# Training and Conditioning Ideas for Children



## mrbroker (Jul 21, 2010)

1. I am a husband and father of 3 children with ages ranging from 1 to 8 years old. 

2. I am a prepper with accepting yet minimal spousal support. Does that make sense? She just doesn't quite get it.

Personally, I was fortunate to be taught many survival skills as a child by a backwoods grandfather and a survivalist boy scout leader. As my children get older, I introduce them to new skills, but my focus has been on basic skills that will carry on with them for the rest of their life. 

This is a list of skills I currently work with them on a regular basis:

Prayer and Meditation
.22 Rimfire Rifle Target Shooting
Recurve Bow and Arrow Target Shooting
Firebuilding
Cooking / My wife gets credit for this.
Camping / Hiking / Fishing / Swimming
Basic Martial Arts
Awareness of Environment
Conservation

These are skills I plan on introducing as time allows:

Heavy caliber/guage firearms
Compound Bows
Rough long term camping
Small/Big Game Hunting / Tracking
Foraging
Shelter Building
Hand to Hand Combat
Fencing
First Aid

I would love to hear ideas from others on how they have been training and conditioning their families for SHTF scenarios. Any ideas on how to help my wife understand what we could eventually face would also be appreciated.


----------



## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Good to hear that you are starting them young, Being able to garden will be a very important skill post SHTF. The animated movie Lion king Communicates the circle of life to children very well as well as some other self care skills. 
The more kids know about how life really works the more eager they are to learn more. Try some "power failure practice drills" etc. Paint ball is a good way to learn weapon handling skills as well as experiencing being under fire


----------



## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

I was "conditioned" as a child by loving grandparents and parents who made sure to teach me how to cook food, grow a garden, can food, work with wood (carpentry), work with concrete, work with vehicles (repairs), first-aid and how to camp in such a way that no-one would have known that we camped there (zero-impact camping).

I continue those skills and I am teaching those now to my grandson.

Teach through life-style instead of teaching through class and your children will be more apt to follow it as they get older.


----------



## PS360 (Sep 10, 2010)

Tirediron said:


> Good to hear that you are starting them young, Being able to garden will be a very important skill post SHTF. The animated movie Lion king Communicates the circle of life to children very well as well as some other self care skills.
> The more kids know about how life really works the more eager they are to learn more. Try some "power failure practice drills" etc. Paint ball is a good way to learn weapon handling skills as well as experiencing being under fire


Airsoft will work too.


----------



## lexsurivor (Jul 5, 2010)

Airsoft would work better than paintball because of the realism.


----------



## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

I've been doing the same staples as others have posted.

I'm also teaching my son tools (use and technique).

I also give them a problem or issue and have them tell me how to fix it.

Without their knowing, I'm also working on their fears and ways to address them. E.g. My son is afraid of heights so I've been getting him on the roof with me.


----------



## mrbroker (Jul 21, 2010)

Thanks to those who have posted thus far. The airsoft/paintball idea is a definite addition to our future training. They are still a little young for it, but I could see us starting that in a few years. I also liked the working with tools idea.


----------



## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

I saw you combined small/big game hunting...

I personally started hunting 'varmints' & nuisance critters when I was 6 with a daisy 880 air rifle, it was bigger than I was!

one day I killed 5 rabbits & my dad said

"that's too many, what are you going to do now?"

he then showed me how much 'work' (not much, but to a small child, everything not fun is work  ) it was to skin, gut, clean & prep a *cold* rabbit


----------



## kyhoti (Nov 16, 2008)

Both of my youngsters attend the free Lowes and Home Depot project builds. While its not intricate my 4 y.o.and 8 y.o. know how to handle a hammer and follow simple build directions. Its fun, not work, so they try hard and get a "toy" as a reward if its built right. We also have "olden days" talks, with camping trips to try out so-called primitive skills. We went to a living history museum for a taste of life without power or running water (real eye opener for the kids). The kids accept as normal all our food and water stores and my son cracks me up whenever we find change on the street: he hands it to me and says "For the ammo fund!". When the kids realize its just the way we live, they adapt and grow into it naturally. Its what kids do.


----------



## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Toss in there how ta read a map an use a compass. Them electronic do dads ain't always gonna be around an sometimes they ain't right anywho.

Neat thing bout teachin it ta kids as it can be done as a game.

Also, teach em some common sense, lord knows there be a shortage a that today!


----------



## fobhomestead (Aug 12, 2010)

I was going to homeschool my 8 year old, but he really wanted to go to the local school. I am glad he did. I understand a spouse that doesn't understand- not just about the prepping but also about the mindset and skills that a self-sufficient survivalist lifestyle can teach. I always run up against attitude from my spouse... a passive one, mind you, but still there. 
I am finding the one thing I can do for my children is to get them into activities that support my home teachings. If all they hear is me saying and doing one thing, and my husband saying that it "doesn't matter" or "it is pointless to learn these things" then I am going to have very confused children. If they are in the boy scouts or in other activities that support the same mentality as you, then they have that external reinforcement.


----------



## rflood (Aug 19, 2010)

mrbroker, excellent list.

