How to Grow Your Garden In The Winter

Most of us don’t associate gardening with the cold weather of wintertime. However, there are ways to continue growing produce in the winter! With this quick guide, you could be enjoying your home-grown goods in no time.

There are 3 different ways to grow a garden in the wintertime.

1. Plant a specific set of vegetables in the fall that will last through the winter and produce an amazing harvest in the early spring.
2. Cover your plants with a makeshift garden bed cover to extend the gardening season by a month on both sides of the season. 
3. Use a full-sized greenhouse or plant some veggies that thrive when planted indoors.

Many cold-loving plants actually taste sweeter and more flavorful if planted in late summer and harvested in winter. Although they may pause their growing process in the coldest months, with proper care, they will resume growing when the weather turns slightly warmer. And the produce just may be the best you’ve ever tried.

Here is a really simple and cheap way to grow salad greens all through the winter:

When Should I Plant My Winter Produce?

There are three main answers to this question:

1.  You want to plant “short season” crops first so that they will be ready to harvest in the winter. Examples of this include greens, peas, parsley, kale, winter lettuce, and root vegetables such as carrots. You can plant these at the regular time as the rest of your summer garden, but you simply harvest them later.
2. Next, when you harvest your summer crops, you will want to immediately plant “short season” crops which thrive and grow late in the season, in the vacancies left by the harvest of the summer crops. These crops will be harvested in a short 3-6 weeks before the weather drops too significantly. These crops include tendril peas, lettuce, turnip, arugula, and mustard greens.
3. Third, you will want to plant slow-growing crops in late summer or early fall to grow throughout the winter. These plants will grow dormant as temperatures freeze, but with proper protection, they will continue growing when the temperature rises. These crops include cauliflower, garlic, and broccoli.

What produce can I grow outside during the winter?

Not all produce is suitable to plant in the winter. Spinach is the most popular plant to grow in cold weather. It can survive the climate with some simple frost-cloth draping (described next). The following plants are cold-loving and can thrive in cold weather:

• • Arugula
  • Asparagus
  • Beets
  • Broad Beans
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Collard Greens
  • Endive
  • Garlic
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Leaf lettuce
  • Mache
  • Mesclun Greens
  • Mustard
  • Onion
  • Peas
  • Radishes
  • Scallion
  • Spinach
  • Swiss Chard
  • Tatsoi
  • Turnips

(List adapted from empressofdirt.net)

What Fruit Grows In The Winter?

Your best bet for growing fruit in a freezing climate is pears. Pears have been shown to be the most resilient. Other crops that have the chance for doing well in freezing climates include Honeycrisp apples, cherry plums, apricots, and cherries. If the winters in your area are milder (as opposed to below freezing,) mandarin oranges, lemons, winter squash, kumquats, pomelos, avocados, passion fruit, guavas, and kiwis are most likely to thrive. Kiwis actually ripen during winter and spring and grow beautifully in winter.

How Do I Keep The Plants From Freezing?

Even cold-loving vegetables will not grow if they actually freeze. They will thrive in the cold weather as long as the soil does not freeze completely. To prevent freezing, try using raised beds with lids, insulated with straw to keep the soil from freezing. In addition, you can use frost cloths, polytunnels, and/or greenhouses to keep the soil from freezing. Frost cloths are a great idea for when you are anticipating a frost overnight. Simply drape the frost cloth over the plant containers one-two hours before sunset, but ensure that they are not touching the plants directly.

What Is The Best Way To Grow Produce Inside During The Winter?

If your climate tends to be especially frigid in winter, growing plants indoors is certainly an option. First, choose fruits and vegetables from the lists above of plants that can grow in winter. Don’t forget to add herbs–such as rosemary and juniper–to your indoor garden! Next, find good quality potting soil (instead of garden soil.) Choose containers with good drainage, with a size suitable to the particular plant you have chosen. Consider using supplemental lighting if you live in an area without much sunlight. Study germination phases for whichever plants you choose. Plant the seeds, keep near a window, use supplemental light, and water and prune often depending on the needs of the particular plant. Enjoy your winter gardening!

How To Teach Kids Emergency Preparedness

The best way to teach your kids emergency preparedness is to include them in your own preparation. Narrating what you are doing to the level of the child’s understanding will help them comprehend emergency preparedness at their level of growth and development. At a very basic level, you will want to start explaining to your kids what you are doing. For instance, you may say to a three-year-old: “We are buying food to put in our storage in case a storm comes and we are hungry.” For a five-year-old: “We are storing clean water to drink in case the stores run out of clean water to drink. Can you help me stack this water?” In the next level, you will want to engage your children in your preparation journey. Instead of just telling your eight-year-old about clean drinking water, teach them how to purify water from an unclean source using either your Sawyer Mini or LifeStraw water filters to make it suitable for drinking. Instead of talking about how to open cans, complete basic first aid tasks, and prepare basic meals from your food storage, make the child your partner in this preparation. This will ensure that they will value survival skills. In addition, they will be able to help in times of emergency. Of course, teaching and preparing every child will be different. Here is a list of basic topics to help you get started. At each level of development, work on furthering your child’s knowledge and skill:

• First aid tasks, such as applying bandages, sterilizing a wound, CPR, and responsibly handling medications
• Preparing basic meals
• Finding shelter
• Purifying water through a variety of methods
• Keeping warm when in cold weather
• Starting a fire
• Learning self-defense
• Storing food and water responsibly
• Helping and serving others

What Are The Five Basic Survival Skills For Kids?

