Family preps

[preservefreak]

I'm not sure if this is the right section for this thread, if its not please let me know and I'll remake it in the right place.

I am hoping for some advice from the more experienced/intelligent members of the forum than myself. My OH is a normal person (sorry its hard to use the term sheeple about someone I love but its true), and like most believes what she is told by the news and by the government. She is convinced that the world can continue as it is long after we've both passed on.

I have explained to her my fears about peak oil, climate change, solar events, shut down of the power grid. I have shown her all the videos that have lead me to believe we need to prepare, I have rationally and logically explained to her as much as I am able why and how I think we should be getting ready.

The response has always been along the lines of that can't happen and or the government will look after us. She has been very good humoured and patient about my new 'hobby' but has told me she thinks it not needed and a waste of money.

I was hoping someone could give me some guidance as to what to try next. and if I can't convince her of the need for preps should I just continue to do so anyway? I love her very much and there's no way I'm going to stop prepping or not store her share too. If any of you had/have hard to convince OHs how did you go about working around it. I don't mind preparing and having her think I'm crazy, I'm just worried that her complacency will lead to her getting hurt if TSHTF. any advice or guidance will be greatly appreciated

[Magz]

The price of food is rising and it's rising fast! wages, jobs and benefits are being cut, so if for no other reason she should except that storing food now while it's still cheaper is a good idea. The cost of gas and electric will rise by hundreds of pounds over the next year, National grid talk of striking, an alternative form of heating and cooking and light is not a waist of money, wind up lanterns, camping stove, calor gas heaters are good to have at the best of times. Bad weather nearly always ends in a burst water wipe, if hers went off for just a a few days, how would she drink, wash, clean, flush the loo , so storing water makes sense.
I have the same problem with my family, they think I'm mad. Look up reports on hurricane Katrina and likes of, an show her how the Government took care of them poor souls NOT! give her real life facts to ponder over, and keep prepping , good luck.

[preppingsu]

I agree with both NR and Magz.
There is no guarentee of a teaching job at the end of training so my food prep will cover the lack of money coming in.
Look around at the floods this country has suffered - Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire lost water due to flooding at the treatment plant (argument for water storage). Cumbria/Hull - many people had to be evacuated from their homes (argument for BOB's).
Recent snow had seen a lack of supplies in smaller rural communities (argument for food storage, extra heating/cooking source)
We are seeing cutbacks in every sector at the mo. Even our local libraries are now closing to save the council money. Eventually there will be cutbacks in healthcare (argument for knowing first aid, having first aid supplies and learning alternative/herbal remedies)
What is being sprayed/used on our fresh food? We don't know the side affects of this BUT there has been an increase in cancers, children with autism/aspergers/ADHD etc etc Are these linked to chemicals in our food????????? (argument for growing and storing your own fresh food plus saving money and not putting it into the big corporate pockets.)
I'm sure I could go on but apple pies are crying out to be eaten!
Hope that helps. Preppingsu.

[preppingsu]

PF if your missus believes the government will come and help her in a disaster, simply refer her to Sky News tonight and the main story of a 60 miles long line of stuck vehicles on the M8 in Scotland, and the long conversation the Sky reporter had with a Mr Shoshani a motorist stuck with thousands of other on the motorway for over 8 hours in temps never getting higher than minus 4.

According to Mr Shoshani the police know they are all there but have been completely overwhelmed by the bad weather and can not reach them. the cops say officially they cant get through to rescue of help all these people. Thats just one road and one piece of bad weather andf the govt and authorities are buggered. Pregnant women, diabetics, cars with children in, the lot stuck without hope of any rescue in the near future.
In other places people have been snow in for 8 days now, In others schoolkids have been stuck on snowed in school buses all day without help. on the A66 truckers are stuck on Bowes moor for the 4th day in a row.

Hadn't seen this bit of news. Even I am shocked and disgusted that no help was avaliable .
However, will these people become preppers as a result of their misfortune. I doubt it!

[diamond lil]

I'll tell you - if this is Lanarkshire then I believe anything of the cops there. Hard-faced sods who wouldnt give you a drink of water if you were dying.

[Survival65]

PF, I am in a similar situation to you. I'm quite new to prepping, but your situation sounds so familiar. My parents think that the government won't let anything happen, and it's "outside the realms of reality" to even have a BOB. This hasn't stopped them borrowing some of my EDC equipment though. They will probably always think the government will be there, but I think they are coming round to the idea of a basic EDC.

One of the things I suggest you don't start with is peak oil/solar flare. That will make you appear to be the crazy guy. Start by pointing out that preps are useful to have in every day life. Being stuck on the motorway for a whole day for instance, or having to stay on a train overnight. These things have happened, so she can't say that "it won't happen". How many times have you been in a situation and thought how much easier it would have been you had a specific item. How many people stuck in cars on the motorway tonight will be wishing they had packed blankets, energy bars, and bottled water?

Insurance is a good analogy. You wear a seatbelt in your car, but you aren't expecting it to crash. You are wearing a seatbelt just in case, the same as prepping.

I often draw my parents attention to news broadcasts (such as the people stuck on the train) to prove my point about prepping. I think I am making progress, but very slowly. I'd be quite interested in hearing your progress on this, we're in the same boat so to speak.

[Carrot Cruncher]

I did pretty much the same as what others have said, point out things on the news where a little prep would have made the difference. It's not worth going on and on about it as no one likes being nagged but as long as you use a bit of common sense i am sure the oh will come round to a certain extent eventually.

One of the things that worked for me was to point out what would happen to our dogs (we both prefer dogs to most people ) if we ever had to be evacuated with the sheep to the local gym etc. At the very best they would be removed from you and put into kennels somewhere but much more likely they would have to fend for themselves.

MrsCC will never be a full blown "preper" but she is happy for me to do the things that will help the family. She is on board enough to the extent that she told me about the Aldi Generator and that it was a bargain and we should get it.

As long as you dont start every conversation with mention of Guns n Bunkers, The end of the world, Aliens, NWO, Zombies etc, I am sure most people will see eventually that a bit of extra food and general prepping is just common sense.

CC

[scoobie]

Morning.. I had similar issues. The best thing I can advise is to start small and obvious. By that, I mean use examples of things happening in the news (i.e the snow) and what you could do to make that situation easier if it were you. I'd leave peak oil/solar flares/etc alone until they are properly on board with prepping, and open to listening to things happening in the world which isn't necessarily covered in the MSM

[preservefreak]

thank you all for the amazing advice. I do think I've been going on a bit much about it and going too heavy handed too early. I am quite prone to nagging my OH is very easy going and tends to be happy to drift through life, I'm the one who always brings her back down to earth with annoying questions like "that sounds lovely but how about you go to a few lessons and see if you enjoy playing violin before spending hundreds of pounds on one".

I think I will lay off for a while and then start again much more gently. That said this sudden weather has been very useful in some ways. god save the souls of the people who have died and the hundreds who are STILL stuck on the roads in Scotland, but it has moved the OHs opinion a little. We were unable to get off the hill in Sheffield we live on for 5 days last week, and we started running out of little essentials.

It helped my cause a little I think every time my OH said something along the lines of "we're out of oats and the shops are empty" and I could go up stairs to the study (man-caves are the best invention since kilner jars) and produce said item. the powdered milk didn't go down too well as a drink but was ace in hot chocolates and porridge!

[allan]

Just got my misses to let me fill all of the water jerry cans I had in the garage. Reason she gave in the the old couple next doors pipes froze over night and came round to ask us to fill some bottles for him.