Childrens First Legislation, which is the Childrens First Act 2015, this act provides for a number of key child protection measures.

Children First Legislation

The Children First Act 2015 (the Act), which was signed into law on 19 November 2015, puts elements of the Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children on a statutory footing. The legislation was a key Programme for Government commitment, and forms part of a suite of child protection legislation which includes the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts, 2012-2016 and the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012.

The Act provides for a number of key child protection measures, as follows:

•    A requirement on organisations providing services to children to keep children safe from harm and to produce a Child Safeguarding Statement;
•    A requirement on defined categories of persons (mandated persons) to report child protection concerns over a defined threshold to the Child and Family Agency;
•    A requirement on mandated persons to assist the Child and Family Agency in the assessment of a child protection risk, if requested to do so by the Agency;
•    Putting the Children First Interdepartmental Implementation Group on a statutory footing.

The Act also includes a provision which abolished the common law defence of reasonable chastisement in relation to corporal punishment… Continue reading 

Safety tips for Childcare Providers and Parents

We would all love to spend our time with our kids but unfortunately thats not always feasible for everyone. Childcare is an option for many parents however we can all appreciate the worry of leaving your children with strangers for the first while.

The best way to levitate some of the parents worry is to have strict safety policies that all childcare providers follow and educate parents on these policies Having this in place for day to day activities and routines and also for emergencies will have everyone, both parents and the childcare providers, ready for any event and reduce potential accidents.

According to The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents ROSPA – On average 62 children under the age of five died as a result of an accident and over 76,000 under  the age of 14  are admitted for treatment of which over 40% are under 5 years of age.

We have listed some of the top safety concerns and solutions to each;

Staff undertrained for medical emergencies

Concern

Parents want to feel like they are leaving their children in a safe environment. An environment that will act fast and effectively if any injuries or emergencies occur. The single beat way to improve the safety procedures in a childcare facility is to put processes in place to prevent injury. Prevention is key to a safe environment.

Solution

All staff should undergo Paediatric First Aid training. Legislation requires that all registered childcare providers are trained in First Aid for children and are readily available to the children. Paediatric first aid is also a very informative and useful course to have if you are a parent of young children. All creches should have regular checks and drills to make sure all staff are up the date with training and following procedures. A refresher course in Paediatric First Aid training should be taken at least once a year so staff are confident in emergencies.

Please see our Paediatric First Aid training course here.

Food Safety

Concern

Accidental poisoning is the leading cause of illness and death in young children.

Solution

Understanding the legislation and importance around food hygiene, how to identify food safety hazards and understand proper waste management and cleaning procedures.

Please see our Food Safety training course here. 

Fire Safety

Concern

Failure to properly prepare for a Fire Emergency. Where do the children go? Who is responsible for leading them out and who is responsible for doing a head count etc..

Solution

Every child care facility should have a fire emergency procedure plan. This should cover fires starting from all areas of the facility and to have multiple fire exits routes in place and kept clear. Child care facilities should;

• Have regular fire drills for evacuation practise and keep a log of them
• Have multiple fire extinguishers and smoke detectors- these should be inspected on a regular basis
• Keep fire doors closed
• Fire first aid kit on hand

Please see our Fire Safety training course here.

 

Here at Elearn we have put together a childcare training package for your convenience. Our childcare package offers to those who work in the industry and to those who have young children at home. This package includes an introduction into the four core safety training modules that are required when working with and looking after young children.

This package includes the courses listed above and also Manual Handling for your staff to prevent staff injuries which is a safety concern for your employees and also leads to sick leave. For more information on our childcare package click here.

 

Top safety tips for your Christmas

Fire Safety

Trees and Lights

Decorating a Christmas tree, whether it be real or artificial, with lights is a time that all of us look forward to around Christmas time. But it is important to take steps to ensure your house and your family are safe while. Did you know that cooking was the source of hundreds of house fires in 2017, with most of these occurring during the Christmas period.

Here are some top tips!

• Place real Christmas trees securely in a sturdy base filled with water – metal stands cause trees to dry out and become flammable.
• If you do use a metal stand – have a bowel of water underneath with a wet towel -make sure to check the towel daily and add more water when necessary.
• Always turn the Christmas tree lights off before going to bed, remember to unplug the lights rather than just turning it off at the switch.
• Always buy lights with the safety standard mark on it.
• Never leave the kitchen unattended if you have food on.

