Getting the cubs involved

[CFG]

I hope this was the right spot to start this post; I didn't see anything specifically on children.  Since my children are really the primary focus of my survival, I'm trying to do everything I can to bring them alongside me and my husband in our endeavors.  I've said in another post some of the things they help with:  gathering fruits, nuts, and firewood; cooking; sewing; I tried to get my oldest son to help me field dress a deer, but that didn't work with his stomach, so I let it go.  I'd like to hear what the rest of you do with your kids in prepping and maybe how to help them overcome being squeamish and/or lazy.

[simpleguy]

Aside from leading by example......I also make things a game.  I am by no means the "model parent", but my kids garden with me, they go picking berries and help make sausage, stack wood, dry food, etc.....and we live in the city.  We don't mandate a lot of work out of them, but they pick up a bit.  Honestly, our daughter brags to her friends at school how much stuff we do for ourselves and how much we don't get at the store ready made.

I have a 2 1/2 yr old and an 8 1/2 yr old and we decided to start making perparedness fun.  We have started having "no power nights".  It's amazing how well they adapt, and they see it as fun.  They play games carry around the flashlights, we eat by the oil lamps.  It's a good dry run and we learn a lot too, we learn where things are, what we are missing, what to get next, how to pass the time.

Still working on BOB's for everyone, but my daughter carries umbrella, gloves, jacket, snack, hat in her school bag......she used to ask me about why I made her carry it all the time.......not so much anymore, she's getting it.  The other one that is sinking in is dad's favorite phrase......."situational awareness".......I don't mind her being goofy, I just want her to be aware of what is going on around her.  They do pick up on this stuff through repetition. 

[CFG]

The "no-power" nights are fun.  We've done that; should more often.  I'm just now getting to where I can trust my three-year-old.  That's cool you're doing this stuff living in town.  Thanks for the reply.

[BigDanInTX]

Well, my boys are still really young, but I'm going to take my 6yo camping this Spring.  I'm trying to arrange it with my best friend and his son, but even if they can't come I'll have fun with just mine.

Tent + sleeping bags + fire + food + outdoors...  Sure to be a good time.  =-]

[CFG]

Camping is great.  And all boys love fire... especially my husband.

Are the rotating letters Arabic for brain donor, Big Dan?  Just curious

[BigDanInTX]

Are the rotating letters Arabic for brain donor, Big Dan?  Just curious

Nope...  "Come Get Some!"  (but right to left)  =-]

[AGreyMan]

My neighbors have butchered chickens for years, and since I have a few as well and it takes me about an hour a chicken to proscess one, I asked to go over to watch/help and learn how they did it.

It so happened that the day they did it I was taking care of my 2 1/2 year old daughter. I took her along but didn't let her actually watch the killing process, but she watched the dunking in the hot water, plucking and finally the gutting.

She watched all of the above without comment, but when my neighbor's wife cut the feet off the chicken, my daughter shouted "No! No! They need their feet! They need their feet!"

My 7 year old is helpful and into camping with dad, and makes money by putting dad's 5.56 reloads on stripper clips. I pay a nickle a stripper clip. It's not much but the kid likes to help, and likes to spend -er, earn money! She also helps by policing up brass at the range.

I would be interested in hearing other parents practices for getting the kids involved, too.


Stay Safe,
AGreyMan

[CFG]

I posted a reply, but it must not have gone through. 

My 3 year old got to watch me skin another rabbit yesterday.  He's getting over his sensitivity to the animal being 'hurt'.  I've had to explain over and over that animals don't feel pain when they're dead.  It really bothered him this fall when we were gutting deer.  That's really funny about the chicken feet, AGreyMan.

I wrote on another post about my 9-year-old helping split wood and stacking, etc.  He loves that because it makes him feel like a man.  Last weekend we went out of town and I always make sure we have plenty of water in the car, b/c the cubs and I always get thirsty (even if it's just a 2 hour drive.)  So the oldest got a gallon fruit juice bottle that had been cleaned out and filled it up.  He said it was just for him and it was going to last all weekend.  He actually kept it with him to see how much water he drank.  It didn't quite make it through the weekend, but it was fun to see him take that initiative and see firsthand how much water he consumes.  I also keep granola bars or some sort of non-perishable food items with me at all times b/c I have low blood-sugar spells.  We haven't done a BoB yet, but that's next on the list.