Getting Kids Ready For Disasters At School

When a disaster happens and your child(ren) is in school, it can be incredibly scary as a parent. Fortunately, many schools have begun to take steps towards preparedness on top of the usual fire and tornado drills. Many of the schools here in Washington and throughout the country ask parents to put together a small emergency kit that usually includes a few snacks, bottled water, and sometimes even a change of clothes.

But it's not enough. If you remember seeing the devastation in Japan after the earthquake last year, it may have weighed heavily on your mind. Here are a few tips to make sure your children are ready for a disaster to happen while they are on school.

First of all, make sure your children are well aware of stranger danger! Teach your kids to be careful, and not leave the school grounds unless they are accompanied by a teacher or principal, a trusted relative, or a fireman/police officer. (the latter, be sure that children are aware of what their uniform should look like, and older kids should know to ask to see a badge!)

Have you put together a meeting place near the school yet? Is it a tree in the school yard? A house across the street? The football field? Make sure your child is aware of where to meet, and stop by the area on a regular basis so if anything changes - such as the tree being cut down! - you can choose a new safe spot together.

Does your child know their address and phone number? Is it memorized? If communications are down - and it probably would be after a tornado, for instance - do they have another relative they (or the school) should try to reach, such as Grandma in another state, or Uncle Joey an hour away? Make sure all emergency contact numbers are up to date at the school! I cannot stress this enough - last week I received a phone call from a school employee who was trying to track down a student's mom, and was hoping I could help get a hold of her. (We know the school/mom/employee) Luckily, it wasn't a life or death situation, but it was still very urgent.

Make sure your child's coat and backpack are labeled with their name and number INSIDE, so if they are unresponsive or in shock after a disaster has struck, that the emergency personnel can immediately contact you. If whatever has happened is very bad - such as an earthquake - the teacher may be occupied with the other students or injured themselves and unable to tell the personnel who is who.

If your child's school has not asked for an emergency kit to be together, make one! Grab a spare makeup or small travel bag, and add a bottle or two of water, several snack bars (make sure you check that the date is far out!), and any medication they might need (such as a spare inhaler) after clearing this with the school. If you have space, you can add things from hand warmers (kids love these!) to glow sticks to hand sanitizer. Your child can keep this in their desk or locker.

Speaking of hand sanitizer, encourage your kids to keep one inside their desk or backpack, and to use it frequently. Schools naturally harbor plenty of germs, and the hand sanitizer could help them fight off the latest bug to go around.