Mindset

Teaching your kids how to stay calm in the face of an emergency is no small task, but one of the most important for any emergency. Teaching mindfulness skills in the midst of tantrums is a great place to start. One skill to begin teaching as soon as children are able to observe and communicate those observations is a simple “five senses” game. When your child is upset, ask him/her to communicate with you 5 things they see, 4 things they hear, 3 things they feel, 2 things they smell, and one thing they taste. This will help bring them back to the present moment. Teach children how to take deep breaths when they feel intense emotions rising. Talk openly about how to cope with stress in healthy ways.

Shelter

Showing children how to put up tents through camping or backyard sleepovers is a great place to start. From here, teach kids how to search to find small spaces that they could sleep outside if necessary. Teach them to make a generous layer of leaves to sleep on to conserve body heat.

Food

First, teach kids the importance of storing food for emergencies. Help them learn to independently prepare meals. This will help them get ready for an emergency where you still have access to food storage. In a real survival situation, teach them that insects and worms are edible and will provide protein. Show them in nature which plants are edible and which are poisonous.

Water

Water is one of the most important components of emergency and survival preparation. Children should know how to boil water for purification as soon as they safely can. Following a water source usually eventually leads to civilization, which you can teach your children in case they get lost in the woods.

Fire

Last, teach children how to start a fire in a protected location using tinder (dry grass), kindling (small sticks), and logs (laid criss-cross on top of each other so that air can still flow.) CONCLUSION Kids are going to be the most vulnerable during stressful times. It’s important to mentally prepare your kids for the possibility of these hard times. That being said, it is important to make this preparation age-specific. Be careful about how you talk to your kids about potential disasters. The last thing you want them to do is shut down because they are so scared of something that might not ever happen. You know your kids better than anyone. You choose how and when to get them prepared. Pro Tip: Making preparedness fun will help your kids retain important things better. For example, go camping to teach them how to start a fire. Go fishing to teach them how to catch, gut, and cook wildlife. Go hiking to teach them what vegetation they can eat in your area. The more fun you make it the better chance of them remembering during the upcoming stressful times.

How To Keep Your Kids Entertained During An Emergency?

Anyone who has spent any amount of time with children knows that it can be extremely challenging to keep them entertained, especially in times of stress. One great way to prepare for an emergency with children is to practice. Practice entertaining them without the power on, with few or little toys, and with disrupted schedules. Although this may create temporary stress, it can lead to greater flexibility and creativity for times that it matters most. If in an emergency situation with little or no toys, use your environment. Play the “I Spy” game with things around you, or count how many leaves on a tree, or say the colors of the cars that go by. Teaching kids to be aware and entertained by their surroundings is a form of entertainment that is not specific to any schedule or location. Another way to keep kids entertained with no toys is to play pretend. This can be easily tailored to the specific ages of your children and can entertain for hours on end. In cases when you would need your children to be quiet, practice playing “quiet games.” This could include challenging children to stay in the same pose for as long as possible or making no noise for as long as possible.

What Are Some Fun Outdoor Survival Games For Kids?

There are literally hundreds of games that you could play outside with your kids, either in times of emergency or calm. The list of a few favorites below should get you started. Consider printing out this list to work through with your children, and then help them play more and more independently from adults depending on their age and development.

1. Mother, May I: In this game, an adult or older child with their back turned grants or denies requests of the younger children in a line to move forward. In turn, the children ask one by one if they can move forward with the questions “Mother, May I _____.” The winner of the game is the one who reaches the “mother” first.
2. Sidewalk Chalk Art
3. Digging for bones: Buy fake bones at the dollar store, bury them, and let your children dig them out.
4. Bubbles
5. Simon says: In this classic game, one picked as Simon commands all the other children to do things. If “Simon” starts the phrase with “Simon says ___” everyone must do it and will be disqualified if not. If “Simon” does not start the phrase with “Simon says ____” but instead commands something directly, any children who do this task will be disqualified. The winner is the last one who has perfectly obeyed the respective commands.
6. Bocce Ball: One small ball is thrown as the goal or marker. The other children have two similarly colored balls to throw as close to the “marker” ball as possible. Whoever gets the closest wins the round.
7. Capture the Flag: A large group of children divide into two teams and try to capture the other’s flag without being caught. Read more on the official rules here.
8. Hide and Seek
9. Races, relays, and obstacle courses
10. Tug of War: For this classic game of strength, divide the children into two teams and have each team hold on to one side of a long rope. Both teams pull the rope as hard as they can to pull the other team over a line drawn between them.
11. Kick Ball: Set up three bases and a home plate in the shape of a large diamond. Divide children into two teams. Follow similar rules as baseball, except allow the pitcher to roll the ball to the “kicker” at home plate. The kicker at home plate will kick the ball and try to run the bases strategically. If the ball is caught straight from the air, this counts as one “out.” Three outs mean the defensive team changes to the offense and visa versa.
12. Soccer: All you need is a few sticks or rocks to outline a goal and a soccer ball of any kind!
13. Tennis
14. Four Square: Divide a massive large square into four medium-sized smaller squares. Find the rules on specifically how to play here.
15. Jumping rope
16. Climbing Trees
17. Limbo: You (or an older child) will hold a stick at a chest level, and all the children will walk under it. Every round, you lower the stick an inch or two until the children have to bend backward (without losing balance or using their hands) to walk under the limbo stick. The one who walks under the limbo stick when it is the lowest is the winner.
18. Water Fight
19. Kick the Can: This game can literally last for hours. The person who is IT tries to guard a can while those hiding throughout the yard try to race to kick the can. If the one who is IT sees any of the hiding children or beats those trying to kick the can to the can first, he/she says “Over the can on _____(the child’s name)!” and the child goes to “jail.” Read up on the official rules here.
20. Cloud Watching

