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Teenage Survival
So you want to survive the zombie apocalypse, but your biggest impediment is yourself because you're still a minor. You can't drive, you can't buy firearms or ammunition, and you probably don't have a job, which means you can't buy your own preps. You do, in fact, rely quite heavily on your guardians for survival. Yet for some reason, many teenagers are intent on cutting this lifeline the first chance they get. But why?
Let's look at this parent-child relationship realistically. Believe it or not, your parents are probably smarter than you. Most have graduated high school, and many have college educations, as well as years of additional life experience. On top of that, they will possess valuable skills that you don't. Most can cook, sew, repair an engine, etc. Even in the unlikely scenario that they are completely unskilled in anything, they are at the very least an extra pair of eyes and hands. In addition to all of this, it is generally understood that when disaster strikes people cling to what they find familiar. For children that includes their parents, so leaving them will be the last thing on your mind.
Additionally, parents almost always have much better resources than children do. They own some form of transportation, they know where all of the important family records are, they likely know more about your own medical background and conditions than you do, they have objects than can be used in barter and trade situations and they most undoubtedly have better communication skills than the average teenager. Parents are more inclined to successfully procure necessary items because rather than steal them, they will attempt to negotiate a trade or just outright purchase what is needed - that shotgun and shells you always wanted? Mommy just traded the old family sedan for it. Now you don't have to risk your ass trying to "scavenge" (also known as "looting," an offense many people die attempting) for one.
Now that you've made peace with the fact that you will be staying with your family during an emergency, you need to start getting them ready.
Obviously you can't just walk up to your parents and say "We need a zombie plan." Instead, try starting with something along the lines of "I've been watching the news and I think we need an emergency plan, just in case," or "I think we should be prepared in case of [insert most plausible disaster]."
The disaster you name will depend on your area. Some possibilities are: hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, fire, floods, riots, or even less dangerous events such as power cuts and heavy snow.
So what can you do to ensure they take your ideas seriously?
Few people prepare for bad times during the good ones. While money might be tight, and jobs might be scarce, this is the time when people are going to be open to the idea that things getting worse is a real possibility.
Note:
Many teenagers think their school will make a good "fortress". Visit this page to learn why that probably isn't true: "School Will Kill You"
Let's look at this parent-child relationship realistically. Believe it or not, your parents are probably smarter than you. Most have graduated high school, and many have college educations, as well as years of additional life experience. On top of that, they will possess valuable skills that you don't. Most can cook, sew, repair an engine, etc. Even in the unlikely scenario that they are completely unskilled in anything, they are at the very least an extra pair of eyes and hands. In addition to all of this, it is generally understood that when disaster strikes people cling to what they find familiar. For children that includes their parents, so leaving them will be the last thing on your mind.
Additionally, parents almost always have much better resources than children do. They own some form of transportation, they know where all of the important family records are, they likely know more about your own medical background and conditions than you do, they have objects than can be used in barter and trade situations and they most undoubtedly have better communication skills than the average teenager. Parents are more inclined to successfully procure necessary items because rather than steal them, they will attempt to negotiate a trade or just outright purchase what is needed - that shotgun and shells you always wanted? Mommy just traded the old family sedan for it. Now you don't have to risk your ass trying to "scavenge" (also known as "looting," an offense many people die attempting) for one.
Now that you've made peace with the fact that you will be staying with your family during an emergency, you need to start getting them ready.
Obviously you can't just walk up to your parents and say "We need a zombie plan." Instead, try starting with something along the lines of "I've been watching the news and I think we need an emergency plan, just in case," or "I think we should be prepared in case of [insert most plausible disaster]."
The disaster you name will depend on your area. Some possibilities are: hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, fire, floods, riots, or even less dangerous events such as power cuts and heavy snow.
So what can you do to ensure they take your ideas seriously?
- Use reputable/government websites. Show them information from websites like Ready.gov and Redcross.org
- Let them know that they can and should start small. Buying a few extra groceries each week is the kind of first step that will make sense. An extra bag of rice or a few more cans of soup, nothing expensive or out of the ordinary.
- Find information on first aid courses, self defense, or anything that you might find useful for your area. If your parents see that you've actually done some research, they'll know you're serious, and will take your requests more seriously.
- Don't push too hard. State your case calmly and maturely. If you meet with resistance DON'T argue. Drop the subject, work out how to solve their problem, and go back in a week or so.
- Zombies. Stick to realistic disasters, otherwise your concerns will be dismissed as immaturity or mental instability.
- Guns (if your home doesn't already have any). Opinions on them are quite polarized, so if they aren't there, it's probably for a reason. There are lots of considerations when adding firearms to a home for the first time - better leave this up to your parents' judgment for the time being. If you want you can test the waters by asking them what they think of you getting a pellet gun or something along those lines.
Few people prepare for bad times during the good ones. While money might be tight, and jobs might be scarce, this is the time when people are going to be open to the idea that things getting worse is a real possibility.
Note:
Many teenagers think their school will make a good "fortress". Visit this page to learn why that probably isn't true: "School Will Kill You"
Maricely |
Latest page update: made by Maricely
, Jun 7 2012, 12:58 AM EDT
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Keyword tags:
teenage survival
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| Ghoulsmasher | Safe sex/abstinence during post Z Day (page: 1 2 3 4 5 ... last page) | 259 | Mar 26 2013, 2:06 AM EDT by redcomrad | ||
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Thread started: Jul 2 2012, 4:46 PM EDT
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Teenagers will still be teenagers in a post Z Day world. The question is, should there still be an emphasis in safe sex education and abstinence? The majority of humanity has been decimated by the Z plague, and it's crucial to repopulate humanity ASAP.
So...should teenagers in post Z Day be allowed to enjoy casual relattions? Or should there be an even stricter code of conduct?
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| suctioncup | Teenagers and firearms | 3 | Oct 1 2012, 1:46 AM EDT by suctioncup | ||
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Thread started: Sep 30 2012, 7:53 PM EDT
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I am a teenager currently living in Australia, and I don't know if this applies to other countries or not, but...
In Australia teenagers are allowed to own guns. If you are above 11 (It might be 12), you are legally eligible to obtain a firearms license for an airgun or .22 rifle. I'm sure you could also get a shotgun - it just takes a bit longer. Automatic rifles, and firearms, are really difficult, and in most cases Illegal, to have. However, semi-automatic .22 rifles are available for teenagers. For example, to Ruger 10/22.
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| steamlen | Child soldiers? (page: 1 2 3 4 5 ... last page) | 198 | Jun 29 2012, 4:26 PM EDT by Ghoulsmasher | ||
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Thread started: Jul 27 2010, 3:21 AM EDT
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What are your opinions on this post Z-day?
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