For many of us, the entire point of prepping is to keep our families safe in an emergency or disaster. And if young children are involved, that’s perhaps even more critical.
Prepping with Children In Mind
It’s important to recognize that kids have a few particular needs that might be overlooked if you aren’t careful. Bear in mind that for our discussion here, we’re looking at long-term scenarios. Think weeks, perhaps even months, without the benefits of modern society.
The odds are exceptionally remote that something like that will come to pass. But if you’re going to prep for such an eventuality, here are some things to keep in mind as they relate to the young’uns.
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Hygiene Needs
Once a new baby has entered the mix, many families make it a matter of course to keep a good supply of diapers and wipes on hand. If possible, consider investing in at least one extra box of each and keep them stashed somewhere. As the child grows, use the diapers before they outgrow them and buy the next size up.
Other than during those transition times, this is your emergency supply and should be treated as such. Even if you’re a cloth-diaper family, you might consider a box or two of disposables, as they won’t require the use of a possibly limited water supply to wash.
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If you have female children, keep a good supply of feminine hygiene products set aside, just in case. This applies even if they haven’t quite reached that level of maturity yet, as nobody can accurately predict exactly when they’ll hit that puberty benchmark.
Nutrition Needs
When our boys were teenagers, they had very little body fat. Yet at every meal, we might as well have tipped the refrigerator over and dumped the contents directly into their mouths. Children eat a lot of food. They need those calories to develop and grow.
The thing is, when we’re just starting out with food storage, we often stick to the bare basics. We’re not so much worried about nutrition as we are about just filling bellies. A decent multivitamin can help bridge the gap. It isn’t ideal, but it’s better than nothing.
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Bear in mind that kids can be very picky eaters. Yes, hunger is an incredible motivator in that regard. But if you can avoid adding stress through severely limited food options, all the better. Variety is the spice of life and all that. A small amount of junk food or treats is also not a bad idea.
Entertainment Needs
Used to be that long car rides and rainy days could be the worst for a parent. They’d have to listen to an endless litany of, “I’m bored! There’s nothing to do!” Nowadays, that problem has been largely mitigated by electronics. However, if those phones and tablets are no longer options, such as due to a lack of power, it could get ugly.
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It sounds old-fashioned, maybe even quaint, today, but consider picking up some old board games, a few decks of cards, and maybe some extra dice and sock them away for a rainy day. You can find a lot of that stuff cheap at thrift stores and rummage sales. Just check them carefully to make sure all the pieces and cards are there.
Even if a long-term emergency never comes to pass, all of these goodies could still come in handy. And if something does transpire down the road, you’ll be glad you took the time to get the essentials in order ahead of time.
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