# Prepping for toddlers



## jimijam624 (Nov 26, 2012)

Hello all, I'm new here but not new to prepping. I was just wondering if anyone has some helpful tips or pointers for better prepping for youngsters Maybe tips on keeping up with BOBs and such for constant growing toddler and infant. Any pointers are greatly appreciated.


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## GrinnanBarrett (Aug 31, 2012)

Having grand kids and raising my own I have found one constant with kids and that is they need a sense of normalcy. When you prep for kids include their toothpaste. And I mean the one they are accustomed to using. If they have a favorite cup or toy be sure your kit has at least one just like it. 

Blankets (theirs) are big deals. Their favorite books and things to keep them busy. Food is another thing. Store things you and they eat. 

If you have a bug out location spend happy time there. Kids relate places with experiences. Make the BOL a happy place for them. Spend some weekends there so it is like a second home. 

Let them pack a small BOB for themselves. Be sure they have good shoes in case you have to walk some.

Most of all be calm around them even if you are over the top worried. Just love them and tell them that you love them. GB


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## ChicoDaMan (Nov 6, 2012)

Wow! I never thought about that stuff GB. Being new to prepping, I'm still trying to get my sht together and get my wife on board. I have been letting my 8 yr old hold my .22 rifle and showed him how to use the sights. I'm workin on my wife to support my teaching him to shoot it. 
God help me be ready before SHTF.


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## jimijam624 (Nov 26, 2012)

Thanks for your reply and advice BN! Our BOL is definitely a happy place to say the least. It's on 400 acres of private moderately wooded land. We spend family days hiking and exploring the land and weekend camp outs there. I hunt the land year round for small and large game animals. We planted wild food plots not just for game animal consumption but for our own as well. We have fresh water source that the kids love playing in the most! Once again thank you for your insight from your experience. 

Most of the prep work on the kids supply is makeing sure I update their clothing sizes regularly and accommodate to their ever changing likes in foods and toys. Keeping the kids updated definitely keeps me on my toes with my family's prepping


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## hillobeans (May 17, 2012)

Lots of good advice so far. I do have a few packaged toys stashed for my kids so we can still make birthdays, etc. a little special should shit hit the fan. The only other advice I've got is to get a little stockpile of clothes, shoes, and diapers going that are maybe 2 or 3 sizes bigger than their current ones. The little dudes grow fast.


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## jimijam624 (Nov 26, 2012)

You brought up a great point about birthdays *hillopoint* I will add a few wrapped gifts to my stock pile of goodies just in case a birthday occurs during a time of crisis.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Each of my kids have their own bug out bags (ranging from little to teenagers). The little ones helped to make them and selected some items they wanted inside. They are clearly not survival bags, although each does contains some food, water, hygiene and medical items. They are comfort bags with clothing, toys, colors, coloring books, fruit snacks, candy, drink mixes, stuffed animals, clothing, books and a few other random personal items. In each kid's BOB I also have a small battery operated MP3 player filled with fun music and children's audio books, as well as large headphones (not crappy little ear buds). Those may come in handy if I need them distracted or focused on something else. And remember that these bags need to be updated at least annually.


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## mamacita (Aug 17, 2011)

Sweatpants are good for a kids BOB. They fit a variety of waist sizes, and the elastic at the ankle helps keep the kids from tripping if the pants are a little long. They can easily be cut into shorts. I like crocs shoes for kids. They have a two size range (such as 8-9, 10-11) so they fit loose at first, then the kids grow into them. My son has been wearing crocs from age two, to age six, and has only been in two sizes. He could have gotten by with one pair in each size if they weren't so embarassingly grungy. Even with broken straps and holes in the toes, he'd keep wearing his favorite pair. They were perfectly good to him.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

As for infants- backpack diaper bag. Everything that goes in a DB shld go in the BOB plus a little extra. If someone in your family were to get pref btwn now & SHTF, make one as soon as you know the sex and have some basic medical supplies on hand and do some research on home birth. You never know, you might need it.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

A good infant/toddler carrier. I have a Baby Bjorn that was a gift that worked well for Roo until she was 4 months or so. Then I got an Ergo carrier. It can be worn front or back up to 40lbs. I got the backpack/diaper bag that can be worn alone or attached to the carrier as well as the waist pouch. 

The carriers made daily chores easier when Roo was little and she wanted to be close to me.

We are now shopping for a child carrier for hiking. This will make it easy for us to BO with Roo and not strain our arms carrying her. She is still too little to walk long distances or long periods on her own.


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## mamak (Nov 28, 2012)

I have four kids and have often worried about this. They loved picking out their own hip pack or fanny pack. In it they have what they call their "camping stuff". Sunglasses, whistle, swiss army small pocket knife, camp utensils, small hand sanitizer, small bug spray, etc... I'll be adding to it as they get older. I already have certain items but I hold them. Obviously my 5 year old doesnt have a pocket knife but when she's ready for it one will be passed down and the older kid will get a bigger one and probably a multi-tool. They also have a basic BOB ready with a change of clothes depending the weather, extra pair of shoes, some snacks, fresh water will be included if we need to bug-out but their water bottles are in there, a hat, pair of kid size work gloves, and their hygeine kit. I have more things for them but it's not in their BOB's. They can only carry so much. I love the toy/book idea. I will include some of those items. Another thing they love to do whenever we go camping is to run off and find all the poison ivy they can and report back to us as to it's exact locations. They are very serious about this as this past summer a friend of theirs got it so bad she ended up in the hospital. She's 9 and it was so bad she had it head to toe. My kids love feeling a resposibility to the family. It's like their job to protect the family from poison ivy and I can't wait to teach them more plant indentification. 

