Talking to children about being ready
Published
Keep it short and practical, and give them a job. The one thing Be Ready asks is to teach children when and how to call 999.
In the government’s 2026 survey, 32% of adults who live with children had spoken to them in the last 12 months about what happens in an emergency. So if you haven’t yet, most people haven’t either.
Their address and a grown-up’s number
Practise saying your address, and a grown-up’s phone number, until they know them by heart. A phone with a flat battery won’t remember for them.
A job each
Our picks. Links go to Amazon, and we earn a small share if you buy.
Children like a job. One checks the torch works when the clocks change. Another chooses a comfort item for the box, like a book or a small toy. A pack of 2 head torches means one each: ours is the Lepro LED head torch, pack of 2, on Amazon.
The meeting point
Agree where you’d meet if you got separated, and write it on the household emergency plan. Show them where the plan lives.
Keep it everyday
Talk about storms and power cuts, the things that actually happen. Keep it calm and matter-of-fact. It’s a list and a torch, not a drama.
Everything we recommend is on one page: the kit.
Read next
- Babies and pets
Formula, nappies and wipes. Pet food, water and a bowl.
- The emergency kit list
The whole list on one printable page, free things first.
- Be Ready, explained in 5 minutes
What launched, what's on the list, what it costs and what it doesn't ask of you.