This is a good list to start with, but the trick to entertaining kids during any disaster scenario is to help them stay positive and use their imagination.

What Is A Square Foot Garden?

A square foot garden is a simple way to grow fresh produce using very little space. It is a great option from the master gardener to someone just wanting to plant a few seeds. A square foot garden is a small raised garden bed (usually 4×4 or 8×8 feet) separated into 1×1 foot squares by string drilled into the sides of the bed. This method keeps the soil loose and fertile, as the separation from the ground ensures that it isn’t stepped on overtime. In addition, the square foot garden takes up minimal space, is orderly, is a pretty quick set-up, and requires little weeding. This could be a great option for your gardening needs, and with these tips below, you should be planting in no time.

What Should I Make The Square Foot Garden Box With?

A simple way to build a square foot garden is with 2×6 wood boards. You can cut the boards into 4 or 8 feet pieces, then screw them into squares using 6-inch wood screws. You can also use different variations of wood boards depending on how you want your square garden to look, but the same basic assembly instructions apply for whichever type of boards you choose. An easy and cheap way to line the bottom of the square foot garden is by using a layer of cardboard as a barrier between the ground and your garden. This will reduce the number of weeds and keep the soil that you use separate from the ground.

How Deep Does A Square Foot Garden Need To Be?

The recommended depth of a square foot garden is 12 inches. Although most plants can survive with a depth of 6 inches, 12 is ideal for root crops like carrots and potatoes. If you don’t have this room, 6-12 inches will work for almost all plants.

What Do You Put In The Bottom Of A Raised Garden Bed?

For the easiest option, you can purchase organic raised bed soil to lay on top of the cardboard layer within your square foot garden. This pre-made mix can be bought at Lowe’s or Home Depot. To make your own raised bed soil, mix ⅓ compost, ⅓ vermiculite, and ⅓ peat. This combination, called Mel’s Mix, is recommended in the book All New Square Foot Gardening. In addition, this soil calculator helps you know how much of what to buy for the specific amount and dimensions of your square foot garden.

How Often Do You Water A Square Foot Garden?

This question depends on your specific climate. However, most plants need 1-2 inches of water per week, which translates to watering once or twice per week until the soil is completely wet. The square foot garden will drain easily.

What And How Much Do I Plant In My Square Foot Garden?

Now for the fun part–the planting! Pick your favorite crops in the squares you have created and follow the chart below, which tells you how many seeds to plant per square foot. Enjoy your simple, effective square foot garden!

Vegetable Type	Plant Spacing Per Square	Vegetable Type	Plant Spacing Per Square
Arugula	4	Oregano	1
Asian Greens	4	Parsley	4
Basil	2-4	Parsnips	9
Beans (bush)	9	Peanuts	1
Beets	9	Peas	9
Bok Choy (baby)	9	Peppers (Bell)	1
Broccoli	1	Peppers (Hot)	1
Brussel Sprout	1	Potatoes	4
Cabbage	1	Pumpkins	1
Cantaloupe	2 squares per plant	Radicchio	2
Carrots	16	Radishes	16
Cauliflower	1	Rhubarb	1
Celery	4	Rosemary	1
Chives	4	Rutabagas	4
Cilantro	1-9	Sage	1
Collards	1	Scallions	36
Corn	4	Shallots	4
Cucumbers	2	Sorrel	2
Eggplant	1	Spinach	9
Endive	4	Squash	1
Fennel	4	Swiss Chard	4
Garlic	9	Tarragon	1
Green Onions	16	Tomatoes	1
Kale	1	Turnips	9
Kohlrabi	4	Thyme	4
Leeks	9	Wasabi	1
Lettuce (leaf)	6	Watercress	1
Lettuce (head)	2	Watermelon	2 squares per plant
Melons	2 squares per plant	Yams	4
Mint	1-4	Yellow Parma Onion (large)	1
Onions (bunching)	9	Zucchini	1

Don’t Get Overwhelmed – Just Start

One of the benefits of Square Foot Gardening is to allow people to start gardening in a way that isn’t too overwhelming. If you have the time or space to grow a big garden, or if you’re new to gardening and want to just dip your toes into it before you make too big of a commitment, square foot gardening is perfect for you.

