PAEDS, Pyalong (2026)

02/04/2026

Heading off on holidays with kids? A few handy apps can make all the difference when it comes to safety, health and peace of mind:

Emergency Plus – call 000 with one tap and it automatically shares your GPS location, perfect if you don’t know exactly where you are.

RCH Kids Info Fact Sheets – trusted advice straight from the Royal Children’s Hospital to help you manage common childhood illnesses and first aid worries.

SunSmart – gives you real-time UV alerts and sunscreen reminders so you don’t miss a reapply.

Australian Bites and Stings – step-by-step guidance on what to do if your child gets bitten or stung by Aussie critters.

All Hands Lifesaver – a new app designed for rural families, it connects you with first aid help and gives guided emergency steps in critical situations. .sisterhoodproject

Sick hAPPens – practical tips and advice for parents when kids get sick, plus guidance on when it’s time to see a doctor. .happens

31/03/2026

“I wish I didn’t see that…”

Ever come across a post about a sick or injured child… and it stays with you long after you scroll past?

Your mind goes there.
“What if that was my child?”
“What would I do?”

Let’s gently name this for what it is: vicarious trauma.

As parents, these stories don’t just pass by us.
We feel them. We carry them.

And yes… some of these stories are real.

I work in environments where we see the worst of the worst. Places like PICU are filled with fear for many families living in that moment, and for those of us supporting them.

But here’s one of the most important lessons I’ve learned over 18 years as a nurse:

👉 This is not everyone’s story.

What we see in those environments is not the everyday experience of most children and families.

What I’ve also learned, the hard way, is this:

Vicarious trauma is real.
And it can be incredibly damaging to your mental health.

And the truth is… it helps no one.

Not you.
Not your child.
Not the families going through it.

Social media has changed everything.

You are now exposed to these kinds of stories in a way like never before.

Because fear… and scary content… spreads fast.

But there is a line.
A really important one.

✨ Between education and traumatising families.

When we get it right, we empower parents with knowledge that is calm, practical, and life-saving.

But when it’s off?

The impact can be huge:

Families delaying care because they’re overwhelmed or unsure
Families living in constant fear
Every cough, limp, or fever feeling like something catastrophic

So if something you’ve seen online is sitting heavy with you:

Pause.
Put the phone down.
Look at your child, here, now.

Remind yourself:
This is not every child’s story. This is not our reality right now.

You deserve to feel informed… not frightened.

Because calm, confident parents
are what children need most.

27/03/2026

Some FAQ’s from my kids this week about tonsils

Thought you might like to hear some of the responses. It might help you. It might help your kids!

Always nice to be a little prepared for what little minds might ask

💙

25/03/2026

“Will someone know what to do?”

It’s one of the biggest fears families of children with epilepsy carry.

Because seizures can happen anywhere
In classrooms.
On playgrounds.
During sport.

And in that moment… everything depends on the response.

This year, we stand with the 1 in 26 people who will be diagnosed with epilepsy in their lifetime.

Here in Australia, around 266,000 people are living with epilepsy

Our families.
Our students.
Our communities.

And not all seizures look the way you expect.

A seizure management plan gives clear, personalised steps.

But it’s not the paper that matters.

👉 It’s the person reading it
👉 It’s the confidence to act

At PAEDS, we don’t just teach seizure first aid.
We build confidence.

Through real-life, practical training, we help educators and families:
• Understand each child’s plan
• Practise real scenarios
• Recognise seizures and respond safely
• Know when it’s an emergency

Because in an emergency, people don’t rise to the level of theory.

➡️➡️They fall to the level of practice.

And when people feel confident, they act.

This Purple Day (March 26), let’s turn awareness into action.

💜Let’s make epilepsy visible.
💜Let’s build communities where every child is supported.

If a child had a seizure in front of you today…

👉 Would you know what to do?

Be prepared to act 💜

23/03/2026

ℹ️Tonsils are small lumps of tissue at the back of your child’s throat.

➡️They’re part of the immune system and act like little guards, helping trap germs and teach the body how to fight infection, especially in early childhood.

