How Being a New Father Shaped Me as a Prepper
For Father’s Day, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on how the birth of both my sons shaped my preparedness and views on prepping. When I first wrote this article in 2016, my firstborn son had just turned 15 months old.
Now I have two of the best sons in the world, ages 9 and 6. One thing I want to let you know early on in this reflection is that my first son is developmentally disabled. He required therapy to walk, eat, and do many other tasks. My second son has a rare congenital heart condition where he will need a pacemaker by the time he is an adult (third-degree AV block or complete heart block).
New(born) Challenges
As many of you know, your first kid changes your life. If you haven’t had a child yet, or don’t plan on it, I’ll summarize quickly. Days get shorter and your priorities change. Having a son unlocked some sort of emotional potential I did not know I had in me. I would do anything for him and want all the best in the world for him. Having a child fosters a new type of love you have never felt before.
When I came home from the hospital with my firstborn son, life changed quickly. After the awe of being a new father wore off and my wife and I had adjusted to our new routine as parents, reality started to settle in. Newborns are fragile and require constant supervision. They are needy and constantly hungry. Even a small power outage now had drastic consequences for my slightly larger family.
When I realized this new fragility, I decided to approach prepping with renewed vigor to be sure that I could keep my son fed, safe, and happy in emergency situations and disasters. We stocked extra diapers, baby food, and other baby essentials. Our sons were probably the most prepared in the household when they were babies. My oldest will always need extra help due to his disability, and I plan on being there for him whether we are living through good times or bad. This website was created as a part of that focus- where I could share what I know and what I learn as I live through the next chapter of my life.
Shifting Focuses
As the kids and my family get older, life focuses change and so do my focus areas on prepping. Starting this website as part of my chapter with kids ended up being a huge blessing and has given me a lot of flexibility. I’m able to spend more time with my kids and be the dad they need me to be with more financial freedom. I talk a little bit more about that when we went over the various prepper side hustles out there.
Besides no longer stashing diapers away, it’s becoming less about storing stuff for the kids and more about teaching the kids independence. Independence is important for everyday life, but it’s also important for kids to be able to tackle emergencies and navigate challenges on their own.
My kids enjoy reviewing our emergency plan, doing thought exercises, and getting outside to learn wilderness survival basics. They have a healthy understanding of risk but don’t live in fear. It’s immensely fulfilling to see them blossom into little people with big personalities who have the tools to navigate tough times in life.
Prepping With Medical Conditions
It’s not all sunshine- their medical conditions are lifelong and these present specific vulnerabilities. An issue with a pacemaker when medical support is unavailable could be a severe problem. My youngest doesn’t have a pacemaker yet- but me and my wife are carefully watching battery and size improvements over the years making us hopeful that there will be robust options when he needs to get one.
My youngest also has allergies to eggs and fire ants. Thankfully, we can stockpile EpiPens just in case. It’s easy enough to prepare with supplies, but it has also been rewarding discussing the risks and how to double-check foods for egg content.
Both of my kids’ bug out bags have their medical info and are heavily modified to fit their capabilities. One big highlight is the importance of games, gear, and ‘lovees’ for emotional support.
The Final Word
I hope if you have a father who feels the same as I do for my sons, that you reach out to him this Father’s Day and let him know how much he means to you because you probably mean the world to him.
Thanks for reading and supporting TruePrepper over the years. With the motivation of my kids laying the foundation for it all, I feel the best is still ahead of us while still being grateful for the blessings we’ve already had.
-Sean
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I have a son who is 21 and severely Autistic. I know what you feel and are going through. Know that there are others out here who live it daily . Bless you Man.