Are your children ready for an EMERGENCY?

Earlier this month when a bus crashed in Tennessee. many children did not know their parents names. birthdays, phone numbers or addresses the article stated this made it very difficult for doctors and other Emergency Personnel to contact parents. These five pieces of information are key to First Responders in helping children when they are separated from theur parents.

I encourage all parents to ensure their children know and can recite from memory five basic pieces  of before the first day of Kindergarten.

Their Full Name
The full name of both parents
Home Address
Home/Cell Number of Mom or Dad
Birth Date

In addition, parents should place this same information in their children's backpack (by taping the information into a sealed envelop on the bottom labeled ICE). This is in case for some reason your child can not give the information themselves. It is imperative for adults to prepare childen for emergency situations. One way to do this is to "drill" by asking over and over the information whith your children. At some point they will sigh heavily because you are making them say it over and over again. However, the more you ask the better they will know it. When an emerbency happens it will have become second nature to give the information. This is the reason to make them say it over and over.

I encourage you to begin working on this immediately even with your older children. Be sure they can answer thses questions. It will make a very scaary and difficult time a little easier for both of you!

Believe in Parenting