Survival planning is about preparing for the worst – how would you survive in the event of a disaster? Because of this many parents are very reluctant to involve their children with survivalist activities, as they worry that it will make their children unnecessarily anxious. However, this rarely proves to be the case.
Children can actually derive great comfort from knowing that their family is thoroughly prepared, should something terrible happen. Knowing how they need to respond in an emergency can also give a child great confidence in themselves. Conversely, it is very stressful and upsetting for a child to be surrounded by panicking and unprepared adults when an unexpected disaster occurs.
If you want to organize some survival provisions to keep your family safe, it can actually be turned into an interesting learning experience. Most children will also enjoy the responsibility if you give them small tasks to assist you with.
If you are putting together a survival kit, the first stage will probably involve putting together a comprehensive checklist. As you assemble the items, ask your child to tick each item off your list. You can also ask for their opinions on what you should include on the list.
A good example of where kids can help with decisions is entertainment. When it comes to survival, most people think of the absolute essentials such as food, drink and shelter. However, thinking about entertainment options is a great way to keep spirits and morale high within your family, if they should be involved in a disaster. Ask your child to pick out some small items such as card games or puzzles.
Another survivalist activity which children particularly enjoy is planning a vegetable garden. If you want to ensure that your family will be self sufficient for many months, growing your own food is one of the best things that you can do. Let your child pick what they want to grow and assist you with the planting – it is very educational, as well as fun.
Add in a few crafts, if your child likes that type of activity. For example, they could paint some planters or put together a scarecrow for the vegetable plot. The more positive you make survival planning, the less worried your child will be about preparing for difficult situations.
You may also want to put together some educational materials. Schools can close for long periods during significant bad weather, so it can be helpful to keep up with their studies. If you should be housebound for even longer periods, the children will welcome the normality of familiar activities such as learning and school work. It can be very reassuring.
Problems with energy supplies is a very real possibility in a disaster, so make sure you make some provisions for this type of scenario. The important thing to remember is that although adults hate the inconvenience of being without electricity, children are more adaptable and can even see it as an exciting novelty.
Kerosene lamps and compact stoves are a sensible addition to your survival plan. Use it as a chance to teach your children, and explain how people used to light their homes and cook their meals before electricity became commonplace.
Why Survival Planning Brings You Peace Of Mind
Some people dismiss the idea of disaster planning as unnecessary, and consider it a poor use of their time. But it actually takes very little time and organization, and can bring great peace of mind that your family will be okay regardless of what happens.
Often disasters such as snowstorms and hurricanes come with some warning, but assembling supplies at the last minute is not always easy. In the winter of 2011, widespread snowstorms were predicted across parts of America. But no-one could have predicted that over 20 inches of snow would fall on Chicago in a matter of hours, bringing traffic to a standstill and forcing businesses to close.
What would happen if another event such as Hurricane Katrina occurred? It is human nature to panic, even in the case of less serious weather events. Store shelves can be stripped of both basics and non-essentials very quickly during a disaster. In the worst scenario, you may not be able to get the supplies that you need even if you are able to get to a store.
When you plan for a disaster you know that you may never need the supplies which you are assembling, but you also know that your family will never know the fear and misery of being completely unprepared. You know that whatever happens, your family will have enough to eat and sufficient water to drink.
In the event of a man-made or a natural disaster you cannot rely on your utility providers. There may be disruption to gas, electricity and water supplies. Knowing that you can cope for several days or weeks without these things can mitigate a lot of stress and fear. All it takes is having a few flash lights, oil lamps or solar powered lights to hand.
One final consideration is how you will protect your family in a widespread disaster. It is an unpleasant truth that lawless behavior is more likely to take hold when there is an emergency. Often this takes the form of looting, but there are many known cases where violence has erupted. You also have to remember that when there is a disaster, emergency services such as the police may not be able to respond to your call.
Think about how you will protect yourself and your children in this type of situation. If you have carefully collected provisions to survive a disaster, you also want to be absolutely certain that you can keep your property safe as well.
Never let people make you feel bad about survival planning. It is an entirely sensible precaution that ensures that you can do the best for your family, regardless of what is happening in the world around you.