Life can be hectic at the best of times, and parents are not always going to be able to be there to look out for their children at all times, especially when they have other important commitments to consider. It’s perfectly normal to seek out the assistance of a babysitter when time is running short in your daily routine, but as Minnesota has no laws specifically catering to address the age requirements for babysitters, how do you know who to trust when it comes to looking after your children?

The only Minnesota laws that apply to babysitting are general labor laws, meaning that regulations, restriction, and enforcement are typically left to Minneapolis jurisdiction, and the discretion of the parents. There will be several factors a parent considers before they use the services of a babysitter, such as how much experience they have, what hours they are capable of working, and how much they charge, but perhaps the most critical question to ask is, does your babysitter know how to perform CPR?

What is CPR?

A child’s regular heart-rate or breathing pattern could stop for a number of reasons, from blood infections, to accidents or choking hazards. Although this is an extremely serious incident, the outcome does not have to be fatal if someone nearby knows the basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, also known as CPR. CPR is a procedure through which an individual attempts to restart someone’s heart, or breathing by manually compressing their chest and pushing air into the lungs by breathing into the individual’s mouth.

Why is it important?

The American Heart Association, or AHA, have announced that if CPR is performed within five minutes of a person’s collapse, the chances of that person surviving could be increased by as much as 50%. Not only this, but the procedure helps to buy time for the affected individual while they are waiting for the paramedics to arrive and provide professional care.

Ensuring that a child has the safety and security that he or she needs when they are not around is essential to giving parents peace of mind. Even the quickest of ambulances can take five minutes to arrive, and every minute wasted without having a trained individual present to perform CPR is another chunk taken off your child’s chances of survival.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, it is up to the parent of the child to decide who is capable of looking after their loved ones and providing the care that they need, however choosing a babysitter who has knowledge of how to effectively perform CPR could be the factor that saves your child’s life.

  Local CPR classes are available across Minnesota – View our calendar and sign up for a class today!