How safe are our kids today? Isn’t it a very valid question? It’s quite natural that we, as parents become so protective and in this blind love, we end up doing everything for them. We are proud of the fact that our kids are 100 % dependent on us. But is that fair?
Think about, what will be your response if I ask you, whether your kids will be able to manage on their own if they have a crisis.
The contingency can be small or big, but, as parents, we have the complete responsibility to train our kids on some necessary survival skills, for them to take care of, on their own during these situations.
Life is so unpredictable, and we don’t know what will happen in the next moment. There is no control over these. Trust me; we never know when our kids would require these survival skills. But it doesn’t mean that we needn’t teach them to be prepared. To give you a small example, cockroach-like bugs can be scary for your kids. Even my five-year-old is scared of water bugs. He normally asks me “do water bugs bite?”
There are simple tricks that we can teach them; praying soap water on cockroaches, is an easy way to kill them immediately or a solution of water and few drops of peppermint oil can be sprayed to keep these water bugs away.
This guide will help you in getting to know the essential survival skills that you should train your kids on.
1. Take responsibility for safety, but don’t hesitate to get help if required
It’s sad that our kids are too much into playing video games and watching TV channels that they are not even aware of anything happening around them. Being aware of the situation is very important. The first thing to train them on is, to be safe and not to lose their cool when an emergency comes.
Related article: How to teach your children about emergency preparedness
Talk to them and make them understand that when they are lost; they should observe the surrounding and understand as to who is the right person to get in touch with, for help. Help them to memorize their full name, your emergency contact number, the names of family numbers, and the address of your house. Take them once a while through the normal route by walking and show them the landmarks and easy to locate points near your home.
God forbid there can be situations when somebody attacks our kids. It’s always better to teach tricks to defend themselves, how to get out of the grip of a stranger. We can also train them on how to fight back with their hands and nails. If fighting does not help, they can shout to invite the attention of others when they are in danger. It’s always good to train them on how to use weapons for survival or run away from the scene. Make them understand the difference between good touch and bad touch.
3. Wilderness survival skills
If you normally spend time in outdoor camping and trekking, it is very important that your kids have the necessary wilderness survival skills. When situations come, they should be aware of the basic skills like, how to find a safe shelter and steer a rowboat. They should know how to arrange wood for the fire, how to build a fire and maintain it, as fire can be used for signaling, cooking or to help them to keep themselves warm when stuck in cold area alone.
Suggested reading: The 10 principles of effective family survival
They should also be trained on swimming, how to select safe water for drinking, how to clean a tool and sharpen it, and so on.
4. Basic first aid Skills
When the kids are left alone at home, and if they ever need, it is always good to let them know the basics of first aid. Depending on the age of your kids, train them on how to clean a small wound or burn. They should not be left to handle the situation alone in case of critical emergencies; Give them your contact number to get in touch with you if they are not able to manage the situation.
Small tips to be self-reliant when they are hungry, how to open a can, how to use a knife safely without hurting anybody, how to select the water to drink etc. carefully will help them a lot. Teach them to display these skills to help themselves or somebody else. We never know when they will require it.
Article written by Emily Taylor for Prepper’s Will. If you liked it, make sure to visit her website: Love Backyard.