Which Garden Plants Should I Start Indoors First? 

With a few exceptions, it’s ideal to start most seeds indoors in the spring. You’ll want to do this before your specific planting season starts. Although much of this depends on the particular kinds of seeds you plan to use. The following list will give you an idea of which plants will thrive best when started indoors.

• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Eggplant
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Onion
• Okra
• Pepper
• Sweet potato
• Tomato
• Celery
• Chard
• Cucumber
• Melon
• Peas
• Pumpkin
• Spinach
• Squash

Do not start carrots, corn, beets, or beans indoors. (List adapted from the Clemson Cooperative Extension.)

Why Is It Better To Start These Seeds Indoors?

Beginning your seeds indoors creates strong, healthy plants to transport outdoors even before the typical planting season starts. If you tend to have shorter growing seasons, this method is recommended.

How Do I Begin Planting Indoors?

To start your plants indoors, plant your seeds in a seed-starting potting mix (not soil from the garden). Do this in a container with drainage holes. Examples of proper potting choices include biodegradable pots, flats, recycled yogurt or milk containers with holes punched in the bottom, and/or peat pots. Next, plant the seeds to the proper depth according to the individual instructions on the seed packet. Cover your plants with plastic bags tied loosely at the top (to allow airflow) or with plastic wrap loosely set on top, to retain moisture. Place in a warm location, such as on top of your refrigerator. When the seedlings begin to sprout, place them in a brighter location, such as near a window. Last, choose the strongest plant to transport to your outdoor garden when it is planting season.

How Long Does It Take Seeds To Sprout Indoors?

It usually takes 1-2 weeks for your seeds to germinate.

Do You Need A Grow Light To Start Seeds Indoors?

When the sprouts of your seeds begin to emerge, they need sunlight. You can place them next to a window or supplement with fluorescent light for a few hours each day.

When Is It Too Late To Start Seeds Indoors?

Every seed is different, and the seed packets can be helpful for figuring out which seeds need to be planted at which time. First, find the seed starting date on the seed packet. These starting dates will tell you how many weeks before the final frost date to plant the plants. Next, look up when the last frost date is in your particular area. From here, count backward the weeks, and plant the seeds accordingly. If you live in a cold climate or plan to keep your weeks in a cool basement, consider planting the seeds 1-2 weeks before the prescribed start date. For organizational purposes, sort your seeds into which plants need to be planted on different weeks, and create a calendar for simple planting. Once they are sprouted strongly, transport the seeds to your outdoor garden.

How Do I Grow Sprouts Indoors?

Sprouts are the easiest plant to grow indoors. You need little space, little sunlight, and little to no gardening experience to enjoy this versatile vegetable. To grow sprouts, first, pick the plant which you wish to sprout. You can find great options in the “sprouting seeds” section of your local grocery store. Options can include any legume, seed or nut. The most popular seeds to sprout include the following:

• Beet
• Chickpea
• Mung Bean
• Lentil
• Alfalfa
• Radish
• Mustard
• Green or Snow Pea

Next, find a mason jar and measure 2 tablespoons of the selected plant. Cover with 4 tablespoons of water and place out of direct sunlight for 8 hours. Next, rinse the seeds thoroughly and drain them entirely. This completes the “soaking stage” for sprouting your seeds. Finally, continue to rinse and drain the seeds with cold water twice daily, for approximately 6-8 days. Once the sprouts reach the desired length and texture, remove them from the jar and toss them in your favorite sandwich, salad, or soup!

Ridiculously Easy Sprouting 101

Here is a video explaining how to make this happen in the easiest way possible.

I’ve also included this link to a sprouting chart that will show you the full sprouting process from start to finish. 

Why Sprouting Supplies Are Essential Food Storage Items

Sprout seeds are easy to buy in bulk and easy to store long term. Compared to a garden, sprouts grow really fast. In most disaster scenarios that would require you to grow a garden to support yourself, you would have to wait for the full growing season to reap the benefits of what you’ve grown. You need the nutrients that come from the vegetables, but will you be able to wait the full growing season t0 get them? Sprouting only takes 7 t0 10 days. Within about a week you can have food that will provide essential nutrients that your body needs. Sprouting has many benefits. There are 10 major health benefits that come from eating sprouts.

1. It helps in digestion
2. It boosts blood circulation
3. It helps in weight loss
4. It builds your immune system
5. It improves eyesight
6. It helps the health of your heart
7. It reduces acidity in your body
8. It may prevent premature aging
9. It’s beneficial in hair health
10. It’s good for your skin health

You still need to think about growing a garden for long term food storage, but including sprouts in your emergency preparedness plan could add a lot of fast nutritional value that your body needs. Enjoy your sprouts!

A part of emergency preparation that is often overlooked is having proper documentation in a safe location. But in so many emergencies, if you hadn’t thought of it before, this is a step you will wish you had taken. Here is everything you need to know about what documents to keep, where to keep them, and why this is so important.

