Preparing Kids for Emergency Situations

I came across this article Boy Lost in Woods and it just really stayed with me. It's an amazing story but as a mother it's quite haunting.

It did get me thinking about how to start training my kids for emergency situations. I talk about it with my 5 yr. old but now I am thinking I should come up with practice scenarios for us to play out.  Make some fun games to practice proper responses for when she gets lost or encounters wild animals of different kinds. Also to start some emergency training for domestic situations like having to evacuate the house because of fire or how to get to the basement in case of a tornado.

How about you all, do you practice for emergency situations? What have you found that worked or didn't work? What are your main concerns (house fire, getting lost in the woods, falling into water, etc.)?

Kids can feel that basements or cellars are scary. One lady in Moore Oklahoma ( tornado Central) invited all the neighborhood kids to make a paint handprint in her storm shelter so they would be comfortable if they took shelter there. Many local fire departments have trailers that they take to schools so kids can experience the smoke conditions of a fire and see the firefighters in their fire gear so they will not hide from the "monsters" if they are in a burning building. I live in irrigation ditch country so swimming lessons are not optional.

my daughter has a place mat for the 4 year old's meals, it has on it his name, address and mom's phone number and he can recite them all

she told him if seperated from her to go to the police station or fire station it is 4 blocks from their home.

he knows a bunch of people in his neighborhood , many in the fire department, 2 blocks away.  out walking he took me to the police station from about 8 blocks away.  he even knew which way not to go due to construction

a good mom

denise ra wrote:Kids can feel that basements or cellars are scary. One lady in Moore Oklahoma ( tornado Central) invited all the neighborhood kids to make a paint handprint in her storm shelter so they would be comfortable if they took shelter there. Many local fire departments have trailers that they take to schools so kids can experience the smoke conditions of a fire and see the firefighters in their fire gear so they will not hide from the "monsters" if they are in a burning building. I live in irrigation ditch country so swimming lessons are not optional.

Very good ideas!  I wonder if any of the fire stations in my county offer anything like that. I'll have to find out!

paul salvaterra wrote:my daughter has a place mat for the 4 year old's meals, it has on it his name, address and mom's phone number and he can recite them all

she told him if seperated from her to go to the police station or fire station it is 4 blocks from their home.

he knows a bunch of people in his neighborhood , many in the fire department, 2 blocks away.  out walking he took me to the police station from about 8 blocks away.  he even knew which way not to go due to construction

a good mom

Wow! That is impressive! And I love the place mat idea! It wouldn't be hard to make one up for my daughter.