Are your children ready?

No one wants to instill fear in their child, so it may be easier to avoid the conversation with them of what to do in an emergency.  I know with my boys, if I start a conversation with them on what types emergency situations could happen, I will have two reactions.  My oldest will ask lots of questions and, in his quest for a military future, will talk of how the armed forces will save the day, oblivious to the point of the conversation.  My youngest is more concerned with if there is life after death.  He has asked numerous times, “after I am done being an angel, will I get to come back to live on earth?”, again the conversation going off track.  Knowing these types of conversations are looming, I have always avoided them.  But in my desire to make teaching a hard lesson easy, I know I will do a disservice to my children to not let them know what potential scary situations may lie ahead and how we can handle them.

l found a link through Ready.gov that has helped me with this difficult subject.  I know it will help you and your children’s teachers discuss preparing for anything from a house fire to a hurricane.  The Department of Homeland Security’s Ready Kids initiative created a program for school age children for its ongoing emergency preparation awareness. 

Here is the link to the children’s site:  http://www.ready.gov/kids

It is set up like an adventure, and helps you get your kids involved in a fun way.  There is a four step process in preparing that will allow the kids to “Graduate”.  In addition, there is a “fun and games” link your children will enjoy.  There are also fun facts on natural disasters.  Like did you know ” “Tornado” was a 14th-century sailor’s word for a voilent, wind thunderstorm.  It may come from the Spanish word tronada, meaning “thunderstorm” ” (from Ready.gov).

For children ages 3-5, Sesame Street Workshop teamed up with Ready Kids to provide a great source for information on teaching your small children about natural and man made disasters and how to prepare for them:

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/initiatives/emotion/ready

This site has downloads available in both English and Spanish.  There are instructional booklets for adults, including caregivers, and activity books for children.  “Fun and easy ways to help the whole family prepare for any type of emergency”, is their tag line and with characters from Sesame Street, fun and education go hand in hand. 

There are many talks we want to avoid with our children but these websites make the “disaster preparation” talk an easy one.   We owe it to our children to teach them to be ready for anything that comes their way.  We educate them in academics, sports, music, and many other areas.  If your children are educated in disaster preparation, they will be psychologically and physically protected in an emergency.  So get the family together and Get Ready!

If you would like more information on emergency/disaster preparedness, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start”  where I discuss how to put together and Emergency Preparedness Kit. Subscribe Now

What’s your plan?

September is National Preparedness Month. 

Recently Hurricane Ike has renewed the urgency to be prepared for a natural or man-made disaster.  An emergency situation does not give you enough warning to gather all you need for the “what-ifs” .  Even with a warning, you may not be in the frame of mind to know all that you need in the aftermath.  Do you have all your documents? Do you have food for the family and the pets?  Do you have a plan if you and your loved ones are separated?  Chaos will arise as you panic to find everything.  Planning is the only way to ensure you are protected. 

Your home is where your heart is.  It is where you keep all you need to survive, both physically, mentally and emotionally.  Your home may not be your ideal (too much clutter, not enough space, you want a new kitchen) but if it were to be destroyed, you may realize it is all you could ever need.  Being prepared for an emergency starts in the home.  Here are some tips to be educated around the house for an emergency:

1.  Start with a Family Plan:

• Prepare and practice emergency escape routes out of your home.  Create a meeting place (and a back up) where you can check in and make sure everyone is OK.  Make sure you plan at least two ways out of each room.
• Find safe places in your home in case of an emergency.  Contact your local emergency authorities to find out where they may be.  Old school thought (like a door frame) may not be the best place anymore.  Educate yourself and your family.
• Purchase and maintain fire extinguishers.  Educate the family on how and when to use them.
• Keep an extra set of tools needed to turn off the main gas and water valves.  Educate yourself on how to do this.  Having the tools is not enough, knowing how to turn off the valves will ensure safety. 
• Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries every six months.

2.  Establish a Family Communication Plan

• Decide how you will get in contact with each other.  Give all your information to schools and daycare so they will know how to get a hold of you. 
• Review what your child’s daycare and school policies and procedures are so you will have peace of mind when they are not with you.
• Create Family Emergency Cards.  Laminate copies and make sure each family member has a copy.  You can find a sample form at: www.ready.gov/america/_downloads/familyemergencyplan.pdf      
• Establish emergency contacts for both local and out of the area/state.  Keep up to date information on your contacts.  Remember to update your children’s schools and daycare with these changes  they should occur.                        

3.  Assemble your emergency preparedness kit. 

• Visit www.ready.gov for a list of what supplies you may need.  Be sure to check with your local emergency preparedness authorities (you can link to your local authorities through Ready.gov) as to what they recommend as well.
• Keep these items together in a waterproof container or back pack in an area that is easily accessible (not in an attic or hard to reach cabinet). 
• Schedule a time to check batteries, food supply and working conditions of all the items in your kit.  Add this to your calendar so you are sure not to forget.  Schedule this just like you do your smoke detectors.  There would be nothing worse than taking the time to prepare only to have the items useless in the time of need.

Stay tuned for my next emergency blogcast!  Next week I will talk about ways to help your children understand and prepare for an emergency.  If you would like more information on emergency/disaster preparedness, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start”  where I discuss how to put together and Emergency Preparedness Kit. Subscribe Now

Are You Ready?

September is National Preparedness Month

Are you ready?

We never know when an emergency will happen, but having the peace of mind knowing you are prepared for anything can empower you.  Are you ready for an emergency?  It is easy to think you live in an area that nothing will happen, but you run the risk every day for man-made or natural disasters.  I am not the type of person who thinks about such negative things, but knowing my family is prepared gives me a the peace of mind I need.   I will be blogging about this subject for the month of September to give you help in getting you and your family prepared.

