This interesting topic was suggested to me through the Preppers Ottawa facebook page, and it's a very good point.
How do you prep with your children in mind?
First and foremost, you would need to consider their age and your overall prepping plan (Whether you are going to stay put or bug out for example...) as this will impact what you are willing and able to prep in advance.
You would need to of course consider them in your food and water preps. Ensure you have enough calories to account for all members of your family per day and enough water for each person as discussed in previous posts.
Depending on the age of the child, there may be other considerations including infant formula or baby food. If you are prepping with an infant in mind, ensure you have enough formula on hand and continue to rotate it as expiry dates near. Even if the infant is being breastfed, it's a good idea to have formula on hand. If the women becomes dehydrated, she may not produce enough milk to properly sustain a healthy infant, so having a backup option is a good idea. Also ensure you have plenty of clean bottles on hand and a way to warm to milk if electricity is no longer an option.
In terms of baby food, this is fairly easy to make yourself without having to stock a large amount. However, baby food does stay good for quite a long time, is light and portable and can be eaten by anyone of any age. So, having some on hand is never a bad idea.
Diapers would also be a concern for your child as well, especially since this is one thing we take for granted. An option would be to purchase some reusable and washable cloth diapers to replace your disposable ones should stock run out. At the very least, reusable diapers will not run out and can be washed and reused. It is also important to ensure you have a container to clean them in and enough baby safe detergent to last as well. You will also need to wash them in clean water to avoid bacteria. Another thing to consider is buying multiple diapers in various sizes to accommodate your child's growth from where they are now up until the last size they will require before not needing diapers.
On the subject of hygiene, items including baby powder, diaper rash cream, wipes and other hygienic items are crucial. A clean baby is a healthy baby and without access to a doctor, could mean everything for their survival. If your child has a health condition, ensure to keep extra stock of their medications on hand and know where to find them should SHTF. Also, educating yourself on their condition and how you can help them at home could benefit you later on.
It is also a good idea to have some toys for your child, as boredom will be a serious issue. If you are working hard on your survival, you won't always have free time to dedicate to "Playtime". So you will need some items to keep them occupied while you are working.
When children are concerned, always make sure you have blankets and pillows on hand as well. if a child cannot sleep, no one in your family will be sleeping.
Also keep in mind that your child will grow and will need new clothes at each stage. If you have the funds to plan ahead, great. If not, you may be able to find these clothes elsewhere when the time comes. If you have multiple children, hand-me-downs are a wonderful thing. If you have a survival group, you may be able to share clothing amongst yourselves as well. No time for greediness when you're trying to survive. If you have the skills to sew, keep some extra fabric and sewing equipment on hand to make clothing is necessary. Fashion is not important when your surviving. Some clothing patches and extra scrap fabric is also a good idea for clothing that gets torn or worn out.
Since we live in Canada, shelter and warm clothes for the winter are also extremely important to consider. Especially with children. If your plan is to stay put, think about how you will heat your home in the winter without electricity. If you plan is to bug out, where will you go? is there a way to heat that shelter in the winter? Will it be sufficient for winter survival? You will be spending a good portion of the summer collecting, growing, hunting and catching food to last you the winter, so plan wisely!
Something not a lot of people consider, especially if they have a younger child or infant, is how they are going to educate them to read and write. These are essential skills that in a SHTF scenario will be up to the parent to teach. Having some books available, children's books or alike will help you to pass on these skills to your child. Obviously, you can't be expected to carry around a classroom with you, but a couple note books, some kids books and maybe a novel would be a good idea so that teaching them will be easier when they are older. Of course, these types of materials you may be able to find along the way if your plan is to bug out. These types of supplies are not essential for immediate survival and would not necessarily be the first to be taken by looters. However, schools are sometimes used as emergency shelters with many people in them so they may not be the safest places to visit right away. Moreover, these are household items that could be found in most homes of people with children.
Once your child is older, they can also assist you with your preps as well. For example, a young child (5 or 6) can carry a small backpack with perhaps a little water and food in it. Especially if you are not in a vehicle and you are on the move, this could be a huge help. If we are looking at an extended SHTF situation, teach them any skills you can as early as possible. Giving them the skills they need to survive early means they will be in a much better position later on.
A young child may not entirely comprehend a survival situation and what is expected of them. Without scaring them, it would be smart to discuss your plans with them when they are old enough. That way, if the time ever came that you had to put your plan into action, they would be aware of what their role was and what behavior was required. Just like they practice a fire drill at school, you could run drills with your family (barricading indoors or bugging out as a team).
Understand that if we are in a SHTF scenario, a child's life will change forever and we can't baby them as much as we would like to. It may be required that they grow up faster than we would like. This would be for their own safety and survival. Hopefully, you can find your safe haven and start a life with your family that can still include all those things that make a childhood special without compromising the families overall survival.
Please feel free to let me know if there is anything else I have missed or if you have an idea of another topic I should cover!
Thanks for reading!
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