What Documents Should You Have In An Emergency?

The most important documents to keep safe in an emergency can be divided into a few groups: insurance papers, identification papers, personal documents, medical documents, and contact information. Insurance papers and financial records are critical for getting into contact with your insurance after a disaster strikes. In addition, you will want to keep these as proof that you were insured and what the specific insurance outlined, in case of losses. For your insurance papers, consider including:

• Household and place of business inventory
• Duplicates of all insurance policies
• Mortgage documents
• Real estate deeds
• First two pages of your previous year’s federal and state tax returns
• Title paperwork
• Motor vehicle titles and bill of sale, serial or VIN numbers
• Wills and trusts
• Safety deposit box, including the location, number, contents, location of the key, and authorized persons to access the box
• Investment portfolio
• Stocks, bonds and other securities
• Bank, checking, savings account numbers or certificates
• Credit card accounts

Identification papers are critical for your emergency kit, as these are essential for any unforeseeable tasks or travel necessary or resulting from a disaster. Within your identification papers file, make sure to include:

• Citizenship papers
• Birth Certificate
• Marriage Certificate
• Death certificate
• Adoption/custody decrees
• Military papers
• Passports
• Visas
• Social security card
• Employment records
• Photocopy of documents kept in your wallet or purse

Personal documents should be kept to protect irreplaceable items that would be devastating to lose. Personal documentation to keep protected could include:

• Family photos, videotapes, or heirlooms
• Important books
• Personal family history
• Family genealogy records

Medical documents can be kept to inform those caring for you in a potential disaster of any allergies, prescriptions, and/or pre-existing medical conditions. Medical documents to remember could include:

• Family health and medical records
• Employee benefits information
• Letter of instruction in case of death
• Funeral and burial plans
• Name, address, phone number of the attorney, financial advisor, and insurance agents

Contact information is critical to include so that people can contact you in case you are separated from your documents. In addition, it should include the contact information of people you would want to call during an emergency.

Why Is It Important To Have Proper Documentation On Hand During An Emergency?

Proper documentation is critical to emergency preparedness. So much in our world is dependent on your identification documentation. Without it, you cannot drive, travel, start a bank account, access your bank account, or do too much of anything. If you had to flee your house quickly, or the original documents were destroyed, having identification documentation on hand would be necessary for rebuilding every part of your life. Medical documentation can literally save your life. In addition, they can help you continue to get your prescriptions and proper, personalized medical care. Financial and insurance documents, as well as personal and contact documents, can save you hours and hours of hassle and headache in an already stressful time. There are certain documents that are hard to replace. If all of your documents are suddenly destroyed, it is extremely difficult to “start over.” In case you have not prepared and end up losing important documents unexpectedly, the government has a program to help you start over. But still, this process is long, stressful, and difficult. It is worth the forethought to keep important documentation on-hand.

Where Should You Keep Vital Documents In Case Of An Emergency?

These documents should be uploaded digitally, downloaded onto a flash drive, and printed out as copies to be kept in a safe location. To ensure maximum safety, consider opening a safety deposit box at a bank in case your first set of documents gets destroyed or lost. For some legal purposes, digital documents do not suffice. At the same time, hard copies can be stolen or damaged. Having hard copies and a digital file of all of your documentation is the safest way to ensure that you will have all of the documents you need in an emergency.

How Do I Properly Store My Important Documents? 

Safe locations to store your important documents include a fireproof lockbox or safe, a safety deposit box, or a three-ring binder with plastic sleeves into which you can insert documents. You will want to store the documents in an easily-accessible place in your home.

Do I Need To Prepare These Documents For Everyone In My Family?

Start your documentation preparedness journey by collecting these documents for yourself, and then expand to your family members. Many of the documents will be replicas, especially if you have children, but some of them–such as birth certificates and social security cards–need to be stored for each person in the family individually.

Why Is Financial Preparedness Necessary For Disasters?

Although creating preparedness plans for likely disasters in your area may look different from incident to incident, there are a few common threads. Most of us know that you need to have food and water stored and hopefully understand the basics of first-aid. But one thing that is almost as necessary (but often overlooked) is the importance of financial preparedness. There are very few emergency situations that do not take a toll financially for individuals, families, communities, nations, or the global landscape. And although we know that this may look different for different people based on individual income and needs, there are ways that all of us can better prepare for the next crisis.

How Can I Prepare Myself Financially For A Disaster?

To begin your financial preparation for any disaster, remember that any small effort is better than none. You may not be able to complete each of the steps. The important thing is to do what you can and create a plan for what you cannot. Perhaps your small cash fund is $50, or even $25. Perhaps your emergency fund is small if money is especially tight. Start where you are, and build as slowly as you need. Preparing for a disaster can be broken down into 5 simple steps: create a small cash fund, create an emergency fund, have proper insurance, keep detailed records, and open a safe deposit box. 

