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Living in Ohio, I haven’t had to deal with a whole lot of worrying about natural disasters. We live far enough inland that we don’t have to regularly worry about hurricanes or major flooding, or earthquakes. We have an occasional tornado, and flash floods but things are usually back to normal in just a few hours. A few years ago we had a huge storm roll in with ‘hurricane winds’ and it threw us Ohioans for a loop. Power was out for days and weeks for some, and it seemed no one was prepared. It was uncomfortable, stressful, and boring! At the time I had a newborn baby, and 2 young girls. So I promised myself that I would have a plan (and a stock of Duracell batteries) to keep them occupied – and a survival kit – in case it ever happened again.
The first thing I did was make a trip to Walmart. There were a few things I needed to restock, and a few new items to pick up for my ’emergency backpack’. I knew the biggest thing I needed to stock up on was Duracell batteries. Pretty much everything we need to use in an emergency needs batteries. My battery-powered lanterns, flashlights, and storm radios.
I picked up quite a few necessities to make sure we are prepared ‘just in case’. Here is a simple, easy to follow list of ‘must have’s’ in case of an emergency.
You will need:
I also picked up a few things, and made a list, to keep the kids busy if the power does go out -since they won’t be able to watch movies, play video games, or chat with their friends via instant messenger (I kinda’ can’t wait for the power to go out..shh! don’t tell them)
1. READ by flashlight – My kids love to read. It’s a great thing, but a lot of times they get too busy with tech gadget and friends that they don’t read as much as I would like them to. I played smart and picked up some classics (think Beverly Clearly) from a yard sale this summer. I put them in our ’emergency bags’ for reading material while the lights are out.
2. Play board games. Too often again, we don’t sit down and play together as much as I’d like. We play family video games, outdoor games and such, but not a lot of board games. I made sure to have a deck of Uno cards, The Game of Life, Monopoly, and Beat the Parents. With our handy little battery-operated lantern we can sit in the living room or at the kitchen table and literally have hours of fun!
3. Have a Dance Off. Having a dance competition with the kids has always been fun. It’s great to get a laugh (usually at me), and plus it burns the extra energy the kids have built up by being stuck inside (BONUS)
4. Camp out. If the weather isn’t bad, and you’re just waiting for power to come back on, camping out in the back yard is a great idea. You can roast marshmallows over the fire, roast some hot dogs, and sit around and talk. It’s a great way to make the best of the situation, and the kids always love the adventure!
5. Pay it Forward. My family has always been big on helping others. Taking extra bottles of water, food, or medicine to needy neighbors can definitely help the kids realize how important it is to be prepared – and to take care of each other.
6. Take a Bubble Bath. O.K. so this one is more for Mom, but relaxing in a bubble bath with some candles is a nice way to regroup, refresh yourself and prepare yourself for what might come next. Taking time for you is important no matter what is going on.
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Such a great reminder to always have batteries on hand. We go through tons between kids toys, remotes and just making sure we have them in the drawer.
We are lucky in the UK that we do not have storms that cut off the power so much,But saying that it is always good to be prepared.
What a great idea. We also get the occasional storm in IN and its always good to be prepared!
That is one serious list! I really need to get better about prepping for a power outage!
Thank you for sharing your emergency items list. These things are very important to have prepared before a storm. Hurricane season is quickly approaching for us here in FL!
We go through so many batteries that when we do need them, I'm sure they'll not be there. I try though. I really do (to keep them stocked). :)
I have flashlights in each room (and several closets) just in case we're without power. My son recently discovered the excitement of flashlights, so I need to go check batteries!
Beverly Cleary books-- I completely forgot about them, but I LOVED them as a kid!
This is a great list of stuff! I really need to get a kit together.
YES! Duracell batteries are definitely in my survival kit. You've got it covered with your list too!