Talk to your kids about preparing for emergencies and what to do in case you are separated. If a disaster happens, knowing who to call and where to meet is an important part of emergency planning for you and your family. Create a list with all of your family contact information and keep it somewhere safe where children will have access to the list.

Children who are prepared experience less anxiety and feel more confident during actual emergencies and disasters. Reassure children by providing them with information about how they can get involved. The Ready website has suggestions for getting the whole family involved in emergency preparedness, including online games that kids can play to test their know-how in a wide range of emergencies and instructions on how to build an emergency kit. The site also suggests ways that teens can prepare for disasters by getting involved with their communities.

To learn more, visit the Ready Kids webpage: https://www.ready.gov/kids

National Preparedness Month is recognized each September to promote family and community disaster planning now and throughout the year. FEMA’s “Ready” Campaign is a National public service initiative designed to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters.

Credit to: FEMA and Ready