When an emergency occurs, it’s natural to feel scared, disoriented and panicked. However, something many people don’t consider is how their children will deal with a disaster. The catastrophic earthquake in Haiti was an extremely tragic reminder of how important it is to be prepared, both for you and your loved ones. Even if you don’t live an area that is prone to natural disasters, it’s highly recommended that you take the time to make a disaster recovery plan with your children. If there is a disaster, you want to make sure that your loved ones will be safe. Here are some tips to help form a disaster recovery plan with your family.
Disaster Recovery Plan Tip 1: Be Realistic and Reassuring
There is always a fine line between failing to inform your children of a disaster for emotional protection, and causing your children to become unnecessarily afraid. If your children ask you why your family is making a disaster recovery plan, be honest. However, it’s not recommended that you cause your children to be afraid of a situation that hasn’t occurred yet. For example, a proper explanation would be similar to this:
“I want to do everything to keep our family safe in case something bad happens. That way, we can all be safe if there’s an emergency.”
Children, especially younger children, have some trouble understanding the concept of an emergency. Reinforce the fact that by making a disaster plan, you are taking steps to keep them safe.
Disaster Recovery Plan Tip 2: Go Over Emergency Situations
Depending on where you live, your area may be at risk for certain types of disasters. For example, if you live in the central United States, you may be in “Tornado Alley“, which puts you at increased risk for experiencing a tornado. If you live in a flood zone, it’s best if you go over how to prepare for a flood with your children. Again, it’s best if you are realistic, but not unnecessarily frightening when explaining the concept of a disaster to your children.
Disaster Recovery Plan Tip 3: Organize “Meeting Spots”
Due to school, work and other obligations, many families don’t spend all of their time together. Since there is a possibility that you will be in different places in the event of an emergency, designate a meeting spot. This should be a safe area that is central to all the places that your family travels on a regular basis. However, if your children are in school during a disaster (such as a hurricane or earthquake), it’s best if you tell them that they should stay put. During emergencies, schools are often the first buildings to receive attention from rescue crews.
Disaster Recovery Plan Tip 4: Have an Emergency Contact
In the event that your family gets separated with no communication, designate a person that is out-of-town to be your emergency contact. In the event of an emergency, if your loved ones can’t reunite, they should all call this emergency contact in order to inform them that they are safe. During an emergency, making a local call could be difficult, so be sure your contact is out of town. All of the members of your family should know the name, address and phone number of your emergency contact.
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