Preparing the kids

The main reason I'm a "survivalist" is my children.
For those of us with kids, What do you include in your preps for them and how do you instill a survival mindset without scaring the little buggers?

A few things that will make the PAW easier for the kids.
Candy.....Something taken for granted now could be a great reward/ motivator in the PAW.

Fun and games... If i see a old board game at a garage sale I'll buy it and put it in storage, also lots of chalk, crayons and paper. When the video games stop working you'll need to keep em occupied.

Extra clothes and shoes...When Johnny needs new shoes and the Walmarts gone what are you gonna do?

Any thoughts from fellow parents?

I am not a parent but my dad was always preparing me for the worst.

We did a lot of wilderness activities such as camping, hiking, fishing, hunting etc. On these excursions he would teach me how to read a map, clean and prepare fish and animals, start fire with the basics, start fires with nothing, make a shelter, filter water, first aid etc.

Now that I am an adult I have tons of survival gear and the knowledge to use it.

I dont have kids, so im not speaking from experience, although i do have three nephews i cherish. but i think alot of preparing them has to do with thier age, if they are too young the undue stress can be damaging, i would say make sure you are prepared for them physically(supplies) and ease them into it mentally as thier maturity allows. the best way again in my opinion to prepare them if they are young is take them camping alot and teach them how to and forage make a fire and a shelter , this way its more of a game and a vacation then doom and gloom,and they will remember when they need too.

Best of luck!

~meathead

also id teach them tofish and hunt if they were mine, but thats a moral and personal choice i dont think i have a right to persuade others on

reply to post by SUICIDEHK45


Sorry to pretty much mirror your post. when i clicked to comment your reply wasnt there and in the middle of typing i had to take my dog out.


~meathead

Hey DucTape, get the book "Wilderness survival for children" by Tom Brown Jr. , that's a good starting place.
Young kids love to play hide and seek, skills that would apply in the PAW, extend that in camouflage and stalking and you have the basics for hunting.
Acquiring a bb gun will give your kids a start on marksmanship, it;s not much of a transition from bb guns to .22's.
I have 4 grown sons so I have some knowledge about this -
Try making some teas from wild edible plants, say pine needle tea, Learn wild edibles for yourself and introduce your kids to them one by one while empphasizing the need for CORRECT PLANT ID. Remember the wrong plant CAN kill if ingested.
Making debris huts was another task kids seem to take to readily, they love to create their own shelters.
Take them outdoors any chance you can, especially to the woods or swamps. That;s where the things you can survive on are in abundance.
Don't force things on them or they may reject the whole idea, keep it fun and kids learn faster than adults.
Good luck on the parenting! (Glad I;m done with that part myself)

I do take my kids camping and have taught them the basics of outdoor survival.
Also have taught them marksmanship and gun safety. My two older kids have there own .22's and are pretty good shots. They are also trained on my rifles in case they ever need to use em.
I certainly dont share some of the same things I talk about with my teenagers with my 6 y.o. Ill let her enjoy her childhood while she still can.

Teach them about life, not a specific section such as survival.

While teaching them how to take down a wild bear, also teach them the value of that wild bears life.

Or how even though martial law may seem scary, those police "officers" are really police "men" that are just doing their job.

Teach them the value of freedom. Priceless.

Teach them to stand up for what is right, and to accept any consequence in doing so.

Most importantly, teach them to be present oriented. Looking into the future or past can really weigh someone down.

How old are your children? If they are young then I would definately not tell them the reality of the situation but rather keep them occupied. For example last year our home town was at serious risk of flooding so everybody was evacuated. We didn't tell them that we had to leave because we could die but instead said we were going on a small adventure.

If their a bit older, say in their teens, then you could keep their mind off of the reality of the situation by giving them a specific task and responsibility.

reply to post by DucTape


Make a BOB for every member of your family and sit down and show your kids what each item is for. Let them pack some of the things they like in there as well

Fortunately, ATS is obviously frequented by a lot of good parents and generally smart people, and here again it shows.


As a parent who has raised a child who wants to know everything about everything, just like his mother when she was little, we have learned about many, many things together.

The advice so far is spot-on. One thing I will add is something that still helps me today as my now-18-year-old is facing this chaotic world, and telling his friends about the bigger picture:

As we supplement our survival supplies in case of trouble, I do not focus on war, martial law, or any other social catastrophe, but rather natural occurrences like tornadoes, floods, electrical storms, fires, whatever.

After all, that's just the right thing (emergency supplies and preparations) to do anyway, and will help them understand that stuff happens, regardless, and that people can and will survive.

This all works for the things we here at ATS are watching for, as well, and allows us to help and prepare our families for a variety of threats.

I do sleep a little better at night knowing I have done my utmost, and my son is confident because he feels I am honest with him, without leaving him uncertain and just plain scared.

Preparation is so so important, but the attitude we take is much more so.

Prayer doesn't hurt a bit, when it comes to helping our kids to feel reassured now, and to know how to reassure themselves in the future.

Preparation and prayer, calm confidence based on solid actions, and a resolute approach will do wonders to accomplish all the things you want for your precious ones.

May God continue to bless you all, and all of yours.

