Kids (not goats) and Preps

I should probably be talking about food storage or the like since I am currently buried under green beans and tomatoes, but I won't. I want to talk about children and prepping. This is one of the way up there on the list ones for me. I have two youngsters that are homeschooled, though they are technically too young for school according to the public system...but who asked?

I digress. The goofballs are homeschooled and will remain so regardless of how big the SHTF situation gets. How do I plan ahead for future education, should SHTF actually happen on a scale large enough to keep me from getting any resources? I buy the basics, I plan to teach the basics (hello, high school trig was a complete waste of my time). Basic math (to include PRACTICAL applications of Geometry...not freakin' proofs which are nothing but a mathematical form of torture), History (not an issue there as my brain is full of seemingly useless historical data), English, Science to include Anatomy and Biology.

Here we use non-faith based materials just because that's the way I want it. However, if that is what floats your boat, buy it. The point is be prepared to continue your child's education should the inevitable happen. Now is the time to grab up all the extra notebooks, pencils, crayons, scissors and whatever else you think you might need. Back to school sales are the time and place to stock up. Neither kiddo is old enough for school, but I hit the local parent teacher store for some good deals on curriculum that is "old" (aka being replaced with a smancy new version that teaches the same thing but costs more). We are set through at least the 8th grade right now.

Even if you aren't planning on permanent SHTF type stuff, just filling BOB's (or Emergency Packs) you still want those types of items for your children. Have you ever been trapped in a vehicle with a bored 4yr old...I have, for 8 hours. We do not leave the house without his "man bag" which is filled with crayons, little pocket notebooks, pencils and rubber bands. Don't ask...that kid can do anything with a rubber band, he's a mini MacGyver. The point is to have a small bag that has the things your child loves the best in it to keep them occupied. It needs to be light enough for your child to pack it themselves. My two year old carries his BOB to the car every time we walk out the door. There is nothing in it that is too heavy for him to carry for an extended period of time.

Which leads me back to the carrying of the BOB to the car. We grab them EVERY single time we walk out the door. Why? Because you never, ever know what will happen. Yes, we have a family BOB in the car containing blankets, water, non-perishable foods, extra keys, change of clothes for everyone and a bit of extra cash. BUT the individual BOB's are where the clout is. Each tailored to the person that wears/carries them. Allowing your children to help you decide and pack what will be in their bag makes it all the more important to them. For us, getting the boys into the habit of grabbing their bag on the way out the door was just as important. It is teaching them responsibility, preparedness and gives them a sense of security as well. It is a routine and any one with more than one child will tell you, routine is important. But so is flexibility.

You must teach your child to be flexible enough to handle any situation. This has been a struggle for me as both children tend to freak out when they are separated, the younger one calming down considerably faster than the older. We are working on the self-reliance thing a little, but don't push it since they are so young. However both boys are quite adept at gleaning gardens and identifying edible berries (not helpful in the winter, I know). We are teaching them about other wild edibles (mushrooms are being saved for when they are older...too dangerous right now) and including a few in a meal or two each week so they grow accustomed to them.

Routine...I tell ya...it's the key. Get them, and yourself for that matter, used to doing things that they and you will rely on in a post SHTF world.

Keep hangin' on...