D. Healthy Living · Healthy Living

Taking Care: Responsibilities, Risks and Emergencies

D3.2 A1.2 A1.6About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can describe the responsibilities and risks of caring for myself and others, such as babysitting, staying home alone or caring for a pet.
I can explain safety practices for these jobs, including safe food preparation.
I can describe what to do in dangerous situations such as an allergic reaction, a fire, a sports injury, a dental emergency, hypothermia, bullying or abuse.

Words to know

responsibility
A duty or job that you are trusted to do.

risk
The chance that something could go wrong or someone could get hurt.

anaphylaxis
A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction that needs emergency treatment right away.

epinephrine auto-injector
A device (one brand is EpiPen) that injects medicine to treat anaphylaxis. It goes into the outer thigh.

hypothermia
When the body loses heat faster than it can make it, so body temperature drops dangerously low.

concussion
A brain injury caused by a blow or jolt to the head or body. It needs to be checked by a doctor.

cross-contamination
When germs from raw food (like raw meat) spread to other food, hands or surfaces.

Growing up means more trust

As you get older, you may be trusted with bigger jobs: walking to school on your own, staying home alone for a short time, babysitting a younger sibling, walking a neighbour's dog, running errands for a grandparent, helping make dinner, or volunteering in your community. These jobs are a sign that people trust you. Each one also comes with responsibilities and risks. Today you'll learn how to stay safe, keep others safe, and know what to do if something goes wrong.

Remember from Grade 5

You built a help team of trusted people and learned when to call 911 and how to call the Ontario Poison Centre. Today you'll use that help team when you're the one in charge.

Job	Responsibilities	Possible risks	Safety practices
Staying home alone	Follow family rules; keep doors locked; check in with a parent	Strangers at the door; kitchen accidents; feeling scared	Don't open the door to people you aren't expecting; don't tell callers or people online you're alone; know emergency numbers; only cook if allowed
Babysitting	Keep the child safe, fed and supervised at all times	Falls, choking, burns, a child wandering off, allergic reactions	Get parents' phone numbers and the address; ask about allergies and bedtime; keep small objects away from little kids; never leave a young child alone near water or the stove
Caring for a pet	Food, water, walks, cleanup	Bites or scratches; a pet running onto a road	Use a leash; wash hands after handling pets and their waste; learn the pet's signs of stress
Errands for a senior relative or neighbour	Bring the right items; handle money carefully	Traffic; losing money; getting lost	Carry a list; know the route; tell someone where you're going; cross at lights or crosswalks
Assisting someone with a disability	Help in the way the person wants	Helping in a way that isn't safe or wanted	Ask first how to help; never move a person or their wheelchair or equipment without asking
Preparing a meal	Safe, clean food	Burns, cuts, food poisoning	Use the stove and knives only with permission or a grown-up; wash hands; keep raw meat separate
Travelling to school	Arrive safely and on time	Traffic, ice, strangers	Use the same safe route; walk with a buddy; know safe places to go for help

Responsibilities, risks and safety practices when caring for yourself and others.

Safe food preparation

Clean: wash hands with soap for at least 20 seconds; wash counters and cutting boards.
Separate: keep raw meat, poultry and fish away from foods that won't be cooked, and use a different cutting board.
Cook: cook meat and eggs fully. A grown-up can use a food thermometer to check.
Chill: put leftovers in the fridge within 2 hours.
Allergies: if you're making food for someone with an allergy, read every label and avoid cross-contamination.

Grown-up note: knives, the stove, the oven and hot liquids need a grown-up's permission and supervision.

Four food-safety habits to remember when you help make a meal. Knives, the stove and hot liquids still need a grown-up.

Responding to dangerous situations

When something goes wrong, use these steps:

Stay calm and check for danger. Don't put yourself in danger.
Get help. Call 911 for an emergency, or call the adult in charge.
Do what you've been trained to do and follow the 911 operator's instructions.
Stay with the person (if it's safe) until help arrives.
Tell the parent or guardian afterward.

Five steps for any dangerous situation. Step 1 comes first for a reason: you can't help anyone if you get hurt too.

Situation	Signs	What to do
Allergic reaction / anaphylaxis	Hives, swelling of the lips, face or tongue, trouble breathing or swallowing, vomiting, feeling faint	Use the person's epinephrine auto-injector right away (outer thigh), call 911, and stay with them. Go to hospital even if they seem better.
Fire	Smoke, smoke alarm, flames	Get out and stay out. Crawl low under smoke. Feel doors with the back of your hand: if hot, use another exit. Take the children you're babysitting with you. Go to the meeting place, then call 911 from outside. If clothes catch fire: stop, drop and roll.
Sports injury	Pain, swelling, can't put weight on a body part; for a concussion: headache, dizziness, confusion, feeling sick, blurry vision after a hit	Stop playing and tell the coach or an adult. With a suspected concussion, the player must stop and get checked by a doctor, and should not go back to play that day.
Dental emergency	A permanent (adult) tooth knocked out or broken	Pick the tooth up by the top (crown), not the root. If it's dirty, rinse it gently with milk or water. Keep it in milk, or have a grown-up try to put it back in the socket, and see a dentist right away. (Baby teeth are not put back in.)
Hypothermia	Shivering, numbness, clumsiness, slurred speech, confusion, sleepiness	Get the person indoors or out of the wind, remove wet clothing, wrap them in dry blankets, give a warm (not hot) drink if they are awake and alert, and call 911 if signs are serious.
Bullying	Repeated hurtful actions, in person or online	Don't fight back. Get to safety, save evidence of online bullying, and tell a trusted adult.
Abuse	Someone hurts, threatens or touches a child in a way that's not okay, or doesn't take care of their needs	It is never the child's fault. Tell a trusted adult and keep telling until someone helps. Call 911 if someone is in danger now. Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868.

