It’s critical to remember that survival prepping is not a one-person show. If you have a spouse and children, a family preparedness plan is something that everyone in the family should be involved in.
Family members must work together as a team if they want to survive an emergency situation. You can’t just leave your wife or kids behind when it comes to preparing for disaster. They need to know what to do and how to help out during a crisis.
In addition, you may want to consider having some type of “emergency kit” at home for each member of your family.
When everyone is on board with the family emergency plan, not only does it help you achieve your family preparedness goals faster, but it also provides peace of mind and increased effectiveness when your children are raised to understand how survival works.
Nothing is more upsetting than being the only person in the room who knows what to do or how to do something when certain types of emergencies occur. Suppose you incorporate them into your emergency plan. In that case, you will arm your family with the knowledge they need to survive any horrific disaster in a worst-case scenario.
You can do many things to help your entire family develop a survival mindset. These are carried out without the use of fear. Instead, you’ll use an empowering tone and action plan to convey these lessons to your loved ones.
Begin Teaching Your Children Basic Survival Skills.
One of the most basic things you can do to prepare your kids for survival conditions is to start teaching them the most basic survival skills they’ll need. The school they attend has safety protocols to assist them in emergency situations.
You would want your children to have training at home for common disasters scenarios. Because you never know when you’ll be able to help them, you must assist them in learning how to accomplish this on their own.
It would be best to begin by teaching your children and spouse how to discover or make pure water from an unclean source, as it is the most crucial resource. Remember, you can only go for 3 days without water.
For example, you should teach kids the difference between a flowing and a stagnant water source, as well as the dangers that they cannot see. Demonstrate how to utilize water purification goods as well as how to disinfect water by boiling it.
You should also teach your family how to find food if they cannot access the resources you have accumulated over time. They may have to bug out of the area and won’t be able to carry their bug-out bag with them.
They must know how to scavenge from the land and trap tiny animals or gather other sustenance to stay alive. If they aren’t in your area, show them how to find edible plants in any location.
After you’ve taught them about food and water, go over the principles of erecting a shelter using purchased items, such as a tent and natural materials.
Purchase Survival Items That Are Appropriate For Their Age And Size.
Suppose you want to get everyone involved in the family preparedness process. In that case, you must buy sensibly for supplies and select appropriate products for their age and size.
Younger children may not carry as much weight as older kids or adults. They do not have as much energy as you and won’t handle much weight.
Make sure you include age-appropriate items in their emergency kit to assist them with their physical and mental requirements. For example, suppose your child has a small stuffed animal that is really precious to them.
In that case, you may put it in the bag to provide comfort in a stressful scenario. You should pack goods in their gobag that they can use alone.
Again, there’s always the chance that you won’t be able to join them at some point. They’ll need the necessities and goods that will help them survive.
If you’re going to purchase items for your family, you should consider what they might need during a disaster. For instance, the older kids may have a cell phone that you might want to purchase extra batteries.
It would be a good idea to pick up a NOAA weather radio as a family.
Make Family Preparedness Plans And Practice Putting Them Into Action.
One thing you should do with your family to give them peace of mind in the case of a sudden emergency is to make family preparedness plans for every eventuality. It would be best if you put what you’ve learned into practice rather than merely talking about it.
Make sure you have a strategy in place for everyone to gather at a specific location for a family meeting place. Make a backup plan if the family can’t get together at home.
This is especially critical if you have teenage drivers who may not be there when an incident occurs. Make sure the teens know the best evacuation routes for their area.
You’d like to teach your family how to determine whether or not a location is safe to visit. Make a few distinct backup plans and ensure everyone knows which one to follow in which order.
When you’re teaching your family about preparedness, don’t forget to teach them about safety too. Teach them to avoid places where there are lots of people, such as shopping malls, crowded parks, and busy streets.
I’m assuming that you want to prepare your family for a situation where they are cut off from civilization (i.e., no power, no running water, etc.). I think that you need to first figure out exactly what kind of situation you expect. Will it be a long-term event? A short-term event? What time frame? Is this something that could happen tomorrow, next week, next month, next year? Do you expect it to last hours, days, weeks, months, years? You also need to decide what type of supplies you want to stock up on. Are you looking for food, water, medical supplies, clothing, shelter, communication equipment, weapons, personal hygiene products, etc.?
Putting these plans into action should be done frequently but not regularly. You don’t want to teach them what to do in the event of a wildfire every weekend, for example.
Looking for news that addresses the chance of anything happening, such as natural disasters brewing in your area, is a better approach to schedule the practice of your survival strategies.
Make the experience thrilling and engaging for your family, rather than frightening them or lecturing them if they forget a step. Even if you’re talking about something serious, they’re more likely to remember it if it’s a fun environment.
Prepare Them For Survival By Getting Them Into Physical Shape.
You must assist your family in being physically fit for survival scenarios. This is not a situation where you should be harping on young teenagers to lose weight and undermine their self-esteem.
Instead, focus on the physical chores kids will be expected to perform in the event of an emergency. In some scenarios, they could be walking from one location to another with emergency supplies if the vehicle cannot be used.
In the event of a bug-out, the time you spend walking as a family before the incident arises will benefit them, which is considerably more effective if done outside.
