Teach your children well (Helping your children understand the importance of Prepping.)

Hello, my friend and welcome back! Children, especially young children can easily become confused and sometimes even scared if they are not taught about prepping in a careful manner.  Having raised two boys, I do have some experience on this subject and I hope to share with you what exactly I have learned.  Grab a cup of coffee my friend and have a seat while we visit.

I have to tell you that it’s good to be back, and I have learned a thing or two in the last few weeks.  I learned I suck at podcasting!  You know you’re bad at something when you are using free software and the maker calls you and wants it back!  Guess that’s why the ARMY never issued me a microphone. 🙂

Thanks however to God, my loving wife and a few good friends, I have found a way to resume my post in the way I prefer most, written.  I want to thank all of you for staying with me as I worked through this.  Now let’s get back to the subject at hand, shall we?

This post is primarily for all of you Mothers and Fathers out there. For those of you that are not parents, in the event of a disaster, you may just find yourself raising someone else’s children out of necessity.  Children, especially young children need to be taught what Prepping is in a way they can understand and without scaring them to death.  You could scar a child for life if you don’t take the time to do it right.

You start by explaining to them just what the word Prepper means and explain to them that it’s not a bad thing, but rather a smart one.  There is an of child’s story about a Cricket and the Ants that does a great job of explaining this to very young children.  Now just because a child is 8 or older does not mean you don’t need to be careful about how you explain it.  Even tweens need to be taught what it is and how to actually prepare and survive.

An analogy where you compare Home, Car, and life insurance to prepping is a great way of explaining to teens and tweens about Prepping.  The earlier they learn just what it is and why you prepare, the more comfortable they will be with it as they grow older.  Getting them off on the right foot can make all of the difference if you don’t want them thinking you’re crazy as they get older.  Explain to them that it’s not something they should talk about with their friends and that it’s your families little secret.

Once they have a good understanding of what Prepping is and why you prep, they should naturally want to learn about survival skills like Mom and Dad.  This is a good thing as most kids love to learn about thing their parent are into, well, the younger ones at least and possibly teenage boys and some girls.  Mainly because it gives them something to do outside of the house.

Camping is a great way to teach your children about survival.  For younger children you can make a game out of it.    Have you ever seen a child’s face when they start a campfire all by themselves.  It’s amazing and they will beam with pride if you approach it carefully.

Anyone who has ever raised teenagers know that most of them will want to do just the opposite of what their parents like or want to do.  It’s just part of being a teen, I know I certainly did, as well as my boys.  This can cause stress for both the parent and the teen and even resentment if not approached carefully.

Every child is different and you can expect some to take to it like a fish to water while others will want nothing to do with it.  Because of this, you’re going to need to vary your approach with each child so that they can learn it in their own way.  I have found that curiosity is a powerful motivator when used effectively.  I know some parents challenge their children to learn or do something better than their parents, or siblings  can.

Whatever you do, please don’t force them to adopt a prepper mentality because it will only make them more set to quit prepping at their first opportunity.  Instead, tell them that it’s their choice, but you will continue prepping because you feel it’s important for everyone to do it, and if they ever change their mind to just let you know.  Most children will eventually come around and ask you to teach them how to Prep and survive.  They may be 30, but most will come around.

In closing, let me add this: Children and even adults learn best when they are encouraged using positive feedback and through example.  Teach your children well my friend because even if we don’t see SHTF in our lifetime, they most certainly will.

Well that is it for today and I hope this post helps you in some way.  Until next time my friend, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared.  God Bless America!

-Sarge-