Photograph by angelinanguyen96’s

Does your family enjoy meals around the dinner table?  We have found that meal time is a great opportunity to learn more about our children and is the perfect opportunity to teach or instruct them on various topics.

For this week, we would like you to take our dinner time discussion challenge.  Your goal is to inquire and find out what the most important comfort item is for each person in your family; including your spouse and yourself. This may be the one item that can sooth and comfort them when everything else around them seems foreign after an earthquake, evacuation or other disturbance.

Simply ask your children to talk about their favorite things, or toy, or what one thing they would bring with them if you were to go on an adventure.  You may already know what their comfort item would be.  They may be too young to tell you so you may have to decide for them.

An infant may find comfort with a pacifier and a favorite blanket.  A toddler may want a favorite stuffed animal.  A teenager may want their ipod or other electronic device. (These types of items can be tricky to bring along for an evacuation.) A journal or a drawing pad would be easier to grab.

What would you want as an adult? It is easier to decide on these items before an emergency.  Keep a mental note of what your family members say during your dinner discussion.  Afterwards, make a written list to keep in your emergency binder.  Then, if an evacuation occurs, you will know which comfort items to grab.

Your children do not need to know the real intent of your inquiry.  Make this conversation part of a casual dinner time discussion. You might be surprised what they will say!

What will you learn from this experience?  What would you want to bring on an evacuation “adventure?”

(If dinner does not happen around the dinner table, be sure and find the answer to this question while in the car traveling or other setting that works for your family.)