When most of us have children we immediately think about the need to protect our child from “dangers” in the home. It seems to be a maternal/paternal instinct to protect our young. From almost the moment we bring our new baby home we begin the process of “child proofing”.
This can include putting up gates on stairwells, moving cleaning supplies to higher shelves, locking cabinets, covering outlets and even putting monitors in the room so we can keep an eye on everything. Most new parents also take at least a basic course in infant CPR. From car seats to hand wipes to checking toys for choking hazards….we are great at getting and staying prepared.
So…why is it that we are so good at “preparedness” when it comes to our newborns but not in the rest of our lives? Our children get a little older and down comes all the protection and we no longer think about and prepare for all the things that could happen. How can we continue to focus and make preparedness and constant and normal part of our everyday life?
Beyond the “big events” such as Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Massive Floods, Wildfires, etc….there are literally dozens of things that can happen on a daily basis to anyone of us that we can be better prepared for.
*Small or large car accident – see our Auto Emergency Kits
*Flip and Fall
*Choking
*Blackout due to storm or other event – Blackout Kits
*Injury at a sporting event
*House or Vehicle Fire
*Accidental Poisoning
*Robbery or Mugging
*Simple vehicle breakdown
*Carbon Monoxide Alarm
The list above isn’t meant to make anyone panic or instill fear. It is simply meant to show that there are events that can happen to all of us and if we take a little time to prepare for them…we will all be a little better off.
Lets take the same effort we do when we consider preparing for a new child and translate it to the rest of our lives.