(Giveaway for 2 complete 72-hour kits, 1-month food supply, and 6-month food supply at bottom of the post!)

My heart sunk. Despite being warned repeatedly, I wasn’t prepared. I looked down at my three little ones – ages 4, 2, and 9 months – who depended on me for everything and quickly decided that we were going to do the earthquake drill another day. Pushing away the uncomfortable guilt, I began planning family meetings about emergency meeting points when a single thought stopped me in my tracks.

You don’t get a redo when a natural disaster happens.

At that moment, I knew that we had to do the Great Shake Out drill immediately. A real earthquake would not give me advance notice and then reschedule for a more convenient day. I turned up the radio so we could hear the emergency signal and let the reality of the drill sink in. I swooped up my baby and alerted my children to the sound of the signal. I had learned as a child what to do during an earthquake and now it was time to teach my little ones.

Drop. Cover. Hold On.

We huddled together under our dining room table and sang children’s songs until the signal ended. So far so good.

I gave myself a pat on the back for knowing what to do with my children for the initial earthquake, but then the reality of the aftermath set in.

72 hour kits

I easily found our 72-hour kits in the closet by the door. Pulling them out of the closet, I discovered a problem. Three small children, two large dufflebag 72-hour kits, and one mom meant we wouldn’t be getting very far. If our home was unsafe, I would have a major problem getting everything and everyone to safety. 

If I hadn’t done the drill, I may not have made the obvious connection. Since then we have converted our 72-hour kits to backpacks, including back packs that the children can wear.

This experience opened my eyes to the reality of what could actually happen. I realized being prepared was more than having a 72-hour kit on hand. It was knowing what to do, where to go, how to help my children, etc. Here are five emergency preparedness tips that I hope will help families with small children.

1. Practice. Practice. Practice. Participate in your state’s Great Shake Out every April.  Have mini-drills with your children so that drop, cover, and hold on is ingrained in their minds!

2. Choose an area of preparedness to focus on every month. For example, purchase and fill your water barrels one month. The next month, put together kits for your car and work. Involve your children in the preparation.

3. Talk to your children about natural disasters and emergency preparedness in age-appropriate terms. The goal is to prepare, not scare! The Red Cross and Disney have put together a fun Disaster Preparedness Activity Book that you can print out and do with your children.

4. Be prepared with identification. Make a key ring with a current picture of each member of your family on it. They are so easy – click on the link to make your own! Be sure to make one for each member of your family! Have a sharpie in each of your 72-hour kits as well so that you can write your names and emergency contact info on your arm in case you are separated.

5. Rotate your 72-hour kits every six months.  I rotate my 72 hour kits every April and October in between General Conference sessions.

With September being National Preparedness month and all the flooding in Arizona and reports of the unprecedented respiratory virus – I am definitely working on preparing my family better.

Now here is the fun part! I want to help YOU by better prepared! I have teamed up with my blogger pals and Nitro-Pak to giveaway a 2-person 72-hour kit, a 1-month food supply, and a six-month food supply. Three lucky winners! That will definitely give you a preparedness boost!

Nitro-Pak’s 72-hour kit was sited as Best Overall Kit for completeness and best design according to the Wall Street Journal. The company has also been voted as Best in State for Preparedness and Food Supplies. Be sure to check out their new web-site and features just in time for National Preparedness Month. They have some fantastic sales going on right now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How does your family prepare for natural disasters?

Have you ever experienced a natural disaster? What did you learn?

What is at the top of your emergency preparedness to-do list?

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