Being prepared for disasters starts at home. As a parent, you have an important role to play when it comes to teaching your children about emergencies, both small and large. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Ready program developed the following tips to help young children and teenagers prepare for emergency situations:
- Ensure your children know important phone numbers to reach you or call for help in case of an emergency.
- Establish a family meeting place that is familiar, nearby, and easy to find in case you are separated in an emergency.
- Give your children contact information for a family member outside of your city in case they can’t reach you and need help.
- Hold regular household meetings and practice your family emergency plan.
- Know what types of natural disasters occur in your city and teach your children basic safety tips for each kind of disaster.
Visit the Ready Kids website for more preparedness resources and tools for your whole family, including age-specific information for kids and teens.