Over the past year, we have seen earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, floods and wildfires that have devastated large areas of the world. People have found themselves stranded for extended periods without many necessities. Most recently we have seen a hurricane wash out mountain communities here in the United States which also left as many as 4 million people without power.
Individual Special Needs
Many of us have special needs that we need to survive. I have been on a lot of prepper sites. I seldom hear about this as an immediate area to prepare, but it always seems to be an excuse not to prepare for disasters. They complain that they cannot prepare for the future because they don’t have enough money. Other times people complain that they can’t prepare for the future because of these special needs.
Sadly, these are some of the most important reasons to prepare for the future. Preparing for the special needs in your family’s lives is one of the primary preparations that you should make. It’s as simple as thinking beyond your immediate wants and looking at your long-term needs.
Let’s say a family member requires oxygen or an oxygen concentrator. Suppose you want this family member to survive. In that case, it’s necessary to have oxygen on hand or at least have a source of electricity to run a concentrator if the electricity goes out.
If there’s a baby in the house, having an adequate supply of diapers, formula, baby food, seasonal clothing, and other special care items is worth stocking up on.
How about your pets and their special needs? Do you have enough food for your pets to last several weeks or months? Are you properly rotating your pets’ food so that they are eating the freshest possible food? Having a six-month supply of pet food would be good to have on hand. If your pet is on medications, do you have a long-term constantly rotated supply? How about flea, tick, and internal parasite protection? Do they have what they need for a season?
Speaking of medication, do you have adequate prescription medications to last for at least several weeks?
Do you have family members with other special needs? Create a list and learn how you can provide for their needs if an event keeps you from purchasing necessary life-preserving medications.
Entertainment
We don’t always think of entertainment as a need, we all need something to do when we’re cooped up, How will your family remain entertained if the electricity goes out or they are forced to stay at home or even away from home in an environment where they cannot continue their routine?
Having something to do is also important to consider when preparing for potential disasters. These preparations can involve things you may already have around your house or can obtain over time. Of course, these suggestions are not all-inclusive and your family might have other ideas about what they enjoy doing. Keep an idea file. Put a few things away that you know your family enjoys. Keep a few things in a to-go bag in case you have to leave your home at a moment’s notice. Keep a cupboard of activities for the family that can be brought out when usual entertainment options were not available.
In many cases, we spend hours on our phones. What if we can’t access our phones because the Wi-Fi towers are not functioning? How will we spend our time?
Entertaining Children without a Phone
Young children can play with toys that they already have. You might consider putting aside a small number of toys that you can bring out during these times. Rotating toys so that young children have access to some is always a good idea to help keep them content with what they already have.
Elementary kids like having projects that they can do. Coloring books, crayons, markers, colored pencils, drawing paper, construction paper, scissors, glue, and other art supplies. A couple of containers of modeling clay offer hours of fun.
At home, a cupboard of games helps wile away the hours. Games like chutes and ladders or Candy Land or Go Fish are good starter games for elementary children.
Also, consider locating and purchasing active games for the children to play. Many times being stuck inside makes them go stir-crazy and constructing ways for them to burn off some pent-up energy will help keep everyone sane. Batting a balloon around over a couple of chairs is something that doesn’t take a lot of preparation.
Occupying Older Children and Adults
Having a radio that runs on alternative energy sources is not only good for gaining information, but it also offers a way to entertain the family. Dancing to the music of the radio is a fun way to occupy your time.
There are games for older children and adults that help pass many hours. Some like checkers, chess, or a simple deck of cards have kept many adults occupied for hours on end and these games don’t require a lot of space in a bug-out bag.
Games like Risk and Monopoly offer long hours of fun for groups of three or more.
Puzzles, crossword puzzles, and adult coloring books are also good ways to pass the time.
There’s also nothing like curling up with a good book. Books can be borrowed from the library for free if you know that an event could cause the electricity to be out for an extended period. A book on Kindle can even be watched when the room is dark. Having a way to charge a Kindle offers a source of reading material for a lot longer.
Finally, if someone in your family or group plays guitar or instruments, playing and singing together can make an otherwise dreary situation pleasurable and memorable.
Don’t wait until you to find something to do to begin determining how you might spend your time. Look around and see what you already have. Make a list of ways that you can entertain your family during a power outage without spending a lot of money and think about purchasing some of these items for holiday gift-giving.
Seasonal Adaptation
Be prepared for your family’s special needs. Consider what your needs are now and revisit those needs every season.
If you liked this post, you’ll love. . .
The Perpetual Homesteader 