Convincing your loved ones to start planning for emergencies might be challenging for some. Whether it’s extended family, friends, a spouse, or children, everyone has their own opinion and might not be so open to hearing your perspective. In case of an emergency, everyone must be up-to-speed and ready to execute a plan of action. To help streamline that process, we’ve come up with some tips to get the conversation started:
Talking with your spouse
- Ask for an open communication pathway where you can freely express your concerns.
- Share examples of disasters in recent history, making them relatable and personal to you.
- Liken prepping to insurance; protecting yourself against a potential future disaster is smart.
- Mention personal emergencies such as job loss, income reduction, or illness, which could affect your day-to-day life.
- Try not to bring up worst-case scenarios in this initial conversation, as they might be too serious to begin with.
Talking with your children
- Remember their age – try not to over complicate or cause unnecessary stress.
- Keep it simple by focusing on experiences they can relate to.
- Ask what they would do if a disaster hit while they were attending school; just as the school initiates “fire drills,” your family must also have “emergency plans.”
- Involve them and ask for feedback.
- Help develop their situational awareness when you leave the house by pointing out exits in stores, and asking them how they would respond if they were in an emergency.
Talking with friends and extended family
- Gift them tools that could help them prepare for an emergency, such as a first aid kit.
- Suggest a book or movie that introduces the concept of preparedness for disaster.
- Discuss recent news without going overboard or sounding irrational.
Keep in mind this is not a concrete way to get the people you love to believe what you do; some people might never agree with your opinion. All you can do is gently suggest – don’t force – ideas and let them intellectually process themselves.
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Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.