Admittedly, we aren't the best at emergency preparedness at our house. But it's never too late to start! So we're taking the next few weeks to cover several emergency topics with our kids and I wanted to share the resources I'm creating.
First, we're covering WHAT TO DO IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY AT HOME.
I created this free editable Emergency Contacts PDF that you can complete with your family. We printed ours and taped it inside a kitchen cupboard door that everyone can reach.
We discussed the contact sheet as a family and what situations might arise that the kids would need to call each of these numbers.
Here are a few points to discuss with your family:
- What constitutes an emergency? (serious injury, a potential break-in, a fire, someone who has passed out, a natural disaster, etc)
- What situations are unfortunate, but not emergencies? (minor injuries, being scared by a movie, the power going out, etc)
Because role play is so much more effective than just talking things through, here are some role play situations to act out with your family:
- Have each of your kids practice turning on your cell phone and accessing the "emergency" feature to call 911
- Kids come home from school and mom is passed out on the floor
- Kids are home with a babysitter when a stranger tries to enter the house/bang on the door
- Kids are outside riding bikes when a suspicious stranger is standing in their yard (go to a trusted neighbors house)
Emergency preparedness is something that needs to be discussed again and again, so make sure to bring it up often. I find that kids enjoy any type of role play scenario and it helps them think on their feet.
If you'd like to download the FREE emergency contacts info sheet below, enter your name and email and you'll receive it to your inbox.
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