It’s completely normal for tonsils to:
✔️ Look bigger in kids
✔️ Get sore or swollen when fighting infection
✔️ Cause the occasional bout of tonsillitis

⁉️But sometimes, they can cause more problems than help.

If your child has:
😴 Loud snoring or disturbed sleep
🤒 Frequent throat infections
🍽️ Difficulty eating or swallowing

…you might hear about tonsil removal (tonsillectomy).

Here’s the reassuring part 💛

Even if tonsils are removed, your child can still fight infection.

The immune system is much bigger than just tonsils, with lots of other “backup” systems ready to step in.

In Australia, around 50,000 children have their tonsils removed each year, and for many, it leads to:
✨ Better sleep
✨ Fewer infections
✨ Improved quality of life

Chat with your healthcare provider if you have any concerns about your child’s breathing, sleep patterns or persistent infections. It’s much easier to deal with Tonsils early in childhood than it is later on as teens!!

20/03/2026

Anaphylaxis in schools isn’t just policy.
It’s preparation that saves lives.

At PAEDS, we’re trusted in schools not just for our clinical experience, but because we are deeply committed to one outcome…
every child being confidently and safely cared for by the adults around them.

Across Australia, schools are expected to follow ASCIA guidelines.
In Victoria, these requirements are mandated.

So what does this actually look like in practice? 👇

• Staff complete regular, up-to-date anaphylaxis training
• Competency with adrenaline devices is demonstrated and verified
• Adrenaline is accessible at all times, including general-use devices
• Students at risk have clear ASCIA Action Plans in place
• Devices are stored correctly. Accessible, visible, never locked away
• Anaphylaxis supervisors lead training, compliance, and readiness across the school

And from 2026, schools also need to be aware of Neffy, a needle-free adrenaline option supplied by families.

This isn’t about ticking a box.

It’s about ensuring that when a child has a life-threatening allergic reaction…
there is no hesitation. No uncertainty.

Just calm, confident action.

Because in anaphylaxis, seconds matter.
And confidence is built through preparation

Check out the blog on our website for a detailed look into school regulations and grab some free resources for supervisors and principals

18/03/2026

We hear it all the time.

But the truth is… it’s not about the word. It’s about the discomfort behind it.

Because naming something properly means acknowledging it exists.
And for many, that feels too confronting.

I wish we lived in a world where this conversation wasn’t needed.
Where I didn’t carry the weight of children and teenagers I’ve cared for who were not protected the way they deserved to be.

But we don’t.

So we don’t soften it.
We don’t rename it.
We don’t look away.

Because when we avoid the language, we risk avoiding the responsibility.

And children deserve better than that.

Research consistently shows that using correct anatomical language supports child safety, communication, and wellbeing.

Children who can accurately name body parts are:
• better able to describe symptoms and injuries
• more likely to be understood by trusted adults and professionals
• more confident in reporting unsafe or inappropriate touch

Child protection organisations emphasise that clear language reduces vulnerability to grooming, because children are harder to confuse, manipulate, or silence- that is powerful!

There is also strong evidence that normalising correct terminology reduces shame and supports healthy body awareness.

This isn’t about being clinical.
It’s about being clear.

Because when a child has the words…
they have a much stronger voice.

Organisations like and all recommend teaching children the correct names for their body parts. We also love and the resources she provides for some of these important but often difficult conversations with kids

We would encourage you to check them out!

12/03/2026

“Just breathe.”

We say it all the time to kids who are upset or having a panic attack.

But when a child is overwhelmed, their brain is in alarm mode. Their thinking brain is offline, and simply telling them what to do rarely works.

Emotional regulation is a learned skill.

Recently I cared for a child after cardiac surgery whose father had been coaching him with breathing exercises in the weeks leading up to the operation.

The effect on his recovery was not surprising, but it was incredibly encouraging.

He needed less opioids (strong pain medication to support pain ) which helped him recover quickly and leave the PICU sooner.

Research shows that slow breathing can reduce stress and help regulate the nervous system, but children need adults to model and coach the strategy first.

Instead of saying “just breathe”, try:

• “Let’s take a breath together.”
• “Smell the flower… blow out the candle.”
• “In… and out.”

Check out some of our favourite breath strategies in the post. Do you have one?

