A Word to Prepare. . .

This post is not about the kids directly, but it's most certainly about them indirectly.  I am not a dooms day type of person and actually strongly dislike when Peter jokes about the world ending in 2012.  I didn't go through the various hells that I have with my kids to have it all come to an end this year. . . plan and simple.


However, on that note, there are a few things everyone needs to consider.  We are in very unstable times.  Natural Disasters are much more common.  The weather is highly unpredictable and food shortages are here.  Soooo, with all of that amazingly wonderful news (none of which you were not aware of).  There are some things I would suggest everyone do to prepare for a family emergency.

The most important is to know how to do some basic survival things.  No, I don't mean pick up a cross bow or learn how to skin a squirrel.  EWWWW!!  I mean, things like know how to make water safe to drink Water purification.  My home town of Glens Falls, NY has been on a boil water alert for over 4 days now due to e.coli.  If this alert was during a power outage as well, then boiling water for many people would not be realistic, therefore all the bottled water would be gone from the store shelves.  If you knew just a couple of things, you would be able to take any water and transform it into safe usable water for you and your pets or better yet, you'd already have a supply to call upon in a situation like this. 

Another basic aspect of safety is to prepare a good  Disaster Kit.   I mean, a serious one for YOUR family's health needs.  We have kids with central lines, my kit has all the stuff I need to care for those lines for 3 days.  What if we had to go to a hotel due to a natural disaster... I don't have time to grab all of that crap and odds are good, I'd forget a key item.  This would be an epic failure for my IV dependent child.  But, a first aid kit also has extra meds for anyone taking meds, a list of all the families medical issues, their basic history and where their records are stored.  We have also made photo copies of SS cards, insurance papers, marriage license and birth certificates.  One of the major obstacles for children of Hurrican Katrina was the re-entry of school in their new cities without any documentation.

 And finally, food.  Again, I'm not suggesting you learn how to hunt your own food or become a master gardener.  I'm talking about adding a few canned goods each shopping trip.  (food preparedness)  You can store them in a tote, under a bed, in a closet.  Foods your kids will eat and fill them up.  Foods easy to heat with a fire but in a pinch can be eaten cold.  Good things are spaghettios, fruits, applesauce, veggies, baked beans, soups and powdered milk.  They're not great to eat forever, but can certainly be sufficient should you have to go for several days in a severe winter storm without access to a store or any power.  I also have some tuna, canned chicken breast and a couple of small jars of mayo.  This way if I have to open one to make some tuna, we'll just have to throw it out if there is no way to refrigerate it.   If your child is on a formula, then be sure you set aside some as well.  In West Virgina the State had to step in and help people find food pantries and replace food stamps when they had to endure a week long power outage in 100+ degree temps.  Not only did they have severe food issues, but they were struggling to get to and from places due to many cars failing in the unrelenting heat.

Ok, that's all I'm going to say for now.  :-)  I know it wasn't my normal kind of post, but I worry about those with kids.  Especially those with kids and special health care needs.  They are the ones that suffer the worst first.   We actually do a bit more planning here.  Maybe too many Zombie movies or Survivalist boards, but these are the bare basics.  Learning how to prepare a bit more is actually fun and the kids get a kick out of it.  LOL  I'll be attending a "canning" class next month to learn  how to can food to last for years.  To me, this sounds super fun.  Anyone want to join me, just let me know.

Happy Preparing!!