Side note - Of course in their hip packs I have found random acorns, special rocks, little twigs and lots of leaves from camping trips. It happens every time!


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

My granddaughter is six and weighs about 45 lbs and we didn't want to weight her down with a lot of useless stuff so she just carrys all the liquer and ciggeretts.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

One thing is that they outgrow shoes faster than you can change them. Keep various sizes available. Boots are the best but sneakers will do too but they will wear faster.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

One thing I found out with my boys early on was that if all there was, was water to drink they tended not to drink enough to stay safely hydrated. So started really cutting the sodas back hard and started making jugs of Kool-aid for them or in really hot weather when we camped I"d make some of the sports drinks with electrolytes. I made sure in addition to the camping supplies to add canisters of the ready to add water canisters of these mixes and included it in The bobs. In the first few days of a bug out is not the time to add to stress by trying to force major changes or force the drinking of water. They will get used to it later when the mixes run out but the early days of confusion it would be best to have that little bit of normalcy and even though they are heavier I always used the mixes with real sugar the extra calories can't hurt when they are burning em up on the move.


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

One of my favorite blogs has more related info on it:
www.thesurvivalmom.com

If you don't have much time to look it over, just start with 'A List Of Lists' from the menu and choose what interests you.


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## the7wolf (Dec 4, 2012)

Reading these comments just shows me (further) how much more prepping I have to do to be 10% of ready. I have a wife, a 9-year old girl and the wife is coming up on 2 months pregnant. I think I'm about 50% prepared for my wife and I, the kid(s) not so much. I just hope bugging in is an option because the thought of having to bug out with kids makes me worry.


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## mma800 (May 7, 2012)

My youngest just turned 9, but I think to prep for a baby or toddler would include some type of playpen. Maybe the type that u can fold up and take to the beach for part of BOB or GHB. A pack and play would be too heavy and bulky, but it would be nice to have one at any Bol. Used pack and plays are for sale at consignment shops etc. just be careful for models that have been recalled.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

mma800 said:


> My youngest just turned 9, but I think to prep for a baby or toddler would include some type of playpen. Maybe the type that u can fold up and take to the beach for part of BOB or GHB. A pack and play would be too heavy and bulky, but it would be nice to have one at any Bol. Used pack and plays are for sale at consignment shops etc. just be careful for models that have been recalled.


Sometimes Costco has a basic Graco pack n play for less than $30.

If you need ideas for infant preps there is a thread called 'maternity kits' that has lots of ideas when prepping for baby.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Wouldn't one of the kiddie sized dome tentswork as a playpen? or even your BOB shelter? Might be one instance I'd just upgrade my Bob from tarps and ponchos to a actual lil tent. Then it make s a safe place for the lil guy or gal and shelter, and unlike a open topped play pen it would offer some protection from flyng stinging things when your not watching for them yourself. Would seem to add less weight Than a whle separate play pen. If you did go with a playpen I"d add some skeeter neting for it over the top. It's one thing if you are right there with em but if you are using hte playpen whyile you are busy with other stuff it would be a sickening feeling to come back and find bsabby has been swarmed with stinging things because you didn't realize there was a nest nearby. Have actually done that set up over a yellow jacket ground nest. How they dind't get me right off setting up I dunno but they waited till after I dropped the boy in. I was right there but could have been bad if it was SHTF and I"d moved off to grabb fire wood or somthing.


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## hillobeans (May 17, 2012)

mma800 said:


> My youngest just turned 9, but I think to prep for a baby or toddler would include some type of playpen. Maybe the type that u can fold up and take to the beach for part of BOB or GHB. A pack and play would be too heavy and bulky, but it would be nice to have one at any Bol. Used pack and plays are for sale at consignment shops etc. just be careful for models that have been recalled.


Too bad you don't live closer to Portland- I've got a Pack n' Play by the front door that is just waiting to be dropped off at Goodwill. Most likely you should be able to score one very cheaply off Craigslist.


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## mma800 (May 7, 2012)

Thanks ! I do not need a pack n play....my kids are 12, 11, and 9.
Just giving my 2 cents to anyone prepping for toddlers. I do keep a small stash of disposable diapers, cloth diapers and infant formula in my preps. Ya never know who may need when SHTF. 

Last summer, I took all our old baby gear (that didnt go to friends or family )to a consignment store. I got almost $600 and was able to buy our Berkey water filter system without my husband flipping out!
:2thumb:


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

mma800 said:


> Thanks ! I do not need a pack n play....my kids are 12, 11, and 9.
> Just giving my 2 cents to anyone prepping for toddlers. I do keep a small stash of disposable diapers, cloth diapers and infant formula in my preps. Ya never know who may need when SHTF.
> 
> Last summer, I took all our old baby gear (that didnt go to friends or family )to a consignment store. I got almost $600 and was able to buy our Berkey water filter system without my husband flipping out!
> :2thumb:


After we are done having kids I plan on doing the same thing. I'll keep a small stash of gender neutral clothing, moses basket, cloth diapers and our crib- my DH spent 2 months refinishing the antique crib while I was pregnant with Roo. Anything that was handmade will be kept to hand down if S doesn't HTF first.


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