Practice when things are calm.

Because kids don’t learn to regulate emotions by being told to calm down.

09/03/2026

Kids are often told to “find a trusted adult.”

But what if they’re at the park, the shops, or a busy event… and their trusted adult isn’t there?

Instead of teaching kids to fear strangers, we should teach them how to find safe helpers.

Someone with kids.
Someone working in a shop.
Someone in uniform.
Someone where there are lots of people.

And give them the confidence to say:

“I’m lost. Can you help me?”

These are small skills, but they build something powerful.
Confidence. Awareness. The ability to get help when it matters.

Because safety education shouldn’t make kids scared of the world. Just help them navigate through it.
one.little.heart has fantastic little ID bands to support kids who are lost- check them out on the website.

🎨.

What are your tips for kids in different places? ⬇️

08/03/2026

Today we celebrate the women in our lives, while remembering there is still more to do for the little girls who will follow.

Story time 📚

We run first aid sessions for hundreds of 16-year-old boys every year.

We always include female manikins in our classes.

For the first few minutes there are red faces, laughter, teenage jokes.
Sixteen-year-old boys being sixteen-year-old boys.

And then we pause the room.

We line up 20 manikins.

We tell them: if these 20 people collapsed in cardiac arrest today…

Only 9 would receive CPR.

5 would be male.
4 would be female.

Research shows women are less likely to receive bystander CPR than men.

Sometimes people hesitate.
Sometimes they’re unsure.
Sometimes they worry about touching a woman’s chest.

And suddenly the room goes quiet.

Because that statistic stops being abstract.

It becomes someone’s mum.
Someone’s sister.
Someone’s girlfriend.

This International Women’s Day, we talk a lot about equality.

In healthcare, equality can be as simple as not hesitating to help when someone’s life depends on it.

So we keep teaching.
We keep practising.
And we keep putting female manikins in front of the next generation.

Because every life deserves the same chance.

Let’s keep balancing the scales.

06/03/2026

Imagine if every child learned these skills and carried them confidently into their everyday lives.

Sharing them with their families.
Passing them on to their friends.
Strengthening their communities.

Last week on we didn’t prep the kids or tell them exactly what to do beforehand. In some ways that might have been a little risky… (the emphatic “NO!” from Ari when he was asked if he would call 000 😆. In fairness, it wasn’t a real emergency and he didn’t think we should call).

But what unfolded was actually pretty special.

The kids worked it out together.
Older helping younger.
They talked through the defib and managed to deliver a shock. It wasn’t perfect but that’s not what we are expecting. They did something. And that’s what we need kids to feel they can do.

So much first aid training is focused on parents. And of course that’s important. But we also have to include kids.

When we give children the chance to learn through meaningful, age-appropriate demonstrations and education, something powerful happens. They don’t just remember it. They want to teach others.

One child learning first aid might help one person.
But a generation of children who know how to help creates a ripple effect that reaches far beyond the classroom.

Lives are saved.

So the question is… why aren’t we making it mandatory for every child to learn these lifelong, lifesaving skills?

If we want safer communities, it starts with the next generation.

Start today. Start with your own child. 💛

04/03/2026

Salt has been used on wounds for centuries. Long before modern medicine, people recognised its cleansing and preserving properties. The science backs that up.

In the right concentration, salt solution supports wound healing by being gentle on healthy tissue while helping rinse away debris and bacteria.

That is why we still use 0.9% saline in hospitals, emergency departments and operating theatres today. It is safe, isotonic and tissue friendly. You probably have a few small saline ampoules sitting in your first aid kit right now.

But here is the part that surprises many parents.

For simple cuts and grazes, clean running tap water works just as well. What matters most is thorough flushing and removing dirt, not the brand of fluid.

So yes, salt solutions absolutely have a place. They always have.
But good wound care is about proper cleaning, not complexity. Keep it simple.

And don’t rub salt into wounds- it won’t work, and could in fact harm more than you think.

PAEDS

02/04/2026

31/03/2026

27/03/2026

25/03/2026

23/03/2026

20/03/2026

18/03/2026

12/03/2026

09/03/2026

08/03/2026

06/03/2026

04/03/2026

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