By: Kathy Trainor
Teaching your kids to help others can be a hard to explain. When it comes to small children, I’ve found that actions speak louder than words. Sometimes showing them something goes much further than just explaining.
Recently, while driving home, I saw an older man laying on the side of the road. I pulled over and asked him if he was ok. He didn’t answer and I called 911. Another women, who had also pulled over to help, and I assessed the scene and tried to determine if he needed further help while we waited for the medics to arrive. We tried to make him conformable and checked for any other signed of injury. We were worried that it may have been a hit and run since we were stopped on a pretty busy street. 
He appeared to have had stroke and couldn’t answer common questions like what his name was or what day it was. He had the newspaper in his hand. I asked him to tell me where he got the paper and he couldn’t tell me. The EMTs arrived and took over the care of the man and brought him to the hospital.
My boys, John and Pat, were safe in the car- about 5 feet away. I got back in the car the boys knew that “fire fighters” were helping a man . I told them he was not feeling well and the “fire fighters” would take him to the hospital to feel better. I explained that we should try help people when we can and that if we can’t help them we should try to find someone who can them help.
I may not know if this man will be ok, but I know I helped and my boys learned to help others today.
I never thought that they may see something they didn’t need to see. I never thought about the questions they would ask about me stoping on the side of a road to help a person. I never thought about the answers I would have to give. I only knew that the man needed help. I knew I could explain things later no mater how bad the situation is.
Life happens and you learn from life.
Community Voices for Health 