Do you ever feel the end of the world is near? Do you think hordes of zombies might be shambling toward you soon? It shouldn’t be a problem— especially with a bit of preparation. While the zombie apocalypse might seem like an unlikely scenario, natural and unnatural disasters can easily take their place. Preparing for the worst isn’t as far-fetched as it seems since we already have a global pandemic that won’t go away. Zombies or not, it’s time to brace yourself and your family for whatever disaster.
Hunker Down
Staying at home can be the most sensible thing to do in a disaster. If you have enough supplies, you can live in your home for more than a decade. Start a garden for fresh vegetables — but don’t go full homesteader with chickens and cows unless you have ample space. You’ll need to store food, but you’ll have to be meticulous in choosing what kinds to get. Movies often portray families subsisting on canned food while hidden in a bunker or basement. However, canned food can go bad in less than five years — and even the fabled beans expire after two years. Unless you want to keep refreshing your unused supplies every couple of years, it’s best to opt for actual emergency food.
Dehydrated or freeze-dried food can last up to 25 years. Surely enough to outlast whatever disaster — even if you get trapped in your basement due to a crashing plane a la Blast From the Past. Water can also be a problem if utilities go down. Set up a rain collection system on your house’s roof and pair it with a proper filtration system. You can boil water before drinking it, but it requires fuel that might be scarce or precious. Emergency water has a shelf life of 5 years. Normal bottled water can go bad in 6 months, so don’t even bother stocking the regular kind. Add a few bottles of alcohol (not the drinking kind) for scrapes and other injuries, and get a proper first aid kit while you’re at it.
Get Away From the City
If things are looking bad, it’s better to have a place away from the city to weather things out. A cabin in the woods or a place up in the mountains can be your refuge when you need to get away from the city. If you have family members or close friends with rural residences, don’t hesitate to ring them up for a visit. Bring a bunch of food, or maybe even hunting and fishing equipment. A place away from the city is priceless — and you should get one if you can afford to. You can shut out all the stress from work and city living and just bask in the majesty of nature. You can also idle around and do nothing to recharge your energy. Get a mobile diesel generator if the place is off the grid. You might need a bit of power to keep the children content and to deal with emergencies.
Learn to Adapt
Preparing should be a cinch with modern technology. You can bring a library’s worth of books in your phone — allowing you to classify plants and animals, browse survival guides, and find the correct paths. Teach your kid to fish when you have time. Fishing is a great bonding experience, and it teaches your kids the value of patience and hard work. Of course, don’t forget to bring snacks because kids can get cranky when they are hungry or bored.
Hunting might not be for everyone, but you can tell your kids that hunters are the biggest reasons deer are flourishing. Hunters provide more than half of the funding of most wildlife conservation efforts in the US. Sadly, the dwindling number of hunters is endangering deer. Without hunters depleting their numbers, deer are growing old and contracting conditions like the zombie deer disease.
Spend More Time With Family
An oncoming apocalypse or even the thought of one on the horizon can have you reflecting on what’s truly important. For mothers, it would probably be family. Most women regret not spending enough time with their kids. There are many reasons why a growing number of millennial women are opting to become stay at home moms. Working from home or focusing on children allows women to fully explore their nurturing side. Staying close with the kids also allows you to share your values and fortify their character. Your children will grow up more confident, secure, and driven.
The zombie apocalypse might never come, but there’s nothing with being prepared. The global pandemic took the world by storm — and bigger disasters might strike in the future. Ensuring your family stays safe from whatever disaster is your biggest duty as a mother.
