Posted by As a mom of three, I’ve had my share of battles. But these are war times of a different breed, times of closures and chaos. Times of mandatory lockdowns and quarantines with no end in sight. Yet somehow we all came through the aftermath of 9/11, the 2008 stockmarket crash and H1N1. And we will come through this. So how should we prepare our kids for the next crisis? What practical skills do they need for good times and bad? Take advantage of school closures and self-quarantining to teach some fundamental skills and more. Keep it age-appropriate and fun and set challenges along the way.
I’m not a psychiatrist, but people are strange…
Have you ever had the joy of teaching a child to drive? Rule number 1 in my house is that people don’t always do what you think they are going to do! Just because a car has an indicator light blinking doesn’t mean it’s going to turn! When the CDC recently announced that the elderly and at-risk populations should buy supplies to last them two weeks, it resulted in scenes like this all over the country, and world. Low-risk people bought up mass quantities of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, food and basic supplies, depriving others of supplies that they need. People don’t listen, and people panic. Our older children should know that in times of crisis, there will be mass panic and unexpected behavior and to be prepared for it.
Ready for some skill challenges? Here are this mom’s suggestions! Add your own as you go down the list!
Skill # 1
Cooking from scratch.
So the shelves are bare. Teach how to use the basic ingredients that you have on hand to make meals. Canned tomatoes can be turned into spaghetti sauce. Eggs can be turned into omelets. Flour can be turned into pancakes and cookies and muffins. Teach bread making from scratch if you are feeling adventurous. Stress keeping the staples in your pantry (but not hoarding!) Get your kids to create a nutritious and filling family meal using only what is available in the kitchen. It will give them confidence and encourage creativity.
Skill #2
Basic First Aid.
Do your kids know what first aid is, and how to treat minor scrapes, burns, and stings? How about fever reduction? Create a first aid kit with your child using guides such as this: https://www.healthline.com/health/first-aid.
Explain what each item in a first aid kit is for. Practice taking temperatures and explain what a normal versus high temperature is. Talk about safe usage of over-the-counter medications to reduce a fever with your teens. For older children, review the CPR guidelines and discuss taking a class for further eductions. This is a basic life skill that every child should have!
Skill #3
Sanitizing a house.
Explain to your children how proper cleaning and sanitization kills viruses. Describe how sanitizing your home is good practice to keep everyone safe and well. Focus on basic cleaning of the kitchen and bathroom, cleaning floors and wiping down door handles. Emphasize the value of a household bleach solution which can be used to sanitize anything. A stockpile of wipes is unnecessary and causes excess waste for the environment!
Skill #4
Basic hand hygiene.
We all now how washing hands can keep us healthy. Show them an entertaining video, like the link below, to get the message home.
https://www.today.com/health/pre-k-teacher-s-hand-washing-demonstration-goes-viral-t176004
Other useful skills to teach since we’ve all got time on our hands!
Sewing Fun
Assemble a sewing kit for your child where they are able to do basic repairs, and more if you have the skills to teach them. Give them a fun challenge; sew a pillowcase then decorate it, or make your own apron for kitchen duty! http://info.thinkfun.com/stem-education/5-reason-why-children-should-learn-to-sew
Navigation using a compass. They did actually work very well before Google Maps came along. Use it to map out a route to their favorite restaurant.
For driving aged kids. Teach basic car maintenance, change your own oil, check car tire pressure, what do all those lights mean on the dash? Moms might want to pay attention too!
Teach growing vegetables and herbs from seedlings.
Research on the web what goes into a survival kit, then make one.
And finally, for Mom and Dad: How to ferment your own beer and wine in less than two days!
