Prepping for (and with) Children: The Basics
Prepping isn’t just another chore for moms and dads to add to their list. It’s a lifestyle and something that you can engage your kids in from day one! Here’s our quick guide on how to introduce the prepping lifestyle to your kids and a few things to consider when you are evaluating your stockpile.
Read stories about prepping.
Kids love story time and luckily, there are now several children’s books about prepping that you can read to them and use as tools to teach different prepping skills. Here are just a few that are on the market:
The Ready Family: My First Prepping Book by Mr. & Mrs. Ready
The Prepper Pete series by Kermit Jones
52 Prepper’s Projects for Parents and Kids by David Nash
The Practical Survival Guide for Kids by Weise Weasel
Playful Preparedness by Tim Young and Liz Young
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Look for the Helpers by Alexandra Cassel – This one isn’t technically a prepper book, but it is a great way to introduce storm preparedness to toddlers and preschoolers.
Take your kids camping & fishing.
Camping is a great way to practice survival skills and how to live in emergency situations. Depending on the age of your children, you may want to practice camping inside your house and then in your backyard before heading out to a real campsite.
Fishing is another important activity to include your kids in if you follow a prepper lifestyle. Teach them about different types of fish, when and where to fish, bait, and preparing fish to eat.
Involve your kids in food prep.
Fishing and cooking what you catch is a great skill to teach your kids, but there are also other food prep skills that they can be involved in, such as gardening, stocking the pantry with shelf-stable food, and baking.
Remember to go over fire safety fairly often so that they know how to act around an open flame while you cook (or stay warm) in an emergency situation.
Supply considerations.
Infants and children require extra supplies or variations of adult supplies. Here is a handy list of items you may not have thought of:
- Children’s versions of medications
- Feminine products (if you have girls approaching puberty)
- Clothing and shoes in larger sizes to allow for growth
- Bikes (consider current size of children and that they will grow)
- Braces emergency kit (if your kids have traditional braces)
- Shelf-stable milk
- Kid-sized supplies (backpacks, masks, ponchos, etc.)
Prepping with Infants
Infants are especially vulnerable to disasters, so if you are expecting a baby or have one already, it is important to be prepared to care for them under emergency circumstances. Here are a few extra considerations you’ll need to make if you have a baby in the family:
Food
Even if the baby is breastfed, it is wise to have infant formula in your stockpile. The easiest type to use in an emergency is the ready-feed bottles. They usually come in 2- or 8-oz bottles with individually packaged, sterilized nipples so that you don’t need to worry about sterilizing bottles or water to mix with powdered formula. The only downside to these is that they are expensive and if your baby is not drinking an even number of ounces per feed, you may end up wasting some of it.
Young babies may also need pureed food. The easiest form to stock up on is baby food pouches. Luckily, there are a lot of options to choose from in the stores and online.
Other Supplies
Diapers and wipes are another important stockpile to have if there are infants and/or toddlers in your household. Remember to switch out the sizes as your children grow and keep in mind that some kids are not potty trained at night until they reach 5-7 years old.
While it is better to shelter in place with an infant, you should consider how you will travel, if needed. An infant carrier is an important item to keep on hand so that you can carry the baby while keeping your hands free.
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