Candles and fires

Christmas is a time where we all look forward to sitting in front of the fire with candles lit around the room looking very pretty and creating a lovely ambiance. However this time of year can also open our homes up to more fire hazards than usual.

Here are some top tips!

• Consider switching to battery operated tea lights
• Never put candles on or near the Christmas tree
• Always use a secure holder for candles and place them somewhere they wont get knocked over
• Don’t put too many candles beside eachother, 4 inches between candles is a safe distance

Food safety

Food is a major part of Christmas, from the morning fry to the Christmas Dinner and the leftover sandwiches, however please take care to cook and store food properly, the last thing you want over the holidays is a stomach bug or worse.

Here are some top tips!

• A typical large turkey takes two days to defrost. An FSA survey found that 69% of those who choose frozen turkey thaw it unsafely
• While defrosting always place it in the fridge on the bottom shelf covered in in a container to hold any thawing juices to avoid any cross contamination.
• Any leftovers should stored in an airtight container in the fridge and be consumed within 2 days
• Opened or cooked food should be left standing at room temperature for no longer than 2 hours and 1 hour for rice.

Fire Safety for Kids this Halloween

Fire Safety for Kids

Do you know what to do in the event of an out of control fire? Do you’re kids know? Taking fire safety precautions for yourself and your kids is vital but don’t forget to also education them about the importance of fire safety so they are able to carry out their own fire safety practises. its a vital skill to teach your children.

This Halloween night is the perfect time to talk with your kids, especially if they are attending or involved with organising a bonfire.

 

Put out the fire

Having a plan on place to put out a fire is vital, however also is showing your kids how to use the method you have selected. Most people will opt for a fire extinguisher, here are the simple steps you can go over with them;

1. Pull the pin – release the pin with the nozzle pointing away from you
2. Aim low – aim at the base of the fire not the flames its-self to suffocate the flames
3. Squeeze the lever slowly and carefully – so as to avoid control loss
4. Move the nozzle slowly from side to side – covering the surface where the fire is.

Teaching your kids these basic steps may prevent a bad situation and may even save lives. If there is no fire extinguisher to hand, the following is a list of alternatives that are suitable to grab;

• Salt – this disperses heat and minimises oxygen supply to a fire
• Baking soda – the powder substance smothers the fuel and cools the fire at the base of the flame
• Bucket of water – smothers the oxygen
• Bucket of sand – also smothers the oxygen

Although these are good to know alternatives to extinguish a fire, a conventional fire extinguisher is recommended to use where-ever possible.

 

Escape route Plan

Never put yourself in a position where if the fire spreads you have no route away from it. Ideally you should designate two ways away. Escape routes should be kept clear of all obstructions. Generally escape routes should be at least one meter wide which will ideally lead to an outside open space away from the building or the fire location. Security should never take precedence over safety.

When planning a fire, or not. All premises and events should have an escape plan that clearly identifies the action people should take in the event of a fire. This may include duties for an assigned fire officer to check areas are clear, close doors and assist others.

 

Stop, Drop and Roll

In the event that someone or your kids do catch on fire, its essential to teach them what to do in this event. Make sure they understand the ‘Stop, Drop and Roll’ procedure. Act it out with them and have them practise it a few times with you, the action should be quick and firm. Many fire related injuries could be avoided or greatly minimised if a child knows how to do this instead of the natural instinct of running.

Please keep yourself and your kids safe particularly this Halloween!

 

Childrens Safety in this Digital Age

Childrens Safety

​In a world where children are “growing up digital,” it’s important to help them learn healthy concepts of digital use and citizenship. Parents play an important role in teaching these skills of childrens safety.

Media should work for you and within your family values and parenting style. When used thoughtfully and appropriately, media can enhance daily life. But when used inappropriately or without thought, media can displace many important activities such as face-to-face interaction, family-time, outdoor-play, exercise, unplugged downtime and sleep.

Treat media as you would any other environment in your child’s life

The same parenting guidelines apply in both real and virtual environments. Set limits; kids need and expect them. Know your children’s friends, both online and off. Know what platforms, software, and apps your children are using, what sites they are visiting on the web, and what they are doing online.

