Guest Post:Preparedness Tips For Family with Young Children

Note:  Here’s a guest post from FoodInsurance.com on how to prepare your family in times of emergencies.  As I am now featuring topics related to self-reliance and prepping, I believe this guest post will be helpful to me as well as to my new readers.

Experts agree that it is important for people to prepare for an emergency. Whether it is an act of terrorism or a natural disaster, having some basic supplies on hand can make a big difference when it comes to surviving a disaster. However, families, especially those with young children need to take some extra steps to ensure their children are able to cope with the difficulties and stress following any type of emergency situation.

For example, children have their own unique needs and preparing them for a disaster is important. Consider things like how your children will entertain themselves. Whether you need to relocate to a shelter or you plan on sheltering in place, children will need something to occupy their time. You can pack an emergency bag that includes a compact game, a couple of books or even crayons and coloring books. Giving kids an opportunity to relieve stress and engage in typical childhood activities will help them cope with even a difficult situation.

As you are preparing your disaster management plan, be sure to consider the types of foods you will have on hand. There are many types of foods that are easy to store and have a shelf-life that will last for decades. However, children also have some of their favorite foods and ensuring that they have something that they will enjoy can help keep even the pickiest kids comfortable during a disaster. Fortunately, you can find great food storage for a young family by simply adding a few of their favorite foods in a shelf-stable form. Freeze-dried strawberries, peaches and other fruits are often some of the favorites for children.

Part of preparing for a disaster is making an emergency plan. While young children might not be able to contribute much to the actual planning, they should be included in some of the discussions. There is no need to frighten children, but letting them know that you are taking precautions to ensure their safety can actually provide a measure of comfort. Let them help choose a favorite toy to put in their emergency bag. Children can also help decide the types of snacks they would like in their bag. Let them play a role in some of the decisions that go into your emergency preparedness plans.

Choose a child-friendly emergency bag for young kids. This can be a small backpack featuring their favorite cartoon character or it can be a duffel bag in a favorite color. When kids have their own emergency bag, they can take an active role in helping to prepare for an emergency.

When planning your emergency necessities, be sure to include a flashlight and extra batteries for each of your children. Young kids can be frightened of the dark and many times an emergency will mean there is no electricity. Letting each child have their own light source can be very comforting for them.

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Empress is a tech enthusiast who loves to read and write. She founded Empress Content Writing & Digital Marketing Services to help small entrepreneurs grow their business.

4 thoughts on “Guest Post:Preparedness Tips For Family with Young Children

  1. This post has a lot of emotional meaning for me…I won’t get into that…but I can’t emphasize enough the importance of this post…young children definitely need to know what to do in a disaster…where to meet…what to take…if there is a fire…knowing how to use a cell phone and keeping it powered at all times…i can go on and on and on…this post should be on the first page of every search engine regardless of the keyword!…very good post!!!

  2. A natural disaster or even a planned calamity can occur anytime. To be ready is the best way to handle the situation. If you have children in the house, it becomes more difficult to adjust and deal with such situations. It is better to always stay prepared, packing up favourable food, some clothes and other necesities could help.

  3. An emergency plan for storing food for disaster situations cannot be very easy. You need to make a list of things you want to keep aside for such a condition. One should prefer keeping some dry food that will not perish or smell if kept in room temperature for a long period.

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