David and I have been quietly preparing ourselves for an emergency situation since last summer’s earthquakes reminded us just how unprepared our family was for that, or any emergency situation. Nerds that we are, we have done lots of research on what would be useful or necessary in a variety of situations that could affect our little family.
In light of the coronavirus Covid-19 that has rampaged Asia, Italy, and likely taken hold here in the United States, and how much hysteria and inaccuracy I’ve heard, I wanted to share the info we’ve learned as well as some resources. (I’ll be updating this post as new verifiable information develops, of course- most recently at 9 am, PST, 3/16.)
general emergency preparedness
At home, there’s some stuff that is just plain important to have on hand. Batteries, flashlights, reasonable amounts of toilet paper and water, candles and matches. A first aid kit, any prescription or non-prescription medicine, fever reducers, and disinfectants. Formula, diapers, and wipes if you have babies, litter and pet food for your animals. Make sure you have a safe spot where you keep copies of any important paperwork (also a good idea to have scans password-protected on your cloud storage). This is an excellent time to check your fire extinguisher (they expire, and won’t work if they are too old!) and make sure you have a bucket and a plunger.
Lots of things that we personally use and purchase are sold out, but I set up an ‘emergency prep’ section of my amazon storefront, which will continue to be updated after these quarantines have passed.
As far as consumables, we cook and eat at home almost always, and Ashe and David are big eaters so I generally keep a pretty stocked pantry and fridge. Shops around us are currently a madhouse with runs as people panic, and I know we’re all seeing viral images of people with unreasonable (selfish) stockpiles, so I wanted to share how a reasonable pandemic pantry on a budget looked for our family. And before I do, I want to be clear- there is no need or reason for a garage of food unless you regularly stock that much to feed your family- the idea is to minimize grocery shops and practice social distancing, not hoard stuff like you’re afraid of the zombie apocalypse. 🙄
We live in a petite 2:1 condo, without garage, expansive pantry, or really any un-utilized storage. So we have a small stash of bulk goods and staples that we’re calling call our pandemic pantry, in less than 3 square feet. I knew I needed to use our minimal space effectively (this is in our utility closet) so got an inexpensive vertical shelf with a tiny footprint and had David anchor it to the wall.
The main idea is to have staples that will hold for a bit, but also can quickly be used up within a typical meal plan. Rice, beans, pasta, canned veggies, tinned fish, spam, cereal. Applesauce, crackers, shelf stable whole milk boxes for Asher. Granola, protein bars, junk food and booze for us grown folk. Flour, butter, sugar, yeast, and baking supplies- for both sweets and replenishing staples. I made and froze double batches of bone broth and black beans last week as part of my usual weekly cooking, and we keep a few bags of frozen fruit (mangoes and berries) for when we run out of fresh.
Speaking of fresh- I got lots of eggs, some meat for this week and the freezer, extra cheese. We also bought our usual amount of fresh produce and a little bit extra to prep for the longest possible shelf/fridge life. Sweet and regular potatoes, onions, garlic, apples, citrus, and whole melons- all will last for several weeks in dark, dry, cool places. Asher eats tons of berries and perishable produce, so those I purchase and wash with cold vinegar water (it kills mold spores and doubles how long they last in the fridge). I dry carefully, and layer back into the containers with toweling to absorb any hiding moisture. I also vinegar wash any other fresh produce, and take everything out of airtight plastic and store in mesh bags or kitchen towel to mitigate moisture and spoilage.
I’m going to come back and add a list of recipes I’ll be cooking out of this stash, as well- I just want to get it live ASAP so I can share resources.
Coronavirus
As far as specific coronavirus preparation, we made sure to have cleaning and sanitizing products, soap, bleach, and latex gloves. Also tissues, acetaminophen and ibuprofen, cough and cold medicine, saline spray, and a working thermometer. For the average healthy person, Covid-19 manifests like a cold, bronchitis or respiratory infection so you want to be prepared for the symptoms that would come along with that.
If you are immunocompromised or have respiratory issues, now‘s the time to be having a conversation with your doctor about what steps they would want you to be taking in case of infection and making sure that you have any prescription medications on hand. For example, I made sure to pick up a new albuterol inhaler for myself and packets for Asher’s nebulizer, as we’d need both if infected. I’m not a doctor, but have been encouraged to utilize zinc and vitamin c for immune support, so grabbed some Emergen-C and zinc lozenges as well, and have our humidifiers going.