Right now, both my son (12) and daughter (10) are in Scouts and learning some of the basic outdoor\life skills they will need and both my wife and I are supplementing it with things that they aren't picking up yet or need extra guidance on. My wife being a nurse and all handles the medical stuff, some cooking while I work with them on the outdoor stuff like camping, shooting, etc.
We have really just gotten going with getting out to the woods and lived with what we can bring or find out there. Both kids are aware of the state of things in the country, world and look at the whole prepping thing as a fun thing. Well for now they do.


----------



## mrbroker (Jul 21, 2010)

*A changing world.*

First I want to thank you all for the great ideas. Hopefully more will respond with other ideas as well.

In this day of technology, I have found that youth of younger and younger ages are dependant upon gadgets and devices for practically everything. What is an encyclopedia? My 6 year old Googles things that she wants to know more about. Teaching them to use their minds and to utilize more 'primitive' ways without holding them back from learning to use modern tools is extremely important.


----------



## Alice (Oct 27, 2010)

Hi I am new to this forum but I have 3 small kids 2, nearly4 and nearly 5 so I am interested in this. I am also the prepper in our family my Husband doesn't think anything bad would happen. Thankfully he loves camping so I can always get leverage to get " camping equipment" With my kids I just have them do everything with us, if we are gardening, they garden. If I am cooking they cook the older 2 I even let use a knife under supervision. We camp alot they have to help set up. We walk in the bush and let the older two take turns "being leader " and find the path, check everyone is still behind, find landmarks etc. We walk out of site of camp with them and get them to work out where they think the tent is.We are renovating so they have a crack with the saw or hammer or screwdriver. Also just general lookafter yourself stuff they choose their clothes,putaway pj's, pull up their bed, clean up their toys sounds stupid but so many people I know do all this stuff for their kids. They love all this stuff though. They are still pretty small. This summer we are working on swimming. Thats enough for now.


----------



## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

:welcome: to the forum Alice :wave:


----------



## Lonewufcry (Jul 26, 2010)

I have started this with my children as well. One of the ways is Scouting believe it or not they actually do learn a lot of useful skill there plus what my wife and I teach them.


----------



## BuggingIn (May 31, 2010)

Hi, Alice, welcome from another newbie to the forum!


----------



## SpaceGhost (Sep 25, 2010)

The_Blob said:


> to a small child, everything not fun is work


So true. I always try to make everything we do "fun".

Outdoor activities are the easiest, but even select video games and movies can point out what to do, usually by showing what NOT to do. Commentary from dad during and after helps the learning, as I explain how a situation is like, or different than, one I have encountered in Iraq. My last deployment, they were old enough to realize that war was real, and not just an X-Box event. Air-soft in the yard and Upstairs only) in the house.

My 14 year old son will be wearing his Blackhawk vest and other tactical gear with air-soft weapon, and a skull mask, to be a "dead soldier" for this, his last, Halloween. He will get used to it's weight as he gathers candy... like he does when doing air-soft.

Yes he knows that his other (real) AR is not a "target gun, or toy" it is a weapon... :congrat: Quite prowd of him. He has been taught responsibility, and his weapon stays in his own closet. This also provides an available weapon with ammo on each floor of the house. He even has his own BOB, but I call it a "Go Bag". My younger daughter will get her bag soon.


----------



## SurviveNthrive (May 20, 2010)

When they get a bit older, take them out in the park or the woods, and simply challenge them to walk as quietly as possible. Have them take turns seeing if they can hear each other moving up. 

Unfortunately, this is one of the little things that cost nothing but could pay off that I didn't train my children for...heck, we all should do this periodically.


----------



## fobhomestead (Aug 12, 2010)

SpaceGhost said:


> So true. I always try to make everything we do "fun".
> 
> (Love the "heavily medicated quote- have the t-shirt! They sell them at the local VA here .


The key word is "try". It is hard to convince a 15yo girl that mucking out the horse stall is "fun". Sometimes pure cause and effect come into play (want to ride? Do the stalls). Giving our children responsibility for choices (like a few posts up about the kids putting their pj's on.. spot on in my book!) they make is HUGE. I have messed a ton of things up along the way, but the one thing that I have tried not to do is teach my children that sense of "entitlement". Sorry, MOM does not mean Made Of Money... they WORK for what they want (age appropriate). 
If anyone else is having issues on the religious front (as far as Bible reading goes- not meant to "exclude" other religions or offend non-religious people) check out the book "Word on The Street" by Rob Lacey. My 8yo has been idolizing my rebellious teen who refuses to "believe in any religion" but I read this book (which teaches the scripture in a very unique way) to him and he loves it. 
Teaching your children to swim.. I saw that up there too... HUGE. My big thing with my children is teaching them to research different problems to get as much info as possible on a subject then make their OWN conclusions based on the facts. I also teach them the difference between a FACT and an opinion.


----------



## GatorDude (Apr 23, 2009)

Go easy! I would try not to weigh kids down with the threats (pandemic, nuclear war, terrorism, natural disaster, etc.). They should get to enjoy being kids.

However, if they just happen to learn about fire safety, swimming, camping, fishing, basic boy scout skills, shooting a .22, how to carve a pinewood derby car, how to survive in the woods, history, first aid, wildlife, how to build a tree fort, how to help tend a garden, mountain biking, a kid-friendly martial art, thriftiness, and how to be self-reliant then they'll be just fine.


----------

