Recently I was talking to several young city moms. These are the moms who feel that there is no reason to worry about being prepared for emergencies because they live in a city with hundreds of grocery stores. They have gas stations on every corner and hundreds of emergency personnel in their community. I asked one of these moms with young children what her plan was for the wintry days when her husband has to be out of town for work and there is ice on the road. Does she really want to bundle up the babies and go out for basic medicine or extra diapers when it is freezing outside? What if the electricity goes out in the middle of the winter and she is on her own for a day or two? What then? It didn’t take five minutes for this mom to realize that she needs to make some common sense prep plans even though she lives in the city!

Hobbies on a Budget received products or discounts and uses affiliate links in this post. All opinions are my own. Click here for a full privacy policy and disclosure.

Common Sense Prep for City Moms

Some people don’t really see the need to do some basic common sense prep work. I talk to friends on a regular basis who don’t think it’s necessary to store back basic supplies. But if there is another ice storm (which we have experienced twice), hurricane, tornado or even just normal run of the mill thunderstorms and the power goes out, do you really want to have to wait on someone to come rescue you? Why should we make someone else come and bring us water or heat options when we can do a few things now to be prepared?

What Do You Need?

Two basic things you need to have stored back is basic food options and a few extra bottles of water. But what are some other common-sense items that city moms should have on hand for emergencies?

• Diapers – if you have babies, you do NOT want to run out!
• Toilet Paper
• Fever Reducing medicines
• Teething ointment
• Basic First Aid Kit
• Formula or baby food (think about the types of food your baby/toddlers are eating/drinking.)
• Heat Source (Adults can pile on the covers, but babies will need another way to stay warm.  Do you have an option to keep your children warm?)
• Water (If you are using powdered formula, store back some extra water to make their drinks)
• Light options (candles are convenient but may not be safe for young children;  have flashlights or a lantern in a specified place so you can find them.  Don’t forget to store some batteries)
• Pads and other feminine hygiene products

Make a Plan

Many of us don’t live next door to our family members which is why we should talk about our emergency plan. Moms with young children should have a definite plan that is clearly communicated to the other members of the family. In many situations, it may be safer for the mom and babies to just stay put in an emergency situation. If Mom is home alone with the kids and the electricity goes out or the phones are not accessible, make a plan so everyone will know where to find you or how to reconnect.

Be Prepared but Practical

Storing water bottles is one great way to keep an extra supply of water, but another option is to use a LifeStraw. We have several LifeStraws stored in our emergency kit but we also have the LifeStraw thermos that is perfect for regular every day use. Since the LifeStraw Go filters up to 1,000 liters (264 gallons), then you could keep one LifeStraw Go instead of trying to stock up on that much water. Not only is the LifeStraw Go a great option for portable hydration, but it also helps provide a layer of preparedness for emergencies.

Young moms are typically very passionate about supporting companies that are giving back to the world around them. One of the things I personally love about the LifeStraw company is that for each LifeStraw purchased, one school child in a developing community receives safe drinking water for an entire school year. Now that’s a win-win for sure!

LifeStraw offers several options to fit each person’s lifestyle.  In addition to the classic LifeStraw that is great to have on hand for emergencies, there is even a Lifestraw Play perfect for smaller hands.

Have you thought much about being prepared for weather emergencies? Got a plan? I’d love to hear!

Looking for more ideas for being prepared for emergencies? Here’s a look at some things that every family needs to have in a go-bag!