Being informed is your first step in being prepared.  There are so many amazing sources of information that are geared towards emergency/disaster preparedness.  Here are a list of web sources that will educate you for what you need to know:

www.fema.gov/areyouready

www.ready.gov

www.citizenscorps.gov

www.redcross.org.preparedness/npm

www.homesafetycouncil.org

Also, you need to check with your community’s Emergency Management Office or local Red Cross chapter to find out what types of disasters are most likely to happen in your area.  Ask them to send you information on how they suggest you prepare.  Find out what types of ways does the community inform you of the potential for a disaster.  Do they have sirens, emergency workers who go door to door or television and radio broadcasts?  Knowing what to expect is essential to staying calm in the face of potential danger.  In addition, contact your children’s schools or daycare givers to find out what there plan of action is and if they are prepared.  If not, give them the information you have and give yourself the peace of mind that your children are protected when you are not there.  While you are gathering information check to see what the disaster plans are for your workplace.  Knowing that there is a plan of action with your office and co-workers is essential. 

Again, knowing what to expect will keep you calm in the face of an emergency.   Disaster preparedness is nothing to procrastinate on.  Get informed and get to work on keeping you and your family ready for anything!

Stay tuned for my next emergency blogcast!  Next week I will talk about ways to be educated around the house for an emergency, including having a family plan.  If you would like more information on emergency/disaster preparedness, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start”  where I discuss how to put together an Emergency Preparedness Kit. Subscribe Now

Are you prepared?

Have you suddenly lost a loved one, so unexpected you can’t believe it is true?  You look around as if they will walk up to you and tell you it has all been a bad dream.   When you loose someone so suddenly, you realize how much you need to do in case this ever happens to you.  Sudden loss gives you a reality check of what it is you want out of your life.  It also give you the wake up call to make sure your affairs are in order.  I have seen the devastation of a family who’s mother suddenly passed away.  This mother was my step sister.  She had a will, but not executed in the state she was living in.  She had meant to get around to updating it for the current state she lived in, but like most of us thought she had plenty of time to get it done.   The family is going through her papers trying to make sure everything is handled appropriately, but it is time consuming not having everything in order.  She would never have wanted to leave this work to the family, but never thought it would happen to her.

We are so busy in our every day lives that the thought of any deaths or disasters are so far out of mind.  This is the way we should live.  We should be living for today, not in a state of worry about what ifs!  The only way we can truly live is to know we are prepared.  The Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared” takes on new meaning in the wake of recent natural disasters.   Between Katrina and other major hurricanes, floods, fires, and earthquakes, you hear of so many situations of families who were not prepared for such devastation.  Preparation will make situations like these more manageable, but what do you need to do to be prepared? 

After a disaster, the media will show so many stories of people having trouble with insurance companies.  The insurance companies must protect themselves from fraud, so they require so much documentation to take your claim.  The best way to protect and cover yourself is to do your part and have a home inventory.  If you have done a thorough home inventory you will be able to make a claim easily.  There are many ways to produce a home inventory.  First, before doing any work for an inventory, check with your insurance company to find out what they require.  It is always better to be over prepared than under, but each company is a little different with what they will accept for a claim. Pictures and videos are the best way to prove the condition of what you have and also that you actually own it!  One product on the market I have found to produce your home inventory is  Anywhere Vault.  I am impressed with their easy to use program to help you get your inventory done as quickly as possible.  The program walks you through the steps to produce a very thorough inventory.  Not only will you have your inventory sealed in an on-line “vault” you will be able to have a hard copy to keep on hand.  For more information, check out their site.

Another way to be prepared is to have your will, trusts and health directives up-to-date to ensure all your desires are met.  No one wants to plan for their death, but it is so important for those you leave behind.  No matter what religion you follow, we have no way of knowing when our time here is over.  As matter of fact that may be, you need to make sure you have made the easiest transition for your loved ones.  Talk to your accountant and lawyer to make sure you have everything in order.  Check with them to see how often you should update your documents.  So often people have done these documents, but have failed to update them.  This makes a very difficult time for those you leave behind.  Be proactive to stay prepared! 

Having all your important documents in a safe place that is ready to grab and go is important in the event of a disaster, natural or accidental.  Fire proof safes are a great way to keep your documents good condition in the case of a disaster that you are not home for.  If your home were to catch on fire and you are not home, you can feel confident that your documents will still be intact when you need them.  There is a wonderful product on the market that is recommended by the American Red Cross called Portavault.  It is a binder that helps you gather the important documents you need for any disaster, injury or death.  There are other products on the market, but this product is well planned out including a canvas case that is water-resistant.  Documents that should be kept in this or any ready-to-go case are:

• Emergency plan
• Family communication plan
• Health history
• Emergency contacts
• Household inventory, including valuables and collectibles
• Financial Data, including tax returns, bank account information, stock information, and credit card information
• Home ownership information
• Car information
• Insurance information
• Wills, trusts, health directives
• Children’s up to date photo and fingerprints

Schedule time to put these documents together.  You don’t want to be caught without this done. 

After you have put your documents together and have all your documents up-to-date, you will need to have your emergency kits put together for the home and your car.  These should include a first aid kit, water, and food.  You can find many companies that have these kits for sale on-line.  I highly recommend looking into what you need for the size of your family.  If you have pets, make sure you research what you need to keep them safe.  Also, put together a family plan on what will happen if there is an emergency.  You will give your children peace of mind knowing what to expect when something happens.

Preparation for the unexpected is hard work.  But once you have done this, you will have peace of mind.  You can relax knowing you and your family will be taken care of should anything bad happen.  Here’s to getting this done, and hoping none reading this will ever need to use the things they have prepared!