Parenthood involves teaching your children many things, from brushing your teeth to tying your shoes, but what’s just as important to instill is what to do in an emergency.

One component that Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management stresses during National Preparedness Month is youth preparedness. Deputy Coordinator Jeremy Cooper says it’s important to teach your children what to do in an emergency, “They do fire drills and tornado drills at school so why don’t we do them at home? Because if you’re not home, who’s guiding them to the basement or to that safe spot in their house or that safe spot outside the house? Their teacher is at school but what if you’re not at home? So you need to have those plans, practice them, do them a couple times a year at least.”

While you’re making your emergency kit, Cooper encourages parents to include their children in that process by making their own kit which could include their favorite stuffed animal, board games, books, or music. This can help comfort them in a disaster. For more information on youth preparedness, visit here.