Prepping with/for kids

[Chickengirl]

ok, so some of us have kids, or want to have kids, or expect to have other people's kids living with them as TSHTF

What are the basics needed to prep for having kids aged 0-14 living with you?

Food

Shelter

Clothing

Health needs

I'll talk about what we are doing and what our plans are, but it would be really great to hear from other people what they think too, kids or no kids  (looking at you Jim, you're a smart cookie)


Ok, about us - two adults,  in reasonable health (and improving that as we go), with no major medical problems. An 8 yr old girl with no major medical problems, although she wears glasses (hopefully not for too much longer) and is allergic to penicillin, a baby boy with no medical problems, and another on the way (last one!). That should give you an idea of where I'm coming from, and why somethings , like prepping for a child with medical problems or disability, haven't been considered here yet.



Food - Kids have different nutritional needs from adults. The brain doesn't finish fully forming until about the age of 23, and in the early years, brain food is important. Kids have a higher need for fats that most adults, and burn through calories pretty fast. Kids are also at a higher risk of nutritional deficiencies that will affect them later on in life.

I've just finished reading a book about the Great Depression in Australia, and one of the things they talked about was the high incidence of things like rickets, scurvy etc due to a very poor diet (think white bread, tea, jam, sugar - all cheap, if you could get any- and few fruits or veges, little milk, eggs, meat). Young children who were relatively healthy before the depression were becoming seriously ill and malnourished after only a few years, developing severe cases of rickets and falling victim to infections and illnesses that would have caused little trouble if they were in good health.

So food is important!Fresh food even more so.

 Finding a really good book (or two) on nutrition for kids is a good idea. I haven't found any myself yet, but if I do I'll put up some titles

What are we doing?

We have the space (80 acres, not all suitable for cropping, most suitable for grazing) to be able to grow a fair bit of our own food - fruit, veges, meat, dairy, grains. We aren't growing all that yet (not even close), but we have plans drawn up to allow us to do so. We have vege gardens (need to expand them), some fruit trees in, poultry, and are starting our own small flock of meat sheep.

Our plans are as follows -

Vege gardens to have access to green pick, herbs and salad pick up near the house. Larger area set aside for bigger beds of foods like tomatoes, brassica, legumes, potatoes, melons, pumpkins etc etc

A few fruit trees up near the house (mature mangoes,  young lemon, lime, mulberry, banana, pawpaw), then putting in a 1 acre orchard of mixed fruit and nuts, including citrus, macadamia, olives, legumes (nitrogen), suitable stone fruit, a few tropical apples (its too hot really), pecans, avocado, longans, lychees, and no doubt lots more

Small flocks of meat animals (we can only do this because we have the space to grow both the animals and thier food) including chooks, ducks, geese, goats, sheep, cows, pigs.

We also have a creek and dams for fish.

We should be able to provide a fairly varied diet for both adults and kids.

What we do will be different to what people in suburban areas will need to do - so those in suburbia, what are you doing?



(will post about shelter later, have cranky baby  )

[madison]

My situation is that I'm a single mom with a six year old somewhat special needs boy.  He's ADHD, possibly bipolar and deaf in one ear.  I'm just fat and out of shape, but in the past have been in excellent shape when pushed.  Our resources are extremely limited.  Our imagination is vast, lol.  I do have skills in cob building, gardening, seed saving and cooking. 

I am thinking we're pretty much stuck where we are (with one set of ill defined back up plans of joining my best friend in Colorado), in a small rural town in Oregon's Willamette Valley.  A farily good place to be imho. 

As for kids, I could conceivably end up wtih alot.  If so, I hope they have inherit houses, at least one!  No joke.

Anyway, I am a trained doula, so my first thought is prepping for childbirth, newborns, infants, and toddlers.  I'll likely post back another time about preschoolers, school age kids and older kids.