Fortunate children indeed.

reply to post by DucTape


Hi! Save their used clothing items that are in really good shape for trading
with others. Cut off pants with holes in them and make them into shorts. Foraging would be a daily activity for the remaining percent alive that would live from survivng. I imagine all the dead bodies every where from any diaster would challenge anybody mentally... Taking people's clothes off before cremation or burial would be a good idea, depending on how they died. If death was from a disease I wouldn't save the clothes. I never understood why Tom Hank's character in Castaway buried the pilot with his clothes on when he had nothing. That was not smart.
I bought survival books and leave them out on the coffee table for curious minds to explore on their own. I feel it's an issue that could happen at any point in the future, knowlege is power to survive.
A good movie set to rent on netflix is SurvIvor. It's pretty interesting and has a lot of moral questions and drama.

reply to post by DucTape


Good question and topic DT,
I raised 4, daughters, theyre all older now and gone with families of their own.
They all can fish, shoot, navigate, and survive. Some better than others.
All but one can keep a calm head, and very still and quiet.
Without scarying or upsetting them all you can do is talk about worst case/best case, and ask their opinion on, "what do they see happening in the world. Listen, and go from there.

S&F

I would say you're kids are fortunate to have a parent such as yourself DucTape.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is learning first aid. Kids as young as 8 or 9 can learn the basics. Your local red cross probably has regular classes you could check in to.

If your kids like to read the book "My side of the Mountain" (forgot the author, sorry) was the book that got me in to learning survival skills in the first place. It also teaches that children have the ability to survive out there in the wilderness.

Good suggestions everyone.

reply to post by DucTape


I bought the small sized football and basketball.
I still need to get a soccerball next.A baseball
bat and soft balls would be great.
I have a lot of coloring books and educational
books as well.I don't want the kids thinking they
don't have to go to school anymore.

I have been in a survival state of mind for many years.I have taught my kids everything that I know.
Each one of them has a bug out bag, complete with flint,first aid kit and guide,a color photo book of edible and poisonous wild plants for our area,various tools, waterproof gear,whistle, mirror,bear bell,magnifying glass (for starting fires),
hunting knife..etc...
The LAST thing I would load up their bags with, is something like a toy..might be comforting, but useless, and takes up space needed for better things.
My kids know I'm serious about things, no fooling around.
My son's have spent a lot of time in the bush. My oldest has knowledge of animal signs, tracks, and tree and plant identification.
Never underestimate the power of technology either...
My youngest is a die hard Survivorman man..especially since he expanded into a show just for kids.

Just throw the min the backyard and lock the door. After about 3 weeks they will have figgured it out.

I do have kids and I do my best to get them ready for what ever nature or man has to throw at us. Emergency or not, we go camping.
Enjoying nature and respecting it.
Teaching them that some plants and bugs are ok while others can hurt you.

Showing them that living a simple life can be fun and rewarding, so if a crisis does happen, they will remember it's not so bad after all.

I believe if I don't prepare my kids, they may feel overwhelmed when the real hardships come, leaving them feeling hopless and insecure about life.

Fear and worry are not healthy attitudes to survive.
Feeling confident and positive will get you through anything.

Basically I tell my children as much of the truth that I can to prepare them for any uncomfortable situation in the near or far future. I am a father of a 12 yr old and 5 yr old. I have explained to them that they should always be thankful for what they have and not take anything for granted, which helps them to visualize the true world where children dont have it there way most of the time. Mentally they know about the stars and they have been taught to love Jesus and that those who suffer on this world dont seem to have hope but are on Jesus mind first. This mindstate allows my seeds to go thru life happy as children shall be, but they know if things get strange or even scary that Jesus is getting closer with the more stranger Earth and space get. This way I dont pound in their heads conciously to be prepared but sub conciously they are open to the savior and what happens as he approaches..



[edit on 6/7/10 by Ophiuchus 13]

Good reply's everyone

It seems most posts in this thread are dealing with a bug out or wilderness survival scenario. And while we have planned for that situation (bug out bags,escape routes, Ect.) Most of our planning has been for staying put.
We live in a rural area and have spent the last few years gathering the stuff necessary for homesteading.
I'm currently getting the kids involved in gardening and there may be chickens and rabbits in the near future.
I think after the collapse there will be a few real bad years. If we can make through the chaos the new way of life will actually be the old way of life.
There will be hard work and sacrifice but a more primitive lifestyle seems better to me than this modern mess we are in now.

reply to post by DucTape


ahh ok if your staying put some toys and diversions is a good idea(as long as your not transporting them i see no need to do without), if i were you i would invest more in educational resources for them than toys considering they wont have school to go to and this would be a perfect oppurtunity to really focus on thier studies especially the ones that interest them. if you have a garden and some chickens you are way ahead of the curve as far as "MOST" people are concerned.

the hardest part about maintaining your location/Staying put, is protecting what you had the foresight to aquire. invest in ammo , lots of it and at least one rifle for everyone of your children( if they are to young now you dont have to give it to them, just knowing you have the option to in the future is comforting). get yourself a reliable rifle shotgun and handgun (make sure you follow the laws pre shtf in your particular region you dont want undue trouble, and cant help your kids if your locked up)the farthur out in the sticks you live the better , less chance of roaming bands that you will definately see in the more urban areas.

Best of luck to you and yours and thanks again for the thread.

~meathead