Prepping kids

How are you preparing
moominmama
Posts: 39
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2017 1:23 pm

Re: Prepping kids

Post by moominmama »

such an important topic - thank you for prompting the discussion.

one of the main things, if not the main thing that i consider is money - i work with a lot of younger colleagues in 20's and 30's and most if not all have no financial sense, they do not save (at all) or pay into a pension, they live month to month, they say it is due to low income and paying rents, i work part time and manage to raise a family on the same grade half a salary - my husband is part time as well. My nephews are teenagers and have no concept of money - i have lost track of the number of smart phones, etc. they have had. That is the norm. So...

we have a monthly saving account for our son, and go in person with him to pay money in, and every time we go i explain the importance of saving. I don't do it online as he would not 'experience' it. He has a piggy bank, and gets a £1 a week pocket money, every week irrespective of behaviour, and anything he wants that we would not buy for him he has to use his own money for. We have a chart for us to count and mark his 'saved' pocket money on with the 'big' toy he is saving for.
http://www.couponsaregreat.net/wp-conte ... sChart.pdf (tips out the $ and write in £)
He can spend this pocket money on anything he wants - but then he understands and learns the more little things he spends his money on the longer it takes to buy his 'big' toy. He has a reward chart as well and if he gets his target gold stars he can choose his reward - extra money, a small toy, an ice cream, etc.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00 ... 15XP&psc=1
We do a Christmas list for him, and he can pick 5 things to put on it. I really recommend this - it is a really fun way limiting him choosing to much
https://www.bakerross.co.uk/santa-chris ... 5ce27c208a

And we talk to him about things when we shop about what we are buying and how we are making decisions, and pay cash as often as we can so he sees and understands money.

Grow your own!
We grow our own fruit and veg, only a small proportion of what we eat but really useful as a learning tool. We seed save as well, and that is really good for children.

Chickens?
Do you have room for chickens? Bantams?

Cooking
I have volunteered with teenagers who could not peel an apple, no joke! lots of schools no longer cooking / baking so I would suggest talking about this, and not just cup cakes and muffins, but also things like meat balls and lasagne.

DIY
he has toy tools, but he also helps with diy, he helped us put up his new bed - this is very nerve racking and not for the faint hearted, but something kids should know, i never did any as very traditional family and girls did not do this, i really wish i had been shown about diy

Scouts / Beavers or equivalent
another vote for this - as soon as he is old enough he is going

Packing / planning / Prioritising
We do not drive so if going on holiday it is limited to luggage that we can easily carry on. He has his own back pack and trolley bag for day trips and holidays, and we pack together and he has to carry or wheel his luggage. If it does not fit in we cannot take it, and we plan what we take - spare clothes, books, torch, blankie, a few toys, and maybe spare fruit pouches.

Food bank
when we are in our local food bank we buy something for the food bank, and i explain that we are very lucky that our family can look after ourselves, but that sometimes things happen and people need a bit of help, and that we should be grateful and appreciate that we can look after each other and plan for when something may happen to us, so that we can still look after our selves

any suggestions would be gratefully received, increasingly I fear the future is going to be difficult and challenging for our children and I want to do everything I can to prepare him for that.
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Prepping kids

Post by Arzosah »

Great post, moominmama
moominmama
Posts: 39
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2017 1:23 pm

Re: Prepping kids

Post by moominmama »

Hi,

Have come across a book called Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt, for younger children but it talks about a prep plan and kit, and have found it a useful starting point to talk about these things.