96. “Some call it a blind spot, others
naïveté, but Mandela sees almost
everyone as virtuous until
proven otherwise. He starts with
an assumption you are dealing
with him in good faith. He
believes that, just as pretending
to be brave can lead to acts of
real bravery, seeing the good in
other people improves the
chances that they will reveal
their better selves.”
seth godin
What is it you are ready for? Have you thought of all the possibilities?
More importantly. Do you know the actual likelihood of certain emergency situations are where you live? Ice storms or hurricanes might be more likely in one place. But think of Hugo which came through Charlotte. Or the Hurricane that produced mudslides in the mountains. It may look different but emergencies can happen anywhere. We hear about wildfires in California and in the WEST but we too have had wildfires in NC.
So maybe your ready but are the families you serve as ready?
Take some time to tell them about the simple things they can do to really make a difference.
We’ve all beentold to have a family plan but have wedoneit. A family plan doesn’t have to becreated all at once or beelaborate. But weshouldwork on it and writeit down. Plans that are written down are way more likely to becarried out.
FEMA has some great forms to help you get started. READYNC also has some really amazing tools and videos to help you.
Work out meeting places both closeby and a backup a bit further away.
Make sure you have a way to contact everyone you care about and a knowledge of where they would go in an emergency. Phone calls might not work in an emergency but text messages often go through since they use different towers and systems.
Make sure the family knows where to go in the home as the safest spot.
Make sure the family knows where to go in the home as the safest spot.
Every child should know how to escape there home safely in case of an emergency. This can make a great activity for families to do together. Draw their home and where they should go to escape. More than one route is a must, also point out things like the safest place in the home and the power and water shutoff valves. Children should know these .
In an emergency cash is king. It can take days and even weeks to get money in some emergency situations. We don’t suggest to have a lot of money but small bills can be very important in an emergency to get necesitities
Have your important docs in a waterproof. Fire proof location that is easy to move quicly. A safe is nice but not going to be easy in many situations.
Do you have all the insurance you need? What types would you suggest folks get?
72 hour kits for every one. Do you have one ?
Gallon per person a little over 8 pounds so think of how it will be carried?
food
First aid is essential
In many emergencies batteries become the currency for the first 48 hours. Stock up when you can get a good deal. We have a lot of technology and gadgets and often few ways to power them up in emergencies.
We all know the rule of keeping our tank at least half full but who really does that? At least have a five gallon container if possible in your garage.
In many emergencies you will need supplies you didn’t think of.Trashbags are amazing to fix lots of things and keep things dry.
I have 5 kids from 13 down to 1.5 and they all need me to talk to them in certain ways. Its not all just their age and level of understanding. I always try to consider their personality as well. Some are more sensitive to some things.
Seasame Street ha created an amazing free workbook you can print to help parents work out an emergency plan with their kids. Lets check it out quickly. This is a great tool to share with parents and go through. Sort of a Sesame Street Version of the FEMA family plan.
We are often in relationships when emergencies happen. The couple dynamics have a huge impact on the outcomes of the situation.
In emergencies our first reactions are very clear due to neurotransmitters/ hormones like adrenaline (also called epinepherine) and dopamine.
But soon after those where off and we often feel like we are in a fog. This is when we generally experience break down with our couple relationships
We feel uncertain and unsure of our next steps
And its not to uncommon for those emotional frustrations to bubble over as conflict
This planning is essential. However it can be difficult at first both partners are in the crucible. Either partner or both may be very fragile at this time
Once you have worked out your plan bring the other family players in for a huddle
Fred Estair & Ginger Rogers
Take time to pause and allow some time outs to work on things. 10-10-20-20 rule.
Watch out for mines
Take time to pause and allow some time outs to work on things. 10-10-20-20 rule.
Now the trickiest part is bringing together the whole family and finding balance that works for them. Balance is delicate and not always sustainable but we pick up the blocks and try again. CUPS at my house experience.