Whether we’re traveling with our families or in our own homes, security is a big concern and something every parent thinks about every single day. In this modern age, it’s become so much more important for us to be as emergency ready as we can be, and to also instill this in our children. Obviously, it’s the last thing we’d ever want to think about, we want our kids to maintain their innocence as long as possible, but things don’t often go that way in the world. That’s why we have to have a family emergency plan so that we know what to do in those moments and minimize the trauma we and our children experience. So what measures can you put in place to make your family more prepared for an emergency? Here are a few ideas.
Have a Secondary Emergency Location and Contact
There might be situations where you’re unreachable, or the location of the emergency is your house. In these cases, you have to also have a secondary contact and location that is safe for your kids to go. This could be the home and phone number of a trusted neighbor, a relative who stays close by, the school or a friend with a business in your town who you really trust. Your kids should know to contact these people or go to their house so they are safe and you can find them.
Have an After Incident Plan
One of the most crippling things that happen to us after a traumatic incident is that we just don’t know what to do next. Everything feels overwhelming or you’re in emotional shock, and you’re not sure where to go, who to call and how to react in that exact moment. Imagine you’re in a car accident and right after you just don’t know what to do. So many questions will come up immediately, like are you injured, are your kids safe, and are people going to be able to find you? These are immediate questions, and emergency services help you get through this.
But what about other concerns that might arise if for example the accident was caused by someone else, or was due to poorly marked construction or roadworks sites? In that case, do you need legal representation, can someone get arrested and what rights do you have? According to a car accident lawyer, “There’s nothing wrong with including a lawyer in any plan you have to keep your family safe in public areas. Make sure you have the number of a trusted attorney on the dial for these moments so that once the dust has settled and you’ve gone to doctor can take the next steps fairly quickly.”
Use Apps
Many parents have experienced the harrowing experience of an incident happening at their child’s school and not knowing how to reach them. One of the simplest measures you can put in place is a “find my phone” app so they can be located. It doesn’t have to be an app that you check all the time but in a scary moment of uncertainty that can be very helpful. You can also use an app like Kitestring, which sends a message to friends and family if you’re not in your usual local area and you don’t respond to the app. This is something you can install for older kids when they go out so in the event of an emergency you find out about it sooner.
The scariest things moms worry about is all the bad things happening in the world affecting their family. Whether it’s a natural disaster, car accident or violent incident at school or out in public, we can often feel so powerless to the way of the world and things that happen. What I’ve learned is that our kids are extremely smart, observant and resilient. While it’s daunting to think about, if we create a plan, we not only prepare them and ourselves, but we help ourselves feel a lot better and worry about them a little less. We’re in the age with so many helpful tools to keep our families safe and if we put them to use, we’ll be way more equipped to get through a difficult moments.