For childbirth, for now stock up on folic acid and prenatal vitamins, if you expect to get pregnant in the next couple of years.  Take a doula certification class, and learn so much about birth in preparation for your own someday orhelping someone you love.  There are also homeirth kits sold online that would contain everything you might need to give birth at home, in the absence of hospital style medical care.  Find out where your local midwives have their offices/centers.  Get this information now while we still have the ability to do so.  Buy a couple of kits from an online store.

For newborns, you need little beyond clothing, diapers and milk.  If you have inverted nipples, get a fwe nipple sheilds.  If you think you might pump for an additional bottle fed baby at some point as a nursing mother, get a hand breastpump and a few glass bottles 9or plastic if you must) and silicon nipples.  A sling is very helpful, especially if you must work with the babe along, or are gardening or working for your alien slave master.  Really, newborns are easy. 

Unless you have complications.  Then, for nursing problems, go find a few finger feeders, an SNS (supplemental nursing system), a cleft palate package of nipples for bottle feeding and a much better breast pump (electric, Medela) or a good handpump (Aveda). 

[madison]

Cloth diapers and covers are fun!  I'm sure that's not what comes to mind when you see "diapering" but it is!  There is so much to choose from now, some really fabulous styles.

What's best about cloth diapers, though, is that they are really good for a baby's butt, as long as you change the baby often enough.  Cloth diapers are not as scratchy as the paper disposable diapers, adn do a better job of airing out the butt skin.  I personally love shopping at www.katieskisses.com and www.greenmountaindiapers.com.  I like fitted diapers with wool covers, my personal preference.  My favorite cloth diapers are Under the Nile organic fitteds, my second favorite are Mother-Ease fitted one size diapers, and then any fitted, and then premium Chinese prefolds (the flat ones).  Absolutely the worst are the ones sold in department stores like Target or WalMart.  Favorite covers are wool Aristocrats, then Lana wool covers, then wool wraps of any sort, then PUL covers like Bummis or ProWrap, and then, well... nothing else.  I'd rather make a wool cover from a felted wool sweater than the plastic pull up pants for cheap at WalMart. 

Older babies need some safe toys, I'm sure they'll be some around.  More clothing, same nursing situation.  As they come to desire solid food, a baby mill will come in handy.  I do have several infant and toddler cookbooks, I'll see if I can find them.  After 9/10/11/12 months, baby should be able to handle finger foods and smaller versions of whatever you are eating, without seasonings.  Then babe just needs a clean dish/high chair to eat from.  There are some nice toddler proof dishes out there now, and containers for carrying snacks and whatnot.  Really, if a baby is breastfed, and mom is eating a well balanced diet with enough calories, baby should thrive.  Even if mom is not eating the best, baby should nurse and because dirty bottles and watered down formula kills thousands of babies every day in third world countries.  Even with milk of poor quality, the baby is still getting immune system enhancing stuff from monm, which could make the difference between life and death.  Let me go find nursing books and cookbooks. 

Be back later. 

[MEA]

I'm very glad to see this topic here, and not in women's issues.

I'm prepping as a single mother (by adoption) with 2 speical needs children who need a lot of supervision, so the idea of taking responsibity for more children is overwhelming. However, my older daughter is a tremendous help in preps and in everyday life -- she can cook for us, mends her own clothing, gardens, knits, sews .. all things I don't have to do all the time. And the younger one is able to help in her own way. I also have aging parents, so even as my children become more indepentent, I wouldn't chose to take other children on. It's great that there are so many people here who are planning to do just that.

I think a great topic would be feeding infants who don't come with a breastfeeding mother attached. I was pleased to see that the issues of feeding toddles and weaning infants wasn't just dealt with under "if they are hungery, they'll eat."


On the topic of nappies -- I just made the ones for my children -- worn cotton sheets and old towels.  Even now, I hang on to those things for people who might need them later.
MEA

[Dasha]

My girls are older (20 and 22) but they might be having babies some time in the future, so I have been buying baby and toddler clothes and diapers whenever I see them at a yard sale. I've been stocking up on receiving blankets too because they are good for making menstrual pads and diapers, as well as their intended purpose. I've also been buying kids shoes - they might be hard to come by in the future.

