It's easy for one member of the family to become the sole person in charge of hurricane preparation while the rest of the family lives in blissful ignorance until the news start telling everyone otherwise. However, the storm doesn't just affect the people who were involved in the preparation. It involves everyone in the family. Therefore, it's great to get everyone involved in the process so the 3rd grader, the 10th grader, and the adults are well aware of the safety protocols.
Here are 3 ways to get even the most reluctant member of the family involved:
1. Pack emergency packs together while enjoying desert together.
Are you a family who enjoys desert after dinner? If you aren't then serving a surprise, delicious desert will be even more of a treat for everyone! The caveat is that they must create their own emergency pack to eat it. It's a great time for the whole family to discuss what will happen if evacuation is a possibility or how to communicate during a disaster.
2. Shop for supplies together.
And get the kids involved in finding the items off the list! Younger kids are usually very excited to be involved in a scavenger hunt for batteries, water bottles, and canned foods. It will allow them to partake in an adventure while also being involved in the disaster response process.
3. Watch documentaries together.
There are plenty of weather documentaries that are actually very interesting and might capture the attention of everyone in the family more than you think. Disasters are inherently interesting and scary due to their destructive properties which is exactly why your usually disinterested teenager might look up from their phone to glimpse a scene.
While the weather is likely to be more mild in June, our family at AJS would like to help your family prepare for this year's entire hurricane season. Stay tuned for tips, advice, as well as hurricane news and science as our next set of blogs will be dedicated to these topics. For now, we hope everyone is staying home and staying safe!