Today is Saturday and that means we have fun and share about ourselves. What was your favorite book or books as a child? Were you drawn to a specific genre or author? What about now as an adult? Do you find yourself still drawn to similar book genres or have you left those childhood stories behind. I loved mysteries, of course, it might be due to that was all my grandma kept at her house. I started with the Bobbsey Twins, then Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys (I preferred them), and graduated to Ellery Queens Minute Mysteries. At home, we had lots of magazines and trips to the library. Your turn.

Let’s extend a warm welcome to @Amy Grantham @Heather Wilson @Sandie Slowey and @Nakita Fele Please introduce yourself. We are happy to have you here. Some quick tips. General Discussion is primarily “education” and general info. Play Prompts and Games are activities for you and your family or the kids in your life. Free4All is your area, share tips, ask for help, anything you choose. More shortly.

Bear with me as I introduce my topic for today. Those of you who have been in the community for awhile may recall we lost power for three days due to a freak ice storm. As much as we tried to prepare, no one was ready for no heat and no supplies because stores were either sold out or seasonal merchandise was changing. Ugh. Yesterday, we lost power in the middle of the day, no reason given, just poof everything shut off, fortunately power was back within 2 hours but then, we had a thunderstorm to beat all thunderstorms, wind, hail, pouring rain. At one point, I thought a tree was going to come into the bedroom! Even the cats freaked out and they are pretty laid back. Did I mention, we live in an area prone to tornados? 2 weeks ago we celebrated the 20 year anniversary of the tornado that tried to eat me. Luckily it didn’t but it did get my car and the building I worked in. Which leads me to our topic today. What do we do to prepare our kids for an emergency. I’d like you to think about this, when a crisis happens, whether it’s a power outage, a storm, a kitchen fire, or even a war, the brain’s "alarm center" (the amygdala) takes over. This is the biological "High Pressure" system. In this state, logic goes out the window, and panic sets in. The antidote to panic isn't "calmness,” it’s Muscle Memory. When we talk to our kids about emergency preparedness, the goal isn’t to scare them, instead, it’s to help them. Formally, this is known as “Pre-Scripting” the brain. We are giving the prefrontal cortex a set of instructions to follow so that when the "alarm" goes off, the body already knows what to do. How can we help? One way is to minimize confusion which happens when there is a gap between "something is wrong" and "I know what to do." Preparation closes that gap. When kids have a job or a plan, they feel like they matter in the moment. They aren't just a liability to be carried; they are a part of the team. I’d love to know, what’s one of your “scary” emergencies and how did you handle it?

When you have time, invite the household members for a planning session and share that you are going to treat your home like a "Command Center." Your goal is to move through the house and identify where your "Safety Assets" are located. Because this can be scary, I encourage you to incorporate the Notice & Wonder strategy. Here’s an example: "I noticed that we have a flashlight in the drawer. I wonder what else we might need if the lights went out for two days?" For this activity, I’ve also created more detail by age to help guide the experience, of course, you know your family best, so adjust as needed. Ages 3–5: The "Go-Bag" Show & Tell The Goal: Familiarize them with emergency gear so it doesn't look "scary." The Play: "Packing for an Adventure." Give them a small backpack. Have them find three things they would want to have if the power went out (a favorite stuffie, a whistle, a specific snack). The Rule: Practice "Red Light, Green Light" to an exit. When you say "Safety Stop," they have to freeze and look for the nearest door. Ages 6–8: The Map Makers The Goal: Spatial awareness of safety routes. The Play: Draw a "treasure map" of the house. Mark two ways out of every room with a big red X. The Logic: Go outside to your "Family Meeting Spot" (a specific tree or mailbox). Have a "Picnic" there so the spot feels like a happy, safe anchor, not just an emergency spot. Ages 9–11: The Comms Captains The Goal: Information management. The Play: Create a "Communication Card." Who is our "Out-of-Town Contact"? (It’s often easier to call long-distance than local during a crisis). The Challenge: Have them memorize the phone number of one person who doesn't live in your house. In a world of digital contacts, "Brain Storage" is the ultimate safety asset. Ages 12–14: The Quartermasters The Goal: Resource inventory and systems. The Play: "The 72-Hour Audit." Have them go to the pantry and find enough food to feed the family for 3 days without using the stove or microwave.

The back story: A cosmic "glitch" has occurred. A new day has appeared between Sunday and Monday. It happens every week, but there’s a catch: The world’s "Performance Trackers" are broken on this day. No clocks work, no grades are recorded, no emails can be sent, and no one is allowed to be "productive." The Ask: Sit down with your kids or with friends or solo if no kids are available and design the "Laws" of this 8th day. 1. Name It: What do we call it? (e.g., Matterday, The Pause, Zen-day, The Great Glitch) 2. Dress Code: What is the mandatory clothing? (e.g., Pajamas, capes, mismatched socks) 3. The Rule of One: You can only do one thing, but you have to do it for as long as you want. What is it? 4. The Banned List: Name three things that are strictly "illegal" on this day (e.g., Alarms, brushing hair, the word "hurry"). How to Tailor the "Glitch" by Age: Ages 3–5 (The Sensory Kingdom): Focus on the "feel." Is the 8th day made of marshmallows? Does it smell like rain? Ages 6–8 (The Gravity Flip): What are the physical laws? Can we jump higher? Does dessert count as breakfast? Ages 9–11 (The Logic Puzzle): If the 8th day exists, how does the rest of the week change? Does Monday feel less "scary" because we had an extra day? Ages 12–14 (The Agency Audit): Ask: "If you had 24 hours where no one was judging you or grading you, who would you be for those 24 hours?" Ages 15–17 (The Radical Rest): Discuss the concept of "Hustle Culture." Ask: "Why does the idea of an 'unproductive' day feel so impossible or even 'guilty' to us? How can we steal 20 minutes of '8th Day Energy' today?" Your Goal: Pick one law from your family’s "8th Day" and implement it for just one hour this evening. If the law is "No Clocks," hide the phones and the watches. If the law is "Dessert for Breakfast," have sundaes for dinner. Your Turn: What is the name of your family’s 8th Day, and what is the #1 "Illegal" activity on that day? Before we move into next week, I’m curious: if your family could permanently name this 8th day, what’s the one word that describes the feeling that name should evoke?