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    Home » Hurricane Preparedness for Families With Kids

    June 16, 2015 By Ruth V. 40 Comments

    Hurricane Preparedness for Families With Kids

    This post may contain affiliate links. Click here for more information.

    Hurricane preparedness is important, but even more so when you've got kids. We've got tips to help your family prepare for a big storm with children.

    hurricane preparedness

    I've teamed up with Allstate for this post about hurricane preparedness for families with kids.

    The 2015 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2015, and although it's expected to be a rather mild storm season, you really just never know. It's been a full decade since a storm has touched down here in Florida - which is almost a record - but that doesn't mean you should get complacent, especially if you have people with special needs in your household - kids included. I think a lot of us know the routine during storm season. The meteorologist predicts a storm, then everyone heads to the store a few days before to gather supplies. Nothing like waiting until the last minute right? Well, now that we have two kids in our household, I realize how important it is to be prepared in the event of a natural disaster. That's why we started early and I put together some tips to ensure you're ready to face the storm if you have young children in your home.

    Hurricane Preparedness For Families With Kids

    Tip 1: Sure, we all know to gather flashlights, batteries, candles, matches, canned and nonperishable foods, and bottled water (remember, 1 gallon per person/per day), but what if your child is still in diapers? You'll definitely want to have a small diaper stash ready to go in case of an emergency. If you use disposable diapers, having a supply ready at all times may be a challenge as your child grows and you are periodically switching to the next size. Another challenge might be if you're left without power for a long period of time. Perhaps diapers won't be readily available, or you won't be able to travel to get more. This is why I'd recommend having a small stash of cloth diapers on hand. All you'll need are some flats (or flour sack towels) and waterproof covers. The reason I'd suggest flats (which are really just a large, thin square of fabrics that can be folded and laid into a cover to use as a diaper) is because they can be easily hand-washed and they dry quickly just when hanged. Flats and one-size covers can fit most babies from 8-35 pounds, so this will certainly be easier and more cost effective than having a stash of several sizes of disposables in your emergency kit. Just remember to account for washing and have extra water on hand to do so. It's a good idea to fill a bathtub or new garbage can with water to use for things like washing diapers or to flush toilets.

    Tip #2: Talk with your child, have a plan, and make that plan a visual aid. If your child is old enough to communicate, it may put their mind at ease to physically see what the plan is, rather than just hear about it. Purchase a poster board or display board and create sections with important/emergency phone numbers, a hand drawn map of where your family will go to take shelter within your home, or where you'll go in case of an evacuation. If your kids are old enough, it may be helpful to assign jobs to each member of the family. That gives everyone something to focus on during an emergency (dad is in charge of food and water, mom is in charge of medications, sister is in charge of gathering flashlights and candles, etc). Another thing to think about is what you'll do if an emergency situation happens when your family is separated. Designate an out of state family member to be a "home base" where everyone calls to check in. Remember, during a storm it may be easier to reach out of state friends or family members or communicate via text messaging as local lines may be tied up.

    Tip #3: We live in a technologically crazed society. Most older kids (and even some younger one too!) have their own smart phones or tablets and spend quite a bit of time playing with them. During a storm and possible power outage, your child or children will likely get really bored - especially if it's a prolonged power outage. I'd advise you to create a "busy bin" for your children to keep their minds distracted. Include everything that you can think of to keep them occupied. Some ideas include: crayons and coloring books, construction paper and safety scissors, puzzles, books - maybe even a series of books for older kids, activity pages, board games, flashcards, and building blocks. Don't forget the batteries if your board games require them. The length of time you'll be without power will be unknown, so the more your child has to do to stay busy the less worried they (and you!) will be!

    Tip 4: Most importantly, you'll want to stay calm in front of your kids. When you've got small kids to worry about, the last thing you want to do is panic in front on them. That's why you'll want to have everything in place and a plan prepared ahead of time, then you can focus on more important things, like ensuring everyone in your family is accounted for and safe.

    Have you experienced a storm with a child? 
    Do you have any extra tips to share? 

    This post was written as part of the Allstate Influencer Program and sponsored by Allstate. All opinions are mine. As the nation’s largest publicly held insurance company, Allstate is dedicated not only to protecting what matters most–but to guiding people to live the Good Life, every day. Image credit: copyright cromary/Dollar Photo Club.

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    Comments

    1. Fee Roberts says

      July 02, 2015 at 11:17 pm

      These are great ideas. Living in Florida, you have to be prepared.

      Reply
    2. Nikki Strong says

      July 04, 2015 at 12:52 am

      This a great post. My middle daughter is scared to death of storms. Thank you so much for this advice.

      Nikki from www.FrugalMomub.com

      Reply
    3. Cindy Merrill says

      July 04, 2015 at 7:25 am

      One more thing I would add- teach your children survival skills: There was a story in the news a few months back of a child named "Sailor", sole survivor of a plane crash that killed her parents, If memory serves me, the girl was 7 or 8 years old, yet somehow she managed to walk 2 miles through the woods with one shoe to find help. Don't under estimate your kids! Correctly taught, they CAN learn how to make an emergency shelter & camp fire as well as first aid skills.

      Reply
    4. Michelle webb says

      July 05, 2015 at 10:09 pm

      Thanks for all the great information I know my family will be safe after reading this I will past this on to family & friends

      Reply
    5. Cindy Ramirez says

      July 06, 2015 at 2:34 pm

      Living in Texas, specifically North Texas, I have never experienced such a disaster before but the fact is, I won't always be living in Dallas, so reading this just keeps the thought in mind to always be prepared.

      Reply
    6. Christina Strapp Lambert says

      July 06, 2015 at 11:55 pm

      Thank you for all the great tips! These will come in handy being in Texas and will have to deal with hurricanes.

      Reply
    7. Karen Nadeau says

      July 08, 2015 at 6:34 am

      Thanks for the great information. It is always best to have an emergency kit.

      Reply
    8. Sarah B. says

      July 08, 2015 at 11:38 pm

      We have to worry more about tornadoes than hurricanes here, but a lot of this still applies!

      Reply
    9. Jerry Marquardt says

      July 12, 2015 at 4:18 am

      I like everything to do with weather, so I know you can never be to ready for weather.

      Reply
    10. Lite Brite says

      October 12, 2015 at 2:19 pm

      This comes in perfect time for the anticipated rainy season they say is coming upon us. And these tips aren't exclusive for hurricanes. These are great tips to have in place in case of any type of emergency. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
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