What Children Need to Know About Preparedness, Part 1
Some parents and grandparents don’t discuss preparedness issues until the kids are in bed because they don’t believe children should have to worry about such things.
They’re right when they say the young ones shouldn’t worry about it, but wrong for excluding kids from the conversation, assuming they are old enough to understand.
Like adults, children will do much better in a crisis if they’re prepared for it. Here are some core principles to teach children to prepare them for coping with an emergency:
What is an emergency?
Calmly explain that an emergency is when something happens that we don’t expect and we have to act quickly to keep ourselves safe. It can be a storm, an overflowing river or a power outage. In some emergencies we can stay safe in place, while in others we might have to leave and go to a safe place.
Sirens and lights
Flashing lights and loud sirens mean help is near. The people driving ambulances, fire trucks and police cars help us in emergencies. The vehicles are bright and loud so that they can be seen and heard from far away.
Know whole names
Teach young children their whole name and the whole names of caregivers. If you and your child become separated, they can share this information with trusted adults to help reach you.
Address and phone
Helping your child memorize your phone number and address can quickly reunite your family. They might learn it to a song. If the address eludes them, another technique is to be able to name the nearest popular landmark to your home, such as a church, store or other distinctive public building. Rescuers can quickly get close and drive through the neighborhood until your child recognizes home.
Emergency friends
There are people who will help keep us safe in an emergency. Police officers, firefighters, emergency responders, teachers and doctors all can help. Schools, churches, police and fire stations, government buildings and hospitals are safe places.
Emergency contacts
Choose local and out-of-town emergency contacts. A local contact can help with tasks such as picking up children from childcare facilities. An out-of-town contact may not be impacted by the emergency and can make sure you are all OK. Sometimes in emergencies it is easier to make long distance than local calls.
Where we meet
Select a central emergency meeting place where the family can gather if you can’t make it home.
Family emergency plan
This is a document for the family emergency kit and their everyday backpack. Teach them that this is information to be shared only with our emergency friends.
The plan lists each family member by full name; home, work and school addresses and phone numbers; cellphone and email addresses; local emergency contacts; out-of-town contacts; and the family meeting place.
Adults always make a BIG MISTAKE when they exclude their children from the decision making process from the simple to the complex decisions that affect family life. All to often, as adults, we find that it is easier to make these decisions easier and quicker without the interference or explanation by excluding others from having their own input. After all as adults were know what we are doing or so it seems. As adults we often spare our kids from watching the anger and frustration that often occurs when making a hard or difficult decision. Making a decision can be emotional and painful.
If we just took the time to include our children in making a decision as a family it will help you with the added time to re-examine some of your decisions and it will allow your children to have their say. It will also allow your children to see how you come to your decision; which they will incorporate into their decision making makeup. Furthermore, the more dire the decision the more the child will see the hard cold reality it can affect the their family.
I have seen children in third world countries that are given the ability to make life and death decisions for themselves as well as their family members that has left me dumbstruck. These are children that are about 5 years old making a living on the streets while keeping their younger brothers or sisters safe. Their parents have strongly impressed upon these children how important it is to stick together and to protect each other. They were also instructed on how to summon help if they need to do so.
So, your kids are allowed to go through life without understanding the world in which they live in. We as adults call this childhood; but, we really do our children a disservice when we don’t teach them how to make decisions on their own, have input in making that decision, or watch their parents making the conclusions needed for their decision making process. If we teach our children to make intelligent decisions early in their young lives then we arm them with wisdom and knowledge. They will learn to improve on their skills in making a sound decision by see the pros and cons and different angles/ways in which to arrive at their decision. Not all decisions are for the here and now but are for the future later in life, like learning to save for retirement while still in their early twenties. If your plant corn you will eat for the season. If you save some of the corn seeds then you will also eat next year.