Recommendation Wednesdays

Yesterday, I got a frantic call from a good friend who was at the hospital with her husband who had appendicitis. She needed someone to pick up her daughter from school and watch her until her mother was able to come down from Annapolis. Fortunately for my friend, her daughter was not only in my son's pre-school class, but she had spent a lot of time around me, so she knew me and was not alarmed at all when I picked her up instead of Mommy. Also lucky for my friend was the fact that I had an extra car seat at my house that I could put into my car to actually put her kid in.

Emergencies happen, I get that, that is why they are called emergencies. Inevitably these nasty cluster situations rear their ugly heads when you are sick, tired, having your period, out of diapers and milk, and forced to leave your messy house without a charged cell phone to get into your car that has an empty gas tank. That being said, I know you can't predict when these emergencies will arise, but you can plan in some ways that will help you deal with the situation when and if they do arise and trust me, if you have children, emergencies will arise.

Check out these tips below for how to always be prepared for emergencies:

1. Phone Numbers-Make sure that you have all the important phone numbers that you need programmed into your cell phone. This includes, your kids' school, friends and family who you can contact in the event of an emergency, poison control, the local hospital, your doctor as well as your kids' doctor's office. Also save a contact in your phone under the title ICE (In case of Emergency). That way if you are ever in an accident and someone finds you or your phone, they will know who to call on your behalf.

2. House Preparation-Write out information sheets about your children's needs/schedules etc. so that if someone does have to jump in and help you out they will be aware of things like feeding times, bedtimes, and allergies. Also, put a card with your home address and phone number and the numbers for poison control , the local hospital, and emergency contact information BY EACH PHONE in your home. That way if there is an accident or an emergency situation while you are not home, the caregiver can take the necessary steps to intervene.

3. Car-Have a bag or bin in your car that is stocked with the necessary supplies, should you experience an emergency while outside of your home. For example, what if you are at the park and one of your kids falls and hits his head? What is your emergency plan? Do you have everything that you need in the car should you have to drive right to the hospital?

4. Go Bag-Do you have one packed? Do you even know what a Go Bag is? Somewhere in your home you should have one duffle bag packed with supplies for the entire family should there be a situation that presents itself and forces you to leave your home immediately. This bag should include things like cash, first aid supplies, bottled water, food supplies, a flashlight etc.

5. Keep your tank above the half way mark-This is a great trick that my husband taught me when I was pregnant with our first child. He told me to never leave my gas tank less than half full. The reason being that if I ever got lost in a sketchy part of town, or if I had an emergency, I wouldn't have to stop and fill up. It's a basic rule of thumb to live by, but a very practical one. It has saved me many a time.

I hope that you find these tips useful and that you take the necessary steps to implement an emergency preparedness plan.