Set limits and encourage playtime

Media use, like all other activities, should have reasonable limits. Unstructured and offline play stimulates creativity. Make unplugged playtime a daily priority, especially for very young children.

Screen time shouldn’t always be alone time

Co-view, co-play and co-engage with your children when they are using screens—​it encourages social interactions, bonding, and learning. Play a video game with your kids. It’s a good way to demonstrate good sportsmanship and gaming etiquette. Watch a show with them; you will have the opportunity to introduce and share your own life experiences and perspectives—and guidance. Don’t just monitor them online—interact with them, so you can understand what they are doing and be a part of it.

Be a good role model

Teach and model kindness and good manners online. Because children are great mimics, limit your own media use. In fact, you’ll be more available for and connected with your children if you’re interacting, hugging and playing with them rather than simply staring at a screen.

Know the value of face-to-face communication

Very young children learn best through two-way communication. Engaging in back-and-forth “talk time” is critical for language development. Conversations can be face-to-face or, if necessary, by video chat with a traveling parent or far-away grandparent. Research has shown that it’s that “back-and-forth conversation” that improves language skills—much more so than “passive” listening or one-way interaction with a screen.

Their Limit digital media for your youngest family members

Avoid digital media for toddlers younger than 18 to 24 months other than video chatting. For children 18 to 24 months, watch digital media with them because they learn from watching and talking with you. Limit screen use for preschool children, ages 2 to 5, to just 1 hour a day of high-quality programing. Co-viewing is best when possible and for young children. They learn best when they are re-taught in the real world what they just learned through a screen. So, if Ernie just taught the letter D, you can reiterate this later when you are having dinner or spending time with your child.

Create tech-free zones

Keep family mealtimes, other family and social gatherings, and children’s bedrooms screen free. Turn off televisions that you aren’t watching, because background TV can get in the way of face-to-face time with kids. Recharge devices overnight—outside your child’s bedroom to help him or her avoid the temptation to use them when they should be sleeping. These changes encourage more family time, healthier eating habits, and better sleep.

Don’t use technology as an emotional pacifier

Media can be very effective in keeping kids calm and quiet, but it should not be the only way they learn to calm down. Children need to be taught how to identify and handle strong emotions, come up with activities to manage boredom, or calm down through breathing, talking about ways to solve the problem, and finding other strategies for channelling emotions.

Apps for kids – do YOUR homework

More than 80,000 apps are labelled as educational, but little research has demonstrated their actual quality. Products pitched as “interactive” should require more than “pushing and swiping.” Look to organisations like Common Sense Media for reviews about age-appropriate apps, games and programs to guide you in making the best choices for your children.

It’s OK for your teen to be online

Online relationships are part of typical adolescent development. Social media can support teens as they explore and discover more about themselves and their place in the grown-up world. Just be sure your teen is behaving appropriately in both the real and online worlds. Many teens need to be reminded that a platform’s privacy settings do not make things actually “private” and that images, thoughts, and behaviours teens share online will instantly become a part of their digital footprint indefinitely. Keep lines of communication open and let them know you’re there if they have questions or concerns.

Warn children about the importance of privacy and the dangers of predators and sexting

Teens need to know that once content is shared with others, they will not be able to delete or remove it completely, and includes texting of inappropriate pictures. They may also not know about or choose not to use privacy settings, and they need to be warned that sex offenders often use social networking, chat rooms, e-mail, and online gaming to contact and exploit children.

Remember: Kids will be kids

Kids will make mistakes using media. Try to handle errors with empathy and turn a mistake into a teachable moment. But some indiscretions, such as sexting, bullying, or posting self-harm images, may be a red flag that hints at trouble ahead. Parents must observe carefully their children’s behaviours and, if needed, enlist supportive professional help, including the family pediatrician.

Media and digital devices are an integral part of our world today. The benefits of these devices, if used moderately and appropriately, can be great. But, research has shown that face-to-face time with family, friends, and teachers plays a pivotal and even more important role in promoting children’s learning and healthy development. Keep the face-to-face up front, and don’t let it get lost behind a stream of media and tech.