What to do in some dangerous situations. Taking a first aid or babysitting course teaches more.

Worked example

Let's handle an allergic reaction while babysitting

You're babysitting your neighbour's son, Noah (6), who has a peanut allergy. After eating a cookie from a party, his lips start swelling and he says his throat feels funny.

Recognize it: swelling and throat symptoms after eating could be anaphylaxis. This is an emergency.
Use the epinephrine auto-injector right away, the way Noah's parents showed you (outer thigh, through clothing if needed).
Call 911. Give the address and say, "A 6-year-old is having an allergic reaction. I gave his epinephrine auto-injector."
Stay with Noah and keep him calm. Then call his parents.
Even if he seems better, he still needs to go to the hospital.

Before babysitting, always ask: "Does your child have any allergies? Where is the auto-injector? How do I use it?" Being prepared is part of the responsibility.

Worked example

Let's plan for a winter walk

You're walking your grandmother's dog on a very cold, windy January day. Your friend's mitts got wet in the snow, and now he's shivering hard and his words are slurring a bit.

Recognize it: shivering and slurred speech in the cold are signs of hypothermia.
Get him out of the cold: go into the nearest warm building, such as a store or a neighbour's home.
Remove the wet mitts and anything else wet, and wrap him in something dry and warm.
Get help: call a parent, or 911 if he is confused, very sleepy or getting worse.
Prevention next time: dress in layers, wear a hat, keep mitts dry, carry spares, and keep walks short on very cold days.

Knowing the signs means you can act early, before hypothermia gets serious.

Hands-on activity

My safety plan

You need: paper, a pencil, and a grown-up.

Choose one job you do or might do soon: staying home alone, babysitting, caring for a pet, or walking to school.
With your grown-up, make a safety plan card: emergency numbers (911, a parent, a neighbour, the Ontario Poison Centre 1-800-268-9017); your full address; family rules (Who can come in? Can I use the stove?); and what to do in a fire, an injury or if someone you don't know comes to the door.
Walk through your home's fire escape plan: two ways out of each room and an outdoor meeting place.
Ask your grown-up to check where the first aid kit and flashlight are.

What to look for: a complete, accurate card your child can explain out loud. Many communities offer babysitting or home-alone courses (for example, through the Canadian Red Cross or St. John Ambulance) that teach more.

Your turn

Name two responsibilities of a babysitter.

You're home alone and someone you don't know knocks. What should you do?

What are the four steps of food safety?

What should you do first if a child you're babysitting shows signs of anaphylaxis?

In a fire, should you stop to get your things?

Name three signs of hypothermia.

A permanent tooth gets knocked out. How should you pick it up?

More practice: warm-up

What number do you call in an emergency?

True or false: if a person seems better after using an auto-injector, they don't need a hospital.

What should you do if your clothes catch fire?

Why use a different cutting board for raw chicken?

Is abuse ever a child's fault?

More practice: on your own

Why should you feel a door with the back of your hand during a fire?

A teammate gets hit in the head during a game and feels dizzy. What should happen?

You're running an errand for an elderly neighbour. Name two safety practices.

Why should you ask before helping someone who uses a wheelchair?

A knocked-out tooth is dirty. What should you do?

Challenge

You're babysitting two kids, ages 4 and 8. The smoke alarm goes off and you see smoke in the hallway. Describe exactly what you'd do.

Your friend is home alone after school and posts "Home alone, so bored!" on social media. What's the risk, and what would be safer?

Explain how being prepared before a job (like babysitting) reduces risk. Give three examples.

Check your understanding

Quiz

What's the first thing to do for anaphylaxis?

Which is a food safety practice?

During a fire you should...

Shivering, slurred speech and confusion in the cold are signs of...

After a hit to the head, a player feels dizzy. They should...

You're home alone and a stranger knocks. You should...

For parents and teachers

Big idea: This lesson covers the Grade 6 expectation to recognize the responsibilities and risks associated with caring for themselves and others (e.g., babysitting, staying home alone, running errands for a senior relative or neighbour, caring for pets, volunteering, assisting someone with a disability, preparing meals, travelling to and from school), and demonstrate an understanding of related safety practices and procedures for responding to dangerous situations (e.g., safe food preparation; responses to allergic reactions, fire, sports injuries, dental emergencies, hypothermia, bullying, abuse) (D3.2). It builds coping skills (A1.2) and decision making (A1.6).

Important: This lesson is an introduction, not first aid certification. Consider a recognized babysitting or first aid course before your child babysits. Decide as a family when your child is ready to stay home alone or babysit, based on their maturity.

How to help at home:

Make the safety plan card together and practise your fire escape plan.
If anyone in your family has an allergy, show your child how the auto-injector trainer works.
Role-play "someone at the door" and "phone call while home alone."

Common difficulties: wanting to grab belongings in a fire; thinking a reaction is over once symptoms ease; not knowing their full address. Abuse: if your child discloses abuse, stay calm, believe them, and contact your local children's aid society or police.