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ISSUE 32PA R E N TA L PREPS
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any media whatsoever now known or later invented throughout the world for any purpose whatsoever, commercial or not.Tips, Techniques, and Resources
To Keep Kids Safe
For more exclusive content, head to OFFGRIDweb.com, like our page at Facebook.com/OFFGRIDmag, or follow us on Instagram at @recoiloffgridmagazine.I am the founder and CEO of the
start-up company Man Made Survival.
When I was 8 years old my dad and
uncle, on two different occasions, lost
me at the Six Flags amusement park.
I was scared, and it felt like forever be-
fore I was randomly found. Now I have
three kids, ages ranging from 4 to 8
years old. What we do as a family is
that we get a map of the amusement
park and divide it into time zones.
Each time zone has two assigned
safe spots that we tie a yellow flag
to and, according to what time they
realize we got separated, they look
on their copy of the map and head
to that specific zone. They know not
to panic, cry, or talk to any strang-
ers and just wait for me to arrive. We
have practiced this successfully with
my 8-year-old, but still have some
work to do with the younger two. I
recommend this tactic to every par-
ent who plans on going to a crowded
place with their little ones — it offers
a practical solution to the panic of a
lost-child situation.Jose Prado
http://www.facebook.com/ManMadeSurvival
@manmadesurvivalMy wife and I use lami-
nated cards with several
family member phone
numbers on them for
my kid’s school bags and
emergency bags. Another
friend simply puts a list
of them inside a Ziploc
bag. These lists come into
play in the event of a cell
phone/internet outage
in the area. Landlines will
still function, and my kids
will have a way to know
the phone numbers,
other than searching their
cell phone contacts list. It
also gives first respond-
ers a list in the case my
children are injured or in
need of assistance.Dave Wells
Firearms: Teach your kids the four firearm
safety rules from a very early age. Even 2-year-olds
can understand the concepts of the rules. Dem-
onstrate the rules with NERF guns and other toy
guns until they are mature enough to handle a real
firearm with your close parental supervision. Each
child is different so it’s our job as parents to gauge
when they’re ready to follow the rules and listen to
our instruction. It’s also our job to teach them the
respect for this tool (firearm), and to take the taboo
away so curiosity won’t get the best of them. As
parents, we are training them for the worst-case
scenario with firearms — for example, finding an un-
secured firearm at a friend’s house when we are not
there. By eliminating the taboo they will be less likely
to want to “play” with it and more likely to attempt
to control the situation by leaving, peer pressuring
to put it away, telling an adult, or calling parents to
come intervene in the situation.
Technology: Technology can be a huge asset
in keeping your kids safe. It can also be a detri-
ment if we are too distracted by our screens.
Part of being a prepared parent is avoiding dis-
tractions. The more aware we are of our environ-
ment, the more capable we will be of mitigating
a potential threat to our children. Put the phone
down and enjoy your kids — be aware of what’s
going on around you.Nila Rhoades
http://www.milspecmom.com