How to Prepare Kids for Various Emergencies
Your children need to learn so much, and often, you’re their teacher. While learning how to read, plant a garden, or make their own movie is fun and fulfilling, other lessons may become more important for them to learn. When certain emergencies arise, your child’s safety is at stake.
It’s important, in these chaotic times, that you teach them how to react. With the acknowledgment that you don’t need to expose your kids to every possible emergency-doing so would make them fearful-some degree of preparation is beneficial. To help, here’s a guide on how to prepare kids for various emergencies.
Getting Lost
First, getting lost is an all-too-common occurrence for kids. Give them a couple of tasks to complete so they can focus on getting back to you instead of being scared. First, tell them to stay where they are so you can find them easily. Also, make sure they have your phone number memorized so they can contact you via another person’s phone. To gain access to a phone, advise them to seek out someone nearby who looks safe-a mom with kids is perhaps their safest option, but if the venue has staff, they’re a safe bet as well.
A Natural Disaster
Preparing your kids for a natural disaster naturally depends on which disaster your area is likely to experience. For those hard-hit by tornadoes, make sure your kids know to hunker down in the basement or an interior room without windows, such as a bathroom or closet, to avoid the strong winds.
If your area is prone to hurricanes, run through what supplies to pack into an emergency kit and how to research the evolving strength of a hurricane. You can also explain to them procedures to follow during evacuation warnings.
For an earthquake, teach your kids to get low, take cover, and brace themselves. There are many more natural disasters you could prepare for, ranging from wildfires to flooding, that would help your child stay safe no matter what they face.
Car Trouble
Another emergency to prepare kids for is having car trouble that affects your ability to drive. While this is best for older kids about to begin driving, almost any older child would benefit from knowing how to address a car issue in a pinch. The hallmark car maintenance task you can teach them is how to safely change a flat tire. Otherwise, giving them a clear idea of how to maintain control of a vehicle when your engine fails or another driver collides with you helps keep them safe. In case this happens, you may want to look up a towing service, similar to towingless.com, to help you out of this predicament.