• The first important way to financially prepare for any emergency is having a small cash fund on hand. Natural disasters can often wipe out the power in entire communities, which may lead to you paying cash for your necessities for a few days.
  • Ideally, you will have $200-$300 in your home in a safe location. In addition, you will want this amount to be made up of small bills, especially $1 and $5 bills. The reason for this is that businesses may not be able to give you change if there is a cash shortage.

• Second, save as much money in an emergency fund as you can afford. This fund should be budgeted in and set aside specifically for a disaster. Cut spending if necessary in order to protect this fund for when it is actually needed.
  • Having an emergency fund will make no small difference when recovering from an emergency. If you are suddenly unemployed, if your major belongings are damaged, and/or if the economy is suffering, your emergency fund in a reputable online bank will make a massive difference. Even more than this, an emergency fund could allow you to be prepared enough to help people who have been less fortunate in times of stress and panic.

• In the case of a disaster, you will also want to have proper insurance coverage. In addition to a basic homeowner’s insurance policy, you will want to get insurance specifically for a disaster or other loss.
  • To begin, go through your homeowner’s insurance with a fine-toothed comb to determine what is covered and what is not. You will want to make sure that you have flood insurance, disaster insurance, and disability insurance. You may think that disability insurance does not apply to you, but one out of every four people in America will become disabled before they retire, making this type of insurance just as important as the rest.

• Even with proper insurance, you may not get fully reimbursed without keeping close records in your home about what you owned before a loss. This can be done simply by making a video while walking slowly throughout your house. Pause the camera on different belongings and provide narration by stating the brand, approximate purchase date, and price for each item. This will be invaluable in the case that you suffer loss in a disaster.

• Finally, open a safe deposit box or buy a fireproof safe for all of your valuable documents. Keeping your important hard copy information in a safe deposit box at a local bank will increase the chances that this documentation will survive the disaster. In your chosen location, consider including the following:
  • Birth certificates
  • Marriage and family records
  • Adoption papers
  • Property deeds
  • Wills and trusts
  • Insurance policies
  • Passports
  • Social security cards
  • Immunization records
  • Bank account information
  • Credit card account information
  • Important Contracts

What Is A Good Amount For An Emergency Fund?

An emergency fund is a fund set aside for an unexpected emergency. It is not money that you plan to spend or money for large expenses like a house or a car. The more robust your emergency fund, the greater chances you have for financial security in any disaster. But don’t be intimidated by where you want to be; starting small and building from there is sufficient. Every small effort counts when it comes to being financially prepared. But with all of this, is there an ideal number of how much we should try to save? The ideal number for you will be what you and your family need to survive for six to eight months. This number will vary widely from person-to-person depending on lifestyle, dependents, debts, and expenses. To begin, track your expenses closely for one month and work on creating a one-month emergency fund based on this number. From here, build as you can. Remember not to get overwhelmed, especially if money is tight. As in any emergency preparedness, any little effort can make a world of difference.

I have been into emergency preparedness for over a decade. More than ever before, the one thing I continue learning over and over again is that when the time for decision comes, the time for preparation has passed. Procrastination is simply not an option when it comes to being prepared for an emergency. When we think of emergency preparedness, we usually consider having food storage and supplies on hand. This is important, and it is a great first step if you are just getting started. But equally as important to this is creating proper protocols for specific situations that are practiced often with you and your household members. To more fully understand how important this is, let’s talk a little bit about how the human brain works. The decision-making part of the brain is called the frontal lobe. When the frontal lobe is filled with adrenaline, you no longer have the ability to make decisions. So when we feel the adrenaline from life-threatening or high-stress situations, our ability to clearly make decisions is impaired. You have probably experienced this in your life at some moment. If a dog is charging you with teeth bared, you do not have a clear and distinct thought process of exactly what you should do. You react almost unconsciously in a way that you hope will protect you. This reaction is not our fault. It is how we are biologically wired. Because we understand that it is difficult to make clear decisions in the moment of peer pressure or high stress, we start practicing with our elementary-aged children on how to prepare beforehand. For example, the well-known DARE program implemented in fifth-grade classes throughout American teaches kids to “Just Say No to Drugs.” The creators of DARE know that practice is essential to preparedness, and so they ask children to practice over and over again saying “no.”  They do this in the hopes that in the moment of facing crucial decisions, these students have practiced enough to be able to make decisions aligned with their values and what is best for them.  The examples, even from elementary school-aged children, are endless. Consider fire drills, lockdown drills, evacuations, and many other “practicing” type scenarios. These, along with the DARE program, are designed to push children’s decision making into the medial temporal lobe. Because our decision-making is impaired in stress and our frontal lobe is no longer able to function well, we hope through these drills that these students will use the medial temporal lobe. This part of the brain is designed for processing memory. Importantly, it is not affected by adrenaline in the same way the frontal lobe will be affected by adrenaline. This means that if you practice what you plan to do during an earthquake, you will have an easier time making the smartest decisions when that time comes because your practice is stored in your memory. Your brain is able to access memory, but not because you know what to do. Only because you have practiced what to do. The decisions that we make in these critical moments could be the decisions that end up saving our lives. 

What Is An Emergency Protocol?