We have a large collection of kids books, puzzles and games but I'll still buy more if I find them for a really good price. I've kept all of our homeschooling supplies, such as they are - mostly art and craft supplies, some science and math resources. And we have a lot of reference books.

[Dasha]

I should also mention that I have a seriously great supply of condoms so that my daughters won't be having  babies until they really want them. At least that's the plan until the last condom best-before date passes...

[spring978]

I wanted to add we have a varied library of books that have served our older children for pleasure and homeschooling we will hold onto these books for our toddler to enjoy as well.  Books are both learning tools and companions and when things get tough having somthing to keep children quiet and happy is tough.   Crayons and paper are very very cheap at back to school time so I buy LOTS  these can be used for gifts for young kids and will also last forever  Heck my teenage daughter even requested her own box of new crayons last year.  Food coloring last almost forever  I have a couple of boxes it seems silly but a birthday cake is a big deal, so I  prep for it.  I also buy small gifts that get tucked away, like more books.  

Clothing,  After many years being both a single parent and dirt poor,  I still find myself collecting high quality items in  various sizes.  No my  3year old doesnt need a size 8  snow pants but I picked them up for a buck and know that he will use them later.  I buy ahead on many basic items.  I can buy 35 high quality items in various sizes for the price of a single item waiting till we have to have it.

I also prep keeping in mind that I could very well have Grandchildren in the next 5 years.

[HungryRaven]

I have a 4 and 8 year old.  I have been buying durable clothes for them to wear when they are larger all the way up to young adult size.  I will not be surprised if some year coming up there will not be anything available to buy and a little bit of clothing stockpiled for growing kids will not be a long term solution but takes one worry off the plate while we transition to a new way of living.

  In the long term we'll just have to see if the cotton industry can find a way to ship their products or if there will be cotton farms again in the US.  We can't grow cotton locally anyway so we might be back to the native way with a few enhancements.  Leather, fur and feathers with a little weaving that my ancestors did not have.   Feather jackets are pretty cool though so might have to figure out how to make one regardless.   

I hope to get a couple homestead cows next summer but will also have a couple dairy goats in case those don't work out.  Plus goats can save many young creatures including babies. 

[madison]

Drat, lost my whole post!  Well, here it is again, lol.

BTW, I am a doula trailed with Doula's of North America, a former Preschool Director/Infant-Toddler Nursery Director, I nearly have my bachelor's degree in Child Development and am a mom who breastfed and used cloth diapers.  My credentials, such as they are

Pre-Conception
"Taking Charge of Your Fertility" - Tony Weschler

Pregnancy
"The Pregnancy Book" by Dr. William Sears
"Pregnancy, Childbirth & The Newborn - the Complete Guide" by Peggy Simkin
"Eating for Pregnancy" - Catherine Jones & Rose Ann Hudson

Childbirth
"Mothering the Mother" by Marshall Klaus
"Motheirng the New Mother" by Sally Placksin
"Spiritual Midwifery" by Ian May Gaskin
"Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" by Ina May Gaskin
"Birting From Within" by Pam England and Rob Horowitz
"Childbirth Without Fear" by Grantly Dick-Read and Micehl Odent
"The Birth Partner" by Penny Simkin
"Homebirth" by Sheila Kitzinger

Breastfeeding
"Breastfeed Your Baby" by Sheila Kitzinger'
Le Leche League's "Womanly Art of Breastfeeding"
and the "Breastfeeding Answer Book"
"The Breastfeeding Book" by Dr. William Sears and Martha Seears

Cookbook
"Super Baby Food" by Ruith Yaron

[madison]

For infants, it is likely that in the future there won't be "send the kid to daycare".  If you're lucky, you'll have friends and family to help.  If not, then a sling is your new best friend.

