Saturday, January 19, 2019

20 Things to Teach Your Kids This Weekend

Here are 20 simple things you can teach your kids this weekend that will be useful to know during a disaster...

  1. How and why to turn off the main breaker in your electrical panel.
  2. How and why to turn off the water coming into the house.
  3. How and why to turn off the gas to your home.
  4. How and when to check the smoke detector and CO detector (check that the batteries are good and that they still work).
  5. How to escape from your home during a fire (at least two different ways).
  6. How and why to lock down the house as quickly as possible.
  7. When and where to go to the family meeting place away from your house but in your neighborhood.
  8. How and why to use a fire extinguisher.
  9. How to cook a half dozen simple meals that they can eat if no adults are home (age appropriate, of course).
  10. How and why to make their own BOB (Bug Out Bag).  This should be a simple, general use bag they can take to grandma's house or take if they need to evacuate their town.
  11. How, why, and when to call 911.
  12. How to memorize at least two cell phone numbers (mom and dad, dad and grandma, etc).
  13. How to safely use a sharp knife/pocket knife.
  14. How to camp (set up a tent, open up a sleeping bag, sleep outside over night)
  15. How to be safe around a bonfire (also how to start/extinguish a bonfire if they are older).
  16. How to remember details and recite them back (look at that license plate then after the car turns the corner, recite the state and number on the license plate; look at that man and describe him to me, etc).
  17. How to safely navigate local streets (how to walk safely along the street, how to safely cross streets, how to find their way around their neighborhood).
  18. How to use simple tools such as scissors, a needle and thread for older children, how to hammer a nail, how to use pliers and wrenches, etc.
  19. How to follow verbal and written (when they are older) instructions (games like Simon Says and following written instructions for a scavenger hunt are fun ways to learn these skills).
  20. How to find and fix hazards around your home (overloaded electric outlets, rugs that can bunch up and cause falls, improperly stored chemicals, etc).

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