Just like the drills talked about above for school-aged children, we need to prepare for any emergency situation by doing our own type of “drills” as adults. These drills are called emergency procedure protocols. To create and practice an emergency protocol, pick an emergency that you or a loved one could possibly face. Next, consider what you would need in the case of this emergency and plan accordingly. (Often, this is in the form of food storage, first-aid kits, “ready to grab” bags, and drinking water.) After this, ask yourself basic questions about how you will communicate in the face of this emergency, how you will receive alerts and warnings, how you will evacuate, and how you will seek shelter. Consider writing the plan in a document, or drawing pictures for young children. Finally, practice the plan through your procedural protocol.

This Protocol Should Be Practiced Often

To walk through an example of this, let’s consider a home fire. In the case of a home fire, we would want to make sure we have insurance in place, we would want to create a meeting place for our family members outside of our home, inform each child about primary and secondary evacuation routes, and discuss the best ways to avoid inhaling smoke. To follow through this protocol, you could have one night every few months where you spend an hour practicing. You could blow a whistle that signifies the start of the fire and have each family member follow their evacuation route. You could progressively make this more difficult by creating scenarios where the fire was more invasive and the evacuation more complicated. This emergency procedural protocol, specifically created by you and your family, will greatly increase the chances that in the case of a home fire, you and your loved ones would be safe. Many protocols for disasters will have overlap once you start diving into specifics. However, it is important to practice for specific situations even with this overlap, as our brains will have a higher chance of reacting to memory instead of reacting unconsciously.

What Is An Emergency Action Plan?

An emergency action plan includes every part of your own specific emergency preparedness. To read more about what to include in your emergency action plan, read here. (Link to the previous article.)

Who Needs An Emergency Action Plan?

Everyone needs an emergency action plan and emergency protocols, specific to their area and the risks they are most likely to face. As a starting point, pick a few disasters that could happen anywhere and to anyone, such as active shooters, home fires, and a pandemic. From here, start preparing for natural disasters that are most likely to happen in your area. Continue building your emergency action plan to be as all-encompassing and thoughtful as you can.

When Is The Best Time To Practice Your Emergency Protocol?

Emergency protocols should be practiced often. If you have children, practice your emergency protocols every few months to keep their growing memories fresh. As your children age, practice once or twice yearly to refresh their memories. In addition, practicing emergency protocols when those in your household do not expect it can be extremely beneficial. Similarly to how the school will do fire drills that students know about and fire drills that students are unaware of, parents can best prepare for disasters by routinely practicing their emergency protocol before their children have had a chance to prepare.  This way, parents can check for understanding and adjust their teaching accordingly.

BEFORE THE PANDEMIC

How Should I Plan For a Pandemic?

In order to properly prepare for a pandemic, you will want to have both a knowledge of skills and the resources necessary to sustain yourself, your family, and anyone else you have close to you. Although it can seem overwhelming to know where to begin, the good news is that a lot of preparing for a pandemic can also overlap with other forms of emergency preparation. 

What Can I Do Personally To Prepare For a Pandemic?

• You will first want to start by training your mind to handle stress healthily. One of the most important things you can do for yourself in times of collective, global unrest is to personally be in a space to be able to keep calm and manage your emotions and stress. With this, you will be able to think clearly, create plans, be resourceful, and make good decisions. In order to do this, try to increase your coping skills. Practice in your daily life with small stressors. Identify things that increase and decrease your anxiety. Altogether, work daily for your mental health.
• Next, prepare yourself physically. Exercise often, eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and learn to be flexible with what you eat and drink.
• Next, you will want to have enough water and food to sustain you and your family in the case that stores did close during a pandemic. Since water is a precious commodity in a time of any emergency, have clean water stored. In addition, have a water filter on hand. In case your water supply was to run out, you will want to be able to access water in any number of ways, including through filtration or purification. From here, build your food supply. You will want to have stored enough food for everyone in your family for at least one month, and more if you have the resources and space. Store nutrient-dense food that can give energy to everyone in your family.
• Next, prepare yourself financially. Create a savings account specifically for “a rainy day,” putting 5-10% of all of your earnings. Start now and decide not to dip into this fund unless there is truly an emergency, like a pandemic. In times of global upheaval, you may be out of a job. It may become difficult to make house payments. You may not be able to keep your business afloat. In addition to this saving account, you will want to have a few hundred dollars worth of small bills in a safe place in your home.
• Have toiletries, soap, hand sanitizer, a hearty first-aid kit, medical masks, and other preventive measures on hand.
• Find a local doctor who you know and trust. In times of a pandemic, there will be massive amounts of information in the media. Knowing where to find information and from what sources can save you headaches and stress.
• Finally, check the CDC website often for up-to-date information.

READ MORE: What Can I Do To Prevent The Coronavirus Disease At Home?

What Can I Do For My Neighbors During A Pandemic?

The best thing that you can do for those around you in a pandemic is to follow the guidelines of the CDC. If the CDC requests that you stay away from others, please do so. There are still ways to connect and help, such as sharing your food and supplies, offering financial support, and offering whatever unique talents and skills you have. Just make sure that whatever you do, you do it from a safe distance. Sometimes we miss the point of preparedness in the midst of stress and fatigue. The point is not every-man-for-himself. The point is that we do everything in our power to prepare for ourselves and those around us so that we can be in a position to assist the most vulnerable in our communities.

