You know...trying to explain to someone who is a nonbeliever the reasoning behind why you prep is like selling ice to an Eskimo ...!
I tend to think of prepping like planning for an extended camping trip. I used to go camping a LOT, and I don't remember ever going hungry or running out of something due to a lack of planning! However, one thing that I have seen very little mention of in most of the blogs is...entertainment!
For those that have families, especially younger children, some form of entertainment is almost mandatory. Be it games, books, crayons, whatever...it is as vital to the mental and emotional health of all concerned. Ever been cooped up in a car on a long trip with a bored child? How about being snowed in with several active children for days at a time? I can guarantee that if you don't have some form of distraction and entertainment for them, you'll soon wish that you did!
And it's the same for adults. Setting aside food, medicine, firewood, and all the other things needed for extended self reliance is a good thing! A necessary thing given the times we live in. But without something to break the cycle of worry or concern or cabin fever feeling from time to time...you are in for some even rougher times ahead!
My suggestion is this...if you are married, sit down with your spouse or partner and discuss what your individual likes and dislikes might be, entertainment wise, for an extended camping trip. Then discuss the same things for the children, including them if they are old enough. After the discussion, just plan accordingly and include some form of pleasant entertainment in your preps!
Oh, and if I may say one more thing here...never forget that any situation out of the ordinary adds extra stress to any environment. Try as we may to hide this from the children, they will ALWAYS pick up on additional stress or anger or negative feelings to a certain degree. Children are very intuitive, more than we give them credit for sometimes. Keeping this in mind, try and stay as positive as you can. Positive attitudes attract positive results!
Whatever the situation, whatever the reason for extended enclosure ...try and put a little "alone time" in the schedule. A few moments alone in total peace and quiet can do wonders for both the mind and body. Allow every member of your particular tribe, or group, or family, or mob the same "alone time" if they wish it. Believe me, it will pay off in the long run!
Even though I am single living only with two cats as "roomies", they understand when I really don't want to deal with them, and I pick up on their "leave me the hell alone" feelings as well! Life can be good when you deal with it in a positive frame of mind!
Now, speaking of a positive frame of mind...let's go get some fresh coffee!
17 comments:
Great advice brother!
Hey Picdog...thanks for stopping by!
You have a good day.
For entertainment the first thing I suggest is a deck of cards. Probably the best entertainment out there for 2 bucks or so. After that those good old fashioned board games are great. Ditto for non contact outdoor activities. A frizz bees and a croquet set would be good. Horseshoes would be good also.
For the kiddos a bunch of crayons and a stack of cheap coloring books (taken out of the attic one at a time) and some legos or other non powered toys would be good.
As for 'alone time' trying to have everyone have their own place to sleep/ alone place is the best situation. If that can't happen have a quiet room where people can go in shut the door and be left alone.
Thanks for stopping by and for the comments! They all sound very usable to me...and I just happen to have some on hand, just in case!
Good advice, Hermit!
there's radios that run an a hand cranking every few hours, books, chess... hey, washers, anyone!?!
Darts are a fave of mine. And what about musical instruments? :)
Could go on forever; we really are limited only by imagination.
cygnus
"leave me the hell alone" is something we all must understand. Everyone needs "my time" and it really has nothing to do with your feeling about some else.
Hi Jim,
Great advice for sure! I also have cards all around the house and puzzles and so on. For me, I have tons and tons of books. Always a great way to imagine yourself elsewhere. :)
Have a great day!
lydia
Hey Cygnus...lucky for you and I we were raised in the country and know how to entertain ourselves with washers, horseshoes, marbles...all of that. Loving to read makes the having to stay inside time very passable as well.
Thanks for coming by!
Hey Squire...sure do appreciate you stopping in! I feel it's one of the most important things to learn...respecting another's space and knowing when the "my time" rule is in effect!
Can make a big difference in a relationship!
Hey Lydia...glad to see ya, my friend! Just having the tools there for folks to utilize is what planning is all about. As for books...can't ever have enpugh, I think!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
...can't think of much that hasn't been offered already,as for me and my son,we get lost in hotwheels and armymen for hours,(yes i still play with'em too)...as for both the teenage daughters ?...guess they just go insane,if they don't kill each other first..lol
Hey Ken...spending that time with the son will make memories for him that will last for a long, long time. As far as teenage girls are concerned...I think that they have ways to entertaining themselves that we guys can't quite understand, and probably don't want to!
Sure do thank you for stopping by!
Heya Jim and all,
Thanks for the great suggestions. My teenage daughter is wired into everything.
If it goes away it will be major withdrawals for her. You should have seen the meltdown when her cell phone broke and she was without if for about 6 hours.
It was like a two year old having a tantrum.
Can you imagine what it will be like for the rest of the population? Man, you should have seen the management at the company I work for when the Blackberry outages were happening last year. Same thing.
I wish I could toss my phone. I hate the damn thing.
Hey Catman...know what you mean about the phone thing. Right after the last hurricane, I was without Internet service for a long time (actually about a week) and ended up buying a broadband card so that wouldn't happen again!
We learn from all that happens in our lives...and some folks are going to have a really hard time when the grid goes down...
Thanks for stopping by!
Great advice. We end up with a bunch of little toys that come in kids meals from the fast food joints. Some are pretty nice little games and such, got several put away in a small tote just for emergency situations and travel. They work great for my child and they are free with the meal. I also always ask for extra salt, ketchup, pepper and napkins and such at the fast food joints. Keep them in a canning jar. Even a trip to Wendy's is an opportunity for me to prep a little. hehe!! It adds up.
Chris
Good idea for the toys and games. And I always thought I was the only one that saved the extras from the fast food joints.
Heck, I even save the packets of cheese and pepper seeds that come with pizza when I have it delivered.
Thanks for dropping by and for sharing.
That's what the still is for!
We have tons of books and the kids have so many toys that doesn't concern me much. I did put play dough, crayons and paper in our 72 hour kits though.
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