Relationships have their challenges. Two people and two personalities don’t always mesh perfectly, no matter what the movies say. We believe that prepping and emergency preparedness is extremely important, but not everyone shares these same values. What do you do if your partner or spouse is not on board with prepping or emergency preparedness? Well, here are some strategies you can use to help explain that you’re not completely crazy and that prepping is a worthwhile thing to do.
Make Prepping Relatable for your Spouse
Compare it to something that she can relate to. For instance, you could tell her you’re going to stop paying for Insurance. When she objects, then explain the connection to prepping. Prepping supplies are great for a disaster, for if you lose your job or otherwise come upon financial struggles, or anything in between, and it provides peace of mind for any of those situations. Also, try to get them involved. Ask your spouse or partner for advice on your calculations and plans (even if you know the answer,) ask them what kind of seeds you should store for long term planning, what types of canned foods they love and would like to have stored. Bonus points, stock up on the treats or beverages they love.
Don’t Be Extreme
Don’t make it about a major SHTF. Preppers love to talk about an EMP, nuclear fall out, or apocalyptic events. These aren’t what you’re most likely to use your stuff on, and while it may be exciting and interesting to you, it can make you sound a little crazy. Dwell on real stuff, like a pandemic or job loss, illness, house fire, etc. Want to have a garden? Make it about eating healthier and saving money. There are a lot of reasons to have your prepping supplies. Don’t lead out with zombies or robots. Start with the most common disasters or problems.
We get a bad rap for being crazy but we prepare to look after our families from every day disasters like the shortages and challenges we see every month and just being more self reliant.
Introduce your Spouse to Prepping Little by Little
Brother, if I may, when I saw the writing on the wall and started learning about preparedness, I gave her bits and pieces here and there about what we could face and backed it up with facts and actual events. First, I was able to get her to see the importance of firearms and self defense, and little by little she came to understand the need for preparedness. Now, mind you she’s not all in as much as I am, but I was able to plant the seed and she trusts that the steps I have taken is in the best interest of our family.
Talk About Current Events
When stuff started disappearing from the shelves at stores during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic (toilet paper, food and water) it clicked for a lot of people. You could use that real live experience to show your partner or spouse some of your food preps, water, gear, medical, supply and other important items. Now, you don’t need to overwhelm them, but the shortage caused fear and discomfort for a lot of people. Talk about what’s going on, from the weather to world events. What could happen? Would you be ready and able to react?
Prep for What Keeps Your Spouse or Partner Up at Night
I would find out if she has any fears for the future. You’ve probably been focusing on what worries you, which isn’t a bad thing, but you need to address her concerns and fears. My wife is worried about being harassed or assaulted so she wanted to get a gun. I was supportive and we had a good talk about her concerns and worked to remedy them.
Then you have the opportunity to talk to them about your fears and concerns. You also have an opening to talk about how you’ve addressed those concerns. Tell them how you’ve increased your peace of mind and that you’re prepared to care for them in ANY disaster. The food storage, water, and your other gear and supplies make it easy for you to “sleep at night.”
Just Keep Prepping, and When SHTF They’ll be Looking to You for Answers
If your partner isn’t interested, that’s really not the end of the world. Food storage, gardening, first aid, or survival might not be there thing. That’s not that big of a deal. My wife likes shopping, I like hunting. She likes to watch The Bachelor, I like to watch MeatEater. We support unity in a marriage, but people who have been in a relationship for a while, they learn that you don’t have to love all the same things, or do absolutely everything together. If they don’t care, don’t force it. The worst thing you can do is force it and be annoying and turn them against prepping entirely.
Don’t Overspend
Make sure you are not going overboard. Pick a budget and stick to it to show her you are doing it logically and responsibly. If you create a crisis by spending all your money on emergency preparation, you might be the cause of the emergency for your spouse. We encourage you to be excited about prepping, but don’t spend yourself into a crisis.
Watch Movies or Read Prepping Books
There are a lot of movies and books that talk about emergency situations. These make people think without any effort or commitment. It’s nonconfrontational. All you’ve got to say is- Hey, I loved this movie, we should watch it tonight. Or, I just read this book, I thought it was great, check it out! If it helps for you or your spouse or partner, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite prepping books.
Keep Learning
Prepping is an ongoing venture. Because of this, we recommend that you subscribe to our bimonthly newsletter to keep prepping, emergency preparedness, and self reliance on your mind. We promise, we’re not spammy, which is why we only email you twice per month. We hope you think about being prepared more than twice per month, but our newsletter is a valuable resource to help you learn new things, and just to keep prepping on your mind. Right now you can also sign up for free. You can also follow our Facebook Page for regular articles and resources.
