Prepping with Children: A Practical Family Guide

Prepping with Children: A Practical Family Guide

 

Prepping with children means thinking beyond how many tins are in the cupboard. If the lights go out, the water stops or school closes unexpectedly, you still have children who need feeding, reassuring and looking after. A little planning can make those days easier to manage, especially when the things they normally rely on are suddenly unavailable.

 

You do not need to buy a separate survival kit for every child. Start with your normal family life and ask what would become difficult if electricity, running water, transport or a shopping trip were unavailable.

 

Start with your child’s everyday needs

 

Think through an ordinary day, from getting up to going to bed. What does your child need for meals, washing, using the toilet, getting dressed, taking medication and settling at night? That gives you a much more useful starting point than somebody else’s shopping list.

 

A baby, a six-year-old and a teenager will need different things. Check the supplies you already keep at home and identify what would be difficult to replace at short notice. For a child with medical, feeding, mobility or communication needs, discuss any disruption to essential care with the relevant professional and build those arrangements into your family plan.

 

Store food your children will actually eat

 

An emergency is a difficult time to discover that your child dislikes everything you have stored. Keep familiar meals and snacks in the plan, including a few options you can serve without a hob, oven or microwave.

 

Write down three simple meals your child already eats, then check which ingredients need refrigeration, cooking or extra water. Look for suitable cupboard alternatives and try them on an ordinary day before relying on them. Remember allergy labels, safe textures for your child’s age and any specialist feeding requirements.

 

You can use the Household Food Planner to help organise your shopping. Its portion estimates start at age four, so babies and younger children need a separate feeding plan.

 

Keep comfort items within reach

 

A favourite teddy, blanket or bedtime book can be just as useful to your evening as another packet of food. Think about the things your child reaches for when they are tired, upset or somewhere unfamiliar.

 

Keep a few of these easy to find, alongside pyjamas, spare clothes and any everyday essentials. If their favourite item travels between home, school and relatives, make checking where it is part of your routine. A spare can help where your child accepts one, but buying a duplicate does not guarantee it will be treated as the same favourite.

 

For children who rely on familiar textures, a communication aid or a predictable routine, include those details in the plan rather than assuming a generic activity bag will meet their needs.

 

Plan for an evening without screens

 

A power cut can also mean no Wi-Fi, no television and a tablet with a nearly empty battery. Put together a small collection of activities that suit your child’s age and interests: colouring materials, a pack of cards, books, puzzles or a familiar board game.

 

Keep a battery torch or lantern ready for an adult to set up. Choose activities that work in the light you have available. There is no need to turn every disruption into a special event; sometimes a familiar story and an earlier bedtime will suit your family better.

 

Include older children and teenagers too. Ask what they would find useful, and agree how you will manage phone charging and communication if power is limited.

 

Know how school collection would work

 

Check that your child’s school, nursery or childcare provider has your current contact details and the correct emergency contacts. Ask how they communicate unexpected closures and what their arrangements are if a parent cannot get there.

 

Agree who could collect your child if you were delayed, and make sure that person is authorised under the setting’s collection rules. Keep the school number and your agreed contacts on paper as well as on your phone. A plan that depends entirely on one adult, one car and one working mobile is worth reviewing.

 

Follow the school’s instructions during an incident. Discuss collection arrangements beforehand rather than assuming another parent or relative will be able to step in on the day.

 

Explain the plan without making it frightening

 

Use ordinary examples your child can understand: sometimes the lights stop working, bad weather changes our plans or we cannot get to the shops. Explain what the adults have organised and what the child should do.

 

You might say, “If the lights go out, come and find me. We have a torch ready and food we can use.” Keep explanations suited to their age, invite questions and avoid promises about exactly when everything will be back to normal.

 

Practise useful skills calmly. Help children learn their home address and, when they are able, a parent or carer’s phone number. Teach them when and how to call 999, and practise your household fire escape plan without making a real emergency call.

 

The British Red Cross Pillowcase Project has activities for children aged 7–11 about weather emergencies and coping skills.

 

Give children a small part in the planning

 

Children can help choose an activity, check that their spare clothes still fit or suggest a familiar meal for the cupboard. Older children might help write down contacts or check supplies with you.

 

Keep the responsibility appropriate to their age. The adults remain responsible for safety, supplies and decisions. Helping with a simple task should give children something useful to do, rather than make them feel responsible for protecting the family.

 

Have a plan if you need to leave home

 

Think about what you would need for a short stay with relatives or somewhere else safe. Include clothes, essential medication, feeding supplies, comfort items and a written record of important contacts and care information. Keep sensitive information secure and available to the adults who need it.

 

A child’s small bag can hold light personal items if appropriate, while adults carry the essentials. Review the contents as your child grows. If you are told to evacuate, follow the emergency services’ instructions and do not delay leaving to finish packing or search for possessions.

 

A quick family preparedness check

 

• We have familiar food, including a few meals that need no cooking.

• We have drinking water and have considered feeding and hygiene needs.

• We have checked nappies, toiletries, spare clothes and other everyday essentials.

• We have a plan for medication, medical equipment or specialist care where needed.

• We can find a torch and some activities without searching in the dark.

• Comfort items and bedtime essentials are easy to reach.

• School and childcare contacts are up to date.

• We have agreed who can collect the children and checked the authorisation rules.

• Important numbers are written down.

• Children know what to do in a way that suits their age and understanding.

 

Choose one gap and deal with that first. You do not need to finish everything in one shopping trip.

 

Common questions:

 

Do children need their own emergency bag?

 

A small bag can be useful for personal items, but it is optional. Plan around your child’s age and ability, and keep essential supplies under adult responsibility.

 

How much should I buy?

 

Choose how many days you want to cover, then work from what your family normally uses. Count meals, feeding supplies and everyday essentials before shopping. Check dates and rotate supplies, especially as children outgrow clothes or their needs change.

 

What should I do first?

 

Check your school contacts, choose a few familiar cupboard meals and put a torch somewhere easy to find. These give you a practical starting point before you spend money on extra equipment.

 

Build the rest of your household plan

 

Continue with Household Emergency Planning, use the Household Food Planner, or read the Power Cuts & Energy guide.

 

For official UK advice, visit UK Prepare.