Any prepper would agree that prepping for survival is hard, but convincing the family to get on board with it is harder.
We preppers are often left conflicted because we have the best intentions of keeping the clan safe and away from possible danger. However, we don’t wanna sound like some mad person obsessing over the end of the world.
How exactly do you sway your whole household to start prepping for survival? Here are 7 ways to do so:
Start a Conversation About the Importance of Prepping for Survival
Before you get too excited talking about prepper stuff and slang that none of your family members relate to, it would be wise to sit down with them first and explain what prepping is and why it’s crucial.
A word of warning: expect your household to be skeptical about the whole topic and call you nuts. Doomsday scenarios like a zombie apocalypse or nuclear holocaust won’t convince them to consider prepping. But disasters closer to homes like hurricanes and wildfires will.
The key to winning over your audience is making your discussion as relatable and personal as possible. Maybe talk about the possibility of a major earthquake shaking your town. Since quakes are impossible to predict, your best shot at survival is prepping your survival supplies beforehand.
They still won’t bat an eye? Hit ‘em with the realities of the pandemic that no one saw coming. If that doesn’t convince your people to start prepping for survival, we don’t know what will.
Disasters can happen at any time, often with little to no warning. Here are two reminders of why it’s important to gear up for them:
- Being prepared can significantly reduce the fear, anxiety, danger, and losses your family may face.
- Prepping can also help lessen the impact of disasters, and sometimes, it avoids the risk entirely if you’re lucky.
Convince Them to Start Small
One thing that might discourage your family from getting into SHTF prepping is the amount of money that it’ll cost them. Truth be told, prepping doesn’t come cheap. Prepper things like building a survival pantry and gathering your arsenal of survival gear can hurt your pockets, and they can take up a lot of your time and energy.
But here’s the thing: you don’t have to do everything all at once, especially when you’re just beginning. Try encouraging your family members to start small by packing their everyday carry items or making their own mini survival kits.
Your loved ones can always take it day by day, and they’ll be surprised by their progress after months of prepping. If they’re also the type of folks who love DIY stuff, these projects might make prepping fun for them. Candle making, starting an indoor garden, or whipping up a pemmican recipe are fantastic projects to work on.
Gift Them Something Related to Preparedness
For family members who need a little extra convincing but won’t make any effort, you might have a better chance just giving them something that has to do with prepping—for example, an emergency kit to spark a conversation. You can try your luck with a bug out vehicle emergency kit, a decent first aid kit, or a nifty wallet multitool. Either one of these basic survival supplies is already a good start.
Hopefully, these small tokens will be enough to change their mindset about prepping for survival. And if all goes well, they will help your loved ones think about what else they might need if they find themselves in a tight situation.
Watch Survival Movies Together
If they’re still tough nuts to crack, invite your family to a movie marathon because there’s no better way to know more about prepping for survival than watching films about it. Plus, this is a more fun way to engage everyone on the topic while learning a survival skill or two.
Choose survival movies that are based on actual events as much as possible. This way, they’ll know for sure that life-and-death situations happen in real life, too, and they’re not just some crazy hearsay.
Hand Them Survival Books
If your words don’t sway them, maybe they’ll believe something published in print. Try introducing the subject of SHTF prepping by handing them survival books to read in their spare time.
They won’t find better tried-and-tested information on survivalism than in these books. And since a lot of research and experience goes into making survival books, your skeptical family won’t have reason to question the contents. Plus, who knows, they might become prepping converts.
Use Local News to Your Advantage
There are lots of natural and man-made disasters reported on the news every day. And there’s a good chance that at least one of those unfortunate events like floods, tornadoes, and snowstorms hit close to home.
Flip through your local news channels regularly and find a way to bring up the topic. It’s a good idea to start a conversation by asking your loved ones what they would do if they’re ever in a situation where they have to fight tooth and nail to survive.
Get Your Kids Involved
When disaster strikes, your children are the most vulnerable, so introducing your kids to the topic of prepping for survival is the wise thing to do.
Educating your youngsters about disasters like thunderstorms and blizzards and how to respond to them will help them gain a sense of understanding and control when faced with danger.
So that your brood is more equipped to respond quickly and safely in a crisis, it’s also best to involve them with activities such as assembling their own bug out bag. This way, they can feel reassured knowing there’s a plan in place.
Teaching your kids a survival skill or two will also come in handy if they have to get through a challenging situation on their own.
Final Thoughts
Let’s be honest—no matter how much you try to convince your whole family to start prepping for survival, some of them just won’t budge.
But at least you’ve done your part of educating your kin. Now, it’ll be up to them to act on the information they have.
As far as SHTF prepping is concerned, your spouse and kids matter most, so focus on helping them even if they’re not gung ho about preparedness.
Have you successfully persuaded your family to get into prepping? Share how you did it below!
