What Do You Tell Them?

This is going to be a difficult topic for many of our readers who are parents or even grandparents. We never talk about this. It is taboo and quite frankly, heartbreaking. It does not matter if you are a prepper, homesteader, or survivalist, the future is not guaranteed to anyone.

We get so wrapped up in our own world and we never take a moment to pay attention to what we should. I am talking about the children. I know many of our readers are getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You are planning out the food and get togethers you will have with friends and family. You have spent hours figuring out what you are going to purchase your children (or grandchildren) for Christmas. This takes a lot of effort, but I have to ask, what if you were no longer here? This thought rarely, if ever, crosses the mind of any parent. You are the protector and caregiver of your children. But we are also human. This is a part of preparedness that is often neglected.

There are so many articles and discussions on preparing for this catastrophe or that disaster. Where is the discussion on if Mom or Dad are no longer around to provide for the children? This is a grim discussion but it is reality. We see it in third world countries who have or are currently enduring civil wars. We see it after natural disasters when the majority of a family has died in the incident. In these situations, sometimes the children are the only survivors. For those of you who watch apocalyptic movies, this subject came up in the movie The Road. If you watched it, the ending speaks for itself.

I warned you this wasn’t going to be a great topic, but how and when is it going to be addressed? When will you have a talk with your children on what to do if Mom and Dad are gone? Will this be a very emotional discussion? Yes, very much so. Should you talk with your 7 year old about this the same way you would a 13 year old? I don’t believe so. Either way, this should be communicated somehow. It would be a disservice to the children if they were never given the information, nor taught the skills they need to survive if something ever happened.

While this subject will bring a tear to any parents’ eye, it is meant to educate and empower you to provide for your children, our future, even after you are long gone. So what can you do? How can I do this in a manner which is safe and positive for my child? You can start slowly but surely with basic skills. You already do by showing them how to cook (and I don’t mean using a microwave either), clean, use good hygiene, learn (study), etc. The list can become quite extensive, but this is what you already do now. There is more you can do.

First and foremost, you can teach your children to use good judgment and make sound decisions. Like the problem solving questions they have to complete in school, you can do this for “real life” situations. You can also teach them how to adapt to situations which would help their chances at survival more so than the others who have difficulty adapting to change. This is not easy. It will not be an overnight project you can do. It will take time and most of all patience to effectively accomplish this difficult task. You will need to mentally prepare yourself in order to do this. It won’t be easy.

This in turn will have a positive impact in many areas of their lives. Instilling these values and traits will also have a positive impact on them. Having a sense of leadership and community will make any parent proud. There is still time left to get them away from the television and video games to do this.

There is nothing sold in stores or online that can do this for you. By doing this, you will have given them the best gift that money can’t even buy. So if you are still looking for that special something for them this holiday, look no further.

We look to give more detailed action you can take on this topic in upcoming issues of Prepper Central Magazine.

Stay safe!

-SP

Prepper Central