Why Should I Practice Good Health Habits Now?

The health of our bodies and minds are strongly linked. Being able to think clearly and calmly, stay on top of your mental health, and fight disease can be linked to the healthy habits you have created for yourself. To begin, incorporate movement into your day for 30 minutes a day, 5 times per week. This has been proven to help fight mental and physical diseases. Next, increase eating foods that boost your immunity and help you feel clear, energized, and happy. Incorporate healthy mental habits, such as meditation in any form, spirituality, and stress-management.

READ MORE: Should I Wash My Hands Or Use Hand Sanitizer?

How Can I Help When I Can’t Physically Be There?

Start by asking yourself what skills you have. Are you a painter? You can paint something for someone. Are you a writer? Write encouraging notes to friends. Are you a medical professional? Offer information to those around you. Can you create music? Sing from a distance or online to people who are lonely. You can make goals to send encouragement, Facetime, offer your skills or product for a reduced price if possible, and spread hope in any number of creative ways.

How Do I Create An Emergency Pandemic Plan?

As mentioned above, during a pandemic, the best plan that you can have is to be mentally, emotionally, financially, and physically in a place to stay calm and hopeful. From here, listen to the guidelines by officials in your country. From here, have a family-wide plan, often called a protocol, that has been pre-discussed and decided upon, on what you will collectively do to get through the pandemic. Answer questions for yourself and your family like: How will we get groceries? What will we do to sustain ourselves financially? What should we do if stores close down? Where will we meet if we are out of power? Once you have these decisions made and written down on paper, practice them with your family. Get it into their heads so everyone knows exactly what to do, even if they don’t have that paper next to them when the time comes to follow the plan.

How Can I Prepare For Temporary School Closures?

Although nothing can fully prepare us for this, a few things can help.

• Be involved in what your child is learning at school. Help with homework, or at the very least, take note of what your child is covering in each class.
• Continue your own learning, alongside your child. The new form of long division may be hard, but you can learn it together!
• Have a relationship with your child’s teachers and administrators.
• Know specifically where to find streamlined information for your child’s school.
• If at all possible, make sure you have a computer at home. Chances are, schools will be taught using Google Classroom or some other form of a digital platform that allows teachers to communicate with their students.

READ MORE: What I Wish I’d Known Before The Coronavirus

How Can I Prepare for Changes at The Workplace?

The best thing to do to prepare for changes in the workplace is to have a small emergency fund because your work will likely be affected during a pandemic. The next best thing is to simply think ahead. Ask yourself the question: what will I do if I were to suddenly have no income by my traditional job? Be creative with your answers. What could you do to support yourself? How would you handle the stress? What are the ways that you could offer your services virtually? If a pandemic happens, there will be hundreds of thousands of businesses that won’t be able to sustain themselves during a lockdown. If that happens, millions of people will lose their jobs You either need to have a side-hustle with a decent amount of income that won’t be affected by e-commerce shutting down a good savings account or some other plan to take care of your family in case this emergency becomes reality. 

How Do I Plan For a Potential Quarantine?

This, more than anything, is where mental practice, strength, and stress-management comes in. You will need to not only have the resources and skills necessary for survival, but you will also need the mental strength and stamina to survive isolation. This is not easy. Specifically, if you struggle with mental illness, this can be particularly dangerous and challenging. Give yourself permission to just survive, if that’s what you need to do. You don’t need to be creative or resourceful if your mental health is suffering. If it helps you to make goals, increase creativity, exercise indoors, and watch movies with your family, do so. Make sure to take time each day to practice mindfulness, through apps such as Headspace and Ten Percent Happier. As humans, we are hard-wired for connection, and quarantine can make this difficult. Recognize this, give yourself space to struggle, and do what is in your power to manage your stress.

DURING THE PANDEMIC

First and foremost, do your part to take action, helping to slow the spread of the illness. Follow the guidelines set out by medical professionals. It is their job to study and understand the virus, and it is your job to trust their research. Check the new, updated guidelines every day and adjust your activities accordingly. If the CDC asks us not to attend large gatherings, do not attend large gatherings. Do your best to make considerate, conscious decisions. Next, put your emergency plan into action, if it reaches that point. Stay calm. Know that you have planned for this. Finally, adjust accordingly as you may need. Perhaps you planned to go to the grocery store every week, but different stores are doing pick-up. Perhaps you need to order off of Amazon. Perhaps Amazon isn’t functioning and you need to eat your food storage. Every situation can be different, and your emergency plan needs to be flexible enough to account for those differences. 

AFTER THE PANDEMIC

After the pandemic passes, evaluate the effectiveness of your emergency plan.  Ask yourself and your family what went well and what you would do differently next time. Adjust your future pandemic emergency-plan with what you have learned, and carry on. *This site does not provide medical advice. I am not a doctor and all content on this site is of my own opinion. Please refer to your doctor or the official CDC website for more accurate information about this topic.