Jmurman said:
My wife spends a great deal of time raising our two children. We have a daughter that is a hyper 5yo and my son who is almost 6 months. Now my wife is fairly young (compared to me :-) and hasn't known or seen bad times.
I lived through the gas crunches of the 70's and the Viet-Nam era...been there and done that.
My wife has complete run of the house...she wants to paint a room...go right ahead, move furniture...knock yourself out. But when it comes to my shop...you're entering my domain.
So she went last night to move the large Maple wood storage compartment into another room. This storage unit was filled with prep foods. Naturally she tried to "re-arrainge it"
Whats with women that like to re-arrainge stuff? Is it in your genetics or something?
Thats when she saw the individual preps...she hasn't inquired about the orange paint buckets with the screw on lids which are filled and stacked. :-)
Anyway, I was straight up with her about it...I simply said that this is for hard times and not for daily use..although we certainly rotate out for daily use when needed. I also told her that she knows my mind-set.
I have talked to her...briefly, very briefly, about my views on the economy or bird-flu, war etc. I don't like to lay alot of heavy stuff on her as I don't think that she would be able to handle this kind of reality....until it actually happens. I do let her read the book I am writing and that scares her.
My wife is really wonderful and I certainly do get no hassle from her at all for most things.
First thing is that you totally and completely love her. That is the most important thing you can do to make your children feel secure in life.
About preparing, take it ever so slowly. Most women fear a shop, or store, not having what they want when they get there, whether it is card or cash in their sweet, tender, but fragrant hands.
Ask her to buy stuff for you, like coffee, peanut butter, or whatever she knows floats your boat, and keep a "rotated" stash on hand, just in case, because you are afraid of some disruption in the supply line...
Wonder aloud, not too often, about what would happen if ::: toilet paper, chocolate, paper towels, eggs, milk, peanut butter, bread, orange juice, bikini wax, or whatever you know she worries about running out of, and is willing to make a special trip to get:::: gets messed up by our fragile inventory systems... running around from here to there is such a major pain... The Christmas toy mess is a decent example.
Slowly get her mind turned around to the fallacy of "Just-In-Time" inventories. Maybe it will be clothes for the kids that might not be in stores, readily available. Maybe you need to buy her a sewing machine, fabric, and lessons, just in case she can't buy "cute" clothes in the local chain stores? Focus on making sure she learns some basic skills, like sewing, knitting, gardening, bread-baking, canning, and chicken-keeping.
But, be fair about this, and you start worrying yourself about how to make shoes for those growing little feet! Look up local shoemakers, and find out who might give you shoe-making lessons! Otherwise, you are just breathing "fire and smoke" on her, and not really doing your half of the work involved in being totally prepared. The best thing you can do is set a good example, and not pile on your wife.
I guarantee you, if you work your "tush" off, helping her with the little ones, and get her proper equipment for preps, and then learn how to help her gain household skills, completely sharing the "scut" workload, you will be paid off, "big-time", and be setting a great example for your children about how a family is supposed to work together!
