Hurricane Kid Survival Kit: 9 Tips

CNN, Long Island News 12, and the Red Cross have been keeping us abreast of Hurricane Sandy who has her sights set on hitting Long Island within a few hours.  I guess she heard about ValleyStreamMom.com and wanted to see what it's all about.  I don't know...But what I don't hear thus far is how to survive the next few days with children who will be holed up in their homes until Lady Sandy blows over.  Here are a few things that I have in mind to help me through these next few days in case the power goes out.

1.  Wash ALL of your clothing!
I'm talking whites, darks, regulars, the good stuff and anything else you can think of.  There's nothing worse than opening your dresser drawers and finding only one pair of underwear after learning LIPA can't make it to your block for another 3 days.  Ewww! You can always wash dishes, but why?

2.  Use paper plates, cups and utensils
The dishwasher WILL go out along with your power and if you're anything like me you do not want to hand wash anything.  Have plenty of paper products on hand to alleviate any unnecessary labor.

3.  Fill Your Tub With Water
This isn't to take a bath, but it's to flush the toilet.  The last thing I want to do is smell my children's boo boo for days because the toilet won't flush.  Have a pitcher nearby to fill and pour the water into the toilet after #1 or #2 for easy flushing.  You'll thank me later.

4.  Juice Boxes Are A Must
You can only get away with giving your kids water for so long.  We all need a little sweetness in our lives so I hope you have enough Hi-C or Juicy Juice in your cupboard.  The good thing is that many juices do not need to be refrigerated.

5.  Water bottles
This is a must to stay alive.  More importantly, it's important to stay regular.  Nothing worse than a child getting plugged up because they haven't been drinking enough water to help push "it" through.  If your kids complain about drinking water, tell them it's a magical potion that helps keep the hurricane away.  Be creative.  Make something up.  We're moms.  That's what we do.

6. Charge all game devices and allow them 15 minutes every 3 hrs to play
They'll complain that they have to turn it off just after playing for a very short time, but they'll be find in about 5 minutes after you move on to #7.

7.  Have plenty of arts and crafts and other busying activities
I am the anti arts and crafts mom and totally hate the cleanup, however it's one of the best ways to keep a kid's attention.  Well, my daughter's anyway.

8. Board games
This is a great time to dust off and bring out the board games the kids have been asking to play since they were purchased.  We have Operation, Battle Ship, Connect Four, and a whole boat load of other games I've made excuses not to play.  Guess it's time to play them now.

9.  Pillow Castles
This was one of my all-time favorite activities as a kid.  I'm going to bring out a sheet this time for the roof.  My kids have never had a sheet.  I'll be the coolest mom ever after this.

Halloween may be cancelled so be prepared
Yes, this is totally self-promoting, but if the storm causes all Halloween activities to be cancelled, remind them that the "Wear it Again" Costume Party is still on the table this Sunday, November 4th at 3 p.m.  See you there!

Be safe.  Turn this into a learning exercise so your kid will be known as the "Know-it-All" for the day.