To send DS to school with a stab pack?

[PolkaDotMankini]

DS is in year 8 (ages 12-13) at senior school. It's a great school but DS has been caught up in a couple of fights this half term and I'm doing the classic mum worrying. After the first one I bought a couple of Israeli bandages. They're the type used for serious bleeding.

WIBU to send him on a first aid course and pack one of these bandages in his bag, just in case? DS thinks I'm being way OTT.

If you’re seriously worried, wouldn’t you move schools? Why would you send your child to a school where you were so worried about them being stabbed that you send in bandages?!

By all means, send him on a first aid course. It's always useful.

But I'm with SerenaTee - if it's that bad, I'd be looking for a new school!

No, but tell me more!

I'm not seriously worried about him being stabbed at school, more getting jumped on the way home by an idiot teenager who think they're a gangster. He's not fighting BTW, just trying to drag his friends out of trouble, but I'm concerned that he's going to wind up the wrong person.

Then you move schools. FFS.

Reread what you actually wrote.

Now imagine you're taking about a child (guess what, you are)

Or if its just on the way home, go and pick him up!

I could move him to a different school, but the other options are worse. Which is why I sent him to this one. It's a good school but has a challenging catchment.

Prevention is better than cure, so maybe buy him a chainmail vest to go under his school shirt?

Or perhaps a coat of armour, if you don’t think that would be safe enough

Have you told him not to start fights, get involved in other's fights or walk away instead of getting caught up in fights.

He's much less likely to be hurt if he stays away from the people involved in the fights

If he's been stabbed he's relying on someone else knowing he has an Israeli bandage and using it correctly - very unlikely imo.

I can't believe that the best schooling option for him involves potential stabbing?! How can it be a "great" school?

You're right, it is pretty ridiculous.

An Israeli bandage is self-rescue though.

Fuck my life.

Rather than keep him safe, you're talking about teaching a child battlefields and stabbing first aid?

Perhaps the school is the problem?!

First aid is fine, the bandage is probably OTT.

If someone gets stabbed in a limb, I've never encountered a situation where direct pressure hasn't been enough, and paramedics carry these bandages / tourniquets in any case.

If someone gets stabbed somewhere important, nothing is going to help that you can do at the roadside without some serious skills, equipment and training.

DOI Major trauma surgeon.

Yes, I have told him that and we've role-played different scenarios so that he knows he has better options than getting involved.

As far as I know, no one has ever turned up to this school with a knife. That is not the case at our nearest 3 schools.

Thankyou @FixTheBone. Perhaps I should skip the first aid and send him straight to med school...

I'd pull my child out of school if I thought this was an issue.

Does your area / kids school have a lot of stabbings?

I don't know why you're getting such a hard time. Most kids are going to walk alone at some point to and from school, surely a bandage kit is a good idea. Didn't a 7 year old girl get killed in a random stabbing attack the other day. This stuff is happening more and more, it's terrible and not as simple as 'just move schools'.

And put him where? The other schools are worse. Our catchment school has gang issues and a child was killed a few years ago. I obviously didn't send him there!

Op

you are either winding us up or you are unhinged

And this is your version of a good school?

Tbh o think first aid courses are absolutely invaluable so yeah I'd totally send him on one.

And tbh, no matter the school there's a risk of kids taking knives into school. But I wouldn't make it a specific risk for him. Pack a first aid kit, with some otc meds, germaline, burn gel, bandages so its more of a general self care thing.

Mad responses once again. Of course YANBU. In some places, I'm guessing London, it seems like stabbings are almost an inevitable part of life. Your DS should always avoid getting involved but one day he might not have a choice and YANBU to equip him with what he needs to save his own or someone else's life.

It's like kids in America being sent to school with bullet proof backpacks. It's awful but of course it's not unreasonable to protect them as best as you can.

I would as I am sure most normal parents would would be asking so many questions and making so much noise of the authorities as to why this would be happening and my kids woud be out so fast . My kid would not be going back there for all the tea in china,

I would be moving to an area with better schools.

Sorry OP but is is totally OTT.

It must be very anxiety inducing for a child for their mother to tell them to be equipped with special bandages and attend a specialist first aid course incase he is stabbed!

The likelihood of your son being stabbed either to, at or from school is very, very low. It happens. But it’s usually targeted attacks due to gangs, terf wars and drugs.

If your son is a good kid. Isn’t involved with gangs of drugs, his chances of getting stabbed are very slim.

If you’re that worried and concerned the please speak to the schools safeguarding lead. Even speak to a community police officer. It would be incredibly damaging to put this type of fear onto a child.

I do agree that all secondary school age students should learn first aid though.