Before we pulled the kids out of public school, Liam and Trillian went to the local Head Start program. I found out that they were hosting a CPR and First Aid training class for free today, and their post said “You can bring family and friends with you.” so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask if we could come, even though we were no longer in the program. Thankfully they said that we could go. There was only 1 other person at the class, besides us, so it was pretty low key and actually very fun.

Preston, Mark and I became CPR and First Aid certified. Syra was interested in the class, but halfway through the CPR course, she went into her “shut down mode” as we call it, and refused to talk or participate, so I held her on the couch while the class continued. Once she came out of her shut down, she decided to not continue with the class, and went to play with the toys with her younger siblings. Owen decided to play his Kindle, but he did a great job at behaving and being quiet while the class went on.

Being such a small class, the instructor was great at answering any questions that was asked of him. Preston was the “dummy” for the First Aid part of the class, and had fun being all wrapped up for different possible scenarios.

One of the things we are doing, by unschooling, is learning to be self-sufficient. This includes being able to take care of minor emergencies, as well as prepping for the future. This class really helped us. I was able to brush up on a few new techniques that I am sure will come in handy at some point.

The instructor showed me a Sam Splint, which was really cool. Apparently it is roof flashing, or aluminum, covered in foam, and can be bent and reused for a splint on different parts of the body. This really intrigued me, and I plan on ordering a couple for our First Aid kit at home. The description of this is “Acclaimed by emergency care providers and outdoor enthusiasts worldwide (and even beyond the Earth, on NASA space shuttles), the SAM® SPLINT is based on an ancient construction principle: curves are strong. The SAM® SPLINT is built from a thin core of aluminum alloy, sandwiched between two layers of closed-cell foam. The SAM® Splint is extremely pliable. Bent into any of three simple curves, it becomes extremely strong and supportive for any fractured or injured limb.” It packs small, but does big things. I can’t wait to get them in!