earthquakes
Since we are in Southern California, we originally and primarily need to be reasonably prepared for potential earthquakes- and that’s what started all this for us. So make sure all your heavy furniture is anchored (we use these) as well as artwork, know where your gas and breakers are, and keep tennis shoes under everyone’s bed. We also have had bad fires the last few years, so keep n95 respirator masks on hand for when the air quality is awful. David and I wear them, but haven’t managed to get Asher to- at first the kiddie size was too big, and now he’s too stubborn, so I’d love advice on that if anyone has any- fire season will be here again before long.
on the road
If you have a vehicle, preparedness there too! We always keep a fully stocked roadside kit with cables, a blanket, a few garbage bags, and some water in each car, and fill our gas tanks when they get to half full. I also have a bug out bag for each of us that lives in the car, with a change of clothes. Asher’s has a cup and bottle, milk and water, baby Tylenol, a pacifier, diapers and wipes, and a blankie. Mine has glasses and contacts and an inhaler, as well. We do still need to get proper maps for each car- since I am a worthless navigator without gps. And remember that preparedness is nothing if you have supplies and no plan- so discuss an emergency plan and meet points with your family.
on privilege and community
I also need to acknowledge that the fact that I can share this information with y’all, much less effectively prepare our family is an ENORMOUS privilege. The one of the biggest issues with emergencies like this pandemic is that they expose structural failings and issues within our society. Poor leadership and preparation, a lack of sufficient healthcare infrastructure are all problematic. Furthermore, I’m hearing stories of racism and selfishness that make my stomach turn.
So I’d like to remind y’all to think of others as you prep yourself. Panic is hurting small, local businesses, especially those with non-Caucasian owners, right in the pocket. If you’re ordering takeout, do so from your favorite ethnic restaurant and TIP or purchase gift cards to use in the future. Also- while there were crazy lines all over the country at Costco’s and groceries, Asian groceries report being stacked as normal… just saying.
And please be considerate and kind. Buy only what you need and will use, so that there will be plenty to go around. This especially applies to sanitizing and medical supplies that immunocompromised people must rely on. You don’t need a vat of homemade and likely ineffective hand sanitizer, but the people in your neighborhood sure might need the rubbing alcohol and glycerin you just wasted. This pandemic may be poised to affect our most vulnerable populations, but we can still use this craziness to contribute to community.
Please please please use sanitary practices, practice social distancing, and check and recheck your info sources- the only thing spreading faster than the covid-19 virus is hysteria and misinformation.
Resources for Parents
I know so many of my readers right now are panicked parents. As LAUSD and many other school districts close for several weeks, y’all are becoming impromptu teachers- know that lots of homeschooling and unschooling resources exist. Many families regularly learn from home and generously share their resources and ideas- Pinterest is overflowing! I have collected some additional resources I want to share, and like I said- will be adding here as I discover.
If you’re in Los Angeles like us: we don’t disclose where Ashe goes to school for obvious safety reasons. However, our program is offering satellite learning where they send a healthy teacher and classroom supplies to you at home for the bigger kids (2.5+). If you are telecommuting with kids who are not in school, this might be a helpful service- just dm or email me and I’ll provide pertinent details and connect you.
My friend Carly is a former teacher, and she shared a list of online reading programs that she recommends, as well as an at-home learning schedule for children around a kindergarten level.
I’m working on the details for a virtual toddler storytime that will be live on facebook and instagram several days a week, so will keep y’all posted on that!
If you are Montessori-minded and looking for toddler activities, Motherly did a whole roundup.
For those of you (like me!) with rambunctious toddlers, here’s a list of toddler activities for inspiration.
Many online education resources are offering free subscriptions during school closings- all the details are here.
MIT offers free classes online all the way from kindergarten to graduate school.
Teachers pay teachers is a library of downloads/printables created by/for teachers of all grade levels and many are super low cost or free.
For some art appreciation from the safety of your own home, some museums offer virtual tours!
PBS already has programming as well as video and game apps, and next week they launching a daily newsletter, with ideas and activities for learning play- subscribe here!
Tabitha owns McHarper Manor, an art studio in Cincinnati. She’s going live daily from the studio at 10am pst/1pm est with free art and craft tutorials, and providing a schedule and shopping list ahead of time.
If you often eat out and are having a hard time figuring out what to make and cook at home, Epicurious has an all-pantry meal plan.
And if all of this is just stressing you the hell out, headspace has amazing guided meditations for children and adults.
For boredom busters, these are some of Asher’s favorite toys. If we had private outdoor space, I’d be getting him a coaster, bounce house, or water table. I did make sure we have art and sensory play supplies, will break out some of the new toys he still has put up from Hanukkah and will get some new books in the rotation. For us grownups, we’ve got a few of our favorite board games, plenty of work to do, and a couple organizational and home improvement projects we will entertain ourselves with when we’re not chasing Asher!
more to come- be kind and stay healthy y’all!