You can also teach them how to hike in other environments, such as in the wilderness or other areas they may not be familiar with, which will get them started on a strength-training program.
Mentally Prepare Them For Survival.
You should not only assist your family in preparing their bodies for survival, but you should also assist them in preparing their minds.
The stress of a survival crisis unfolding can be overwhelming for people of all ages. Still, it is especially difficult for youngsters who are already feeling vulnerable.
You must speak with your children and explain that just because you’re planning for certain scenarios doesn’t imply they’ll happen. Instead of being fearful and afraid of tackling the situation, you want them to feel empowered and brave.
Your attitude toward survival preparations will most likely be picked up on by your children. Make sure you’re not raving about the news and warning others of the terrors that could happen in the future.
You may be letting off steam, but it will seem like the end of the world to your child.
Teach Them How To Use First-Aid Supplies And Techniques.
Every survivalist should be able to use a variety of first-aid supplies. You may be the one who gets harmed, and you’ll need your family’s aid to treat your medical problems.
It’s also possible that you’ll be separated from your loved ones, in which case they’ll need to know how to use the first aid kit in their bug-out bag. Take the time to go over it with them and show them how to utilize each item.
They’ll need to know how to prevent wounds from becoming infected, treat rashes or pain caused by bug stings, and even more important things like how to conduct CPR and save a life.
Introduce Them To A Variety Of Survival Scenarios.
You must recognize that survival will not always occur within the four walls of your home to prepare your family for it. It might happen anywhere, such as if your home is destroyed or the surrounding region becomes uninhabitable.
You don’t want your family to be in a strange and unpleasant scenario if you have to bug out to another location. You must teach them how to live in nature, or at the very least how to survive in it.
This will include teaching them how to hunt for food and about wild creatures they may come across. You could also talk to them or show them how to defend themselves from animals in the wilderness.
Lastly, you will want to teach them how to make a fire for warmth and cooking properly. You can take them on simple camping trips to various areas so they can have a feel for sleeping in a tent or under a tarp.
They need to know what it’s like to sleep under the stars and the sounds they may hear. They need to learn how to warm themselves without the help of a heater or to cool them without an air conditioner.
Being in the wilderness and unfamiliar territory will allow you to discuss your thoughts on common emergency scenarios and different escape routes for those scenarios.
Get Your Kids Self-Defense Training
In a survival situation, you’ll come across a lot of shady folks. You want your children and spouse to know how to defend themselves, whether they’re attempting to steal your goods or simply causing havoc in the neighborhood.
Children can be taught various self-defense techniques starting at a young age. Martial arts are also excellent self-defense lessons for ladies.
Ensure that everyone is well-trained and instruct them on what to do in the event of an attack. It’s always preferable to flee a situation rather than maintain your ground and argue with someone about something.
However, there are unavoidable situations in which fighting is the only alternative. They must know what to do in those scenarios. For example, you don’t want to instruct your family what to do in front of the assailant if a risky situation arises.
It should be decided that the children will stand back out of the way, but if necessary, the entire family will gang up on the offender.
Allow Children To Learn How To Cope With Stress In Survival Situations.
You want to teach your kids how to deal with stress on their own. Survival situations are very stressful, even if it is only losing power for 12 or 24 hours.
There are numerous good strategies for youngsters to learn how to self-soothe. To begin with, it is beneficial for children to keep their minds occupied by completing things rather than sitting about worrying about an upcoming event.
You may keep them busy around the house or at the campsite by including them in tasks that will make them feel helpful. Another thing you can do to assist your child in learning how to cope with stress is to make sure you have some age-appropriate books on hand.
A book is an excellent approach for immersing themselves in a different story than they are now experiencing. You can read to them if they are unable to read.
You can also teach kids how to make up stories to keep themselves busy and their minds off things. It’s critical to have some form of entertainment in your bug-out bag for your children to keep them from becoming stressed.
The toys don’t have to be enormous or heavy, but they can go a long way toward assisting your youngster in remaining calm in the face of commotion. You and your family can play many games without needing any supplies or equipment.
You may, for example, give your youngster a riddle to solve or play I Spy With My Little Eye with them.
Have Your Kids Tested For Allergies Before You Need To Bug-Out.
In the event of a survival emergency, you may be forced to bug out in the open, which can make some family members feel ill. The truth is that they may be allergic to some of the plants in the area.
Because you’ll be eating nuts and maybe being near insects like bees, you’ll want to make sure your allergy isn’t severe enough that you’ll need to bring an Epi-pen with you. If your child is confirmed to have particular local plant allergies, investing in a supply of local, pure honey may be beneficial.
Allow your child to take one tablespoon of this each day to assist their body in adjusting to the amounts of pollen and other irritants in their environment. Raising a family of preparedness enthusiasts can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience.
When everyone participates, greater progress will be made toward your objective of being fully prepared for any and all survival scenarios. Please include them in all of your decisions, big and little.
If you’re out shopping and want to pick up a few more goods for the food storage, have them assist you in selecting them. Even if you’re looking for a parcel of land for a homestead, bring them along and allow them to express their thoughts about the property, even if you’re the final decision-maker.
Let your kids help you prepare for emergencies and offer them opportunities to make a positive contribution to whatever project you are working on. It’s good for them to feel a sense of pride and ownership.