My favorite was the Maya wrap.  Just a length of fabric without padding, it also functions as a picnic blanket, napping blanket, tissue, extra pocket, rain hat and washcloth as the situation demands, lol.  Easy to use, easy to launder, many styles.  Comfortable when it's hot, fits all sizes of people.  www.mayawrap.com 

Other slings work well, too.  I also loved the Ergo for when my little one was a toddler and carried him on my back more securely.  www.ergobabycarrier.com

[madison]

Cloth diaper links I like and used:

www.katieskisses.com 

www.greenmountaindiapers.com

Don't forget, if you buy flat Chinese prefold diapers, you'll need something to hold them together with, buy lots of Snappis!

Aristocrat wool diaper covers
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/woolcompare.htm

Lana Wool diaper covers
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/covers.htm#lana

Other diaper covers:
Bummis Super Whisper Wraps & Polar Wraps
Imse Vimse Covers
Biobottoms Covers
STacinator Polar Fleece Wraps

[madison]

Other miscellaneous things for kids:

Those little fingernail clipper sets - those are great and make cheap gifts
First aid kits, including syrup of Ipacac (sp?), Infant Tyleonl, children's Tylenol, etc.
Receiving blankets, including the wonderful fleece ones that I have to touch in the stores
Hats in general
Wool socks for little ones, especially if you use them instead of shoes
http://www.hannaandersson.com/style.asp?from=SC%7C8%7C1%7C156%7C45%7C9%7C%7C
Sleep hats from Hanna Andersson 
http://www.hannaandersson.com/style.asp?from=SC%7C1%7C1%7C156%7C47%7C10%7C%7C&simg=22733_W14
Sleep Sacks
http://www.hannaandersson.com/style.asp?from=SC%7C6%7C1%7C156%7C309%7C8%7C%7C&simg=35467_D42
I also like their Swedish Mocassins for little feet
http://www.hannaandersson.com/style.asp?from=SC%7C9%7C1%7C156%7C45%7C9%7C%7C&simg=22896_Y00

[madison]

I am also stocking up on underwear for my son, lol.  I buy one package every time I have an extra $10.  Someday he'll thank me for clean underwear

The Sierra Trading Post has some excellent sales on good name brand stuff.  I order online or get it when I visit family in Reno
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/

But REI also has good $10 wool socks. 

I also have a couple cans of infant formula put up (even though I detest the thought), just in case I end up with an infant and cannot acquire a goat anytime soon in barter.  Infants cannot drink cow milk - the proteins are too large.  Goats milk is much better!  However, just to be on the safe side... if I don't use them, they get rotated out to the Food Bank before their expiration dates. 

[madison]

As far as potentially having to homeschool my child someday, or find someone else who will!, I am saving up books I'm getting from Goodwill, where they are a dollar.  I find really good science books there for some reason.  Last week I got one on the internal composition of 1 square foot of an average pond, a book on the weather and a book on spiders, each for $1.  I also find history books, biographies, autobiographies etc for between $1 and $3. 

My local Goodwill also has a good toy section - I occassionally find really excellent puzzles, board games and card games.

Back to School sales rock!  I've stocked up on pencils and sharpeners, crayons, erasers, markers etc.  If not for homeschooling, they'll make excellent stocking stuffers too, if you celebrate Christmas.

Another thing I am trying to do is buy ONE birthday gift and ONE Christmas gift until he's 18 years old and hide them.  If TSHTF and it's TEOTWAWKI in serious shit, should we survive, he'll at least get one good gift.  It's really hard trying to think that far ahead, but it's not hard when you think "what kid wouldn't like a great pocketknife" etc.  I've bought some books, games, waterbottles, a slingshot, a harmonica etc.   He may or may not like them, but they'll be new

[MEA]

You can tie them on -- both my daughters were diapered like that before they came come (10 and 20 montus). After that, I wimped out, and used pins.

MEA