Teenage Survival |

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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 (or in many places, even spray paint), and you probably don't have a job, which means you can't really buy anything because you have no income. You do, in fact, rely quite heavily on your guardians for survival, even before the crap hits the fan. Yet for some reason, many teenagers that create plans at the Zombie Survival and Defense Wiki are intent on cutting this, possibly their only lifeline at the first chance they get. But why?

Let's look at this parent-child relationship realistically for a few moments. 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. They can cook, sew, repair/swap an engine, and possess other valuable (and seemingly invaluable) skills that help get them through their daily lives. Even in the unlikely scenario that they are completely unskilled in everything, 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. Leaving them will be the last thing on your mind.

Additionally, parents almost always have much better resources than children do. They do own some form of transportation, they do 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 approach your parents and frankly state, "We need a zombie plan." Few adults will react well to that, and it may just land you in one of those wards with the padded walls and straight jackets. Start with something along the lines of, "I've been watching the news and I think we need a disaster 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 suggest to ensure they take your ideas seriously?

Use reputable/government websites. Show them information from reputable websites like Ready.gov and Redcross.org
Start small. Buying a few extra groceries each week is the kind of first step that will make sense. An extra bag of pasta or rice, a few more cans of soup or canned tuna/chicken/salmon. Nothing expensive or out of the ordinary, and these reserves will add up quickly.
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, neutrally 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.

What topics should you avoid?

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.

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. Learn why "School Will Kill You